{"conf": "phinished", "generated_at": "2026-04-26T08:00:02.954878Z", "threads": [{"num": 0, "subject": "", "response_count": 0, "posts": []}, {"num": 1, "subject": "Welcome to our new home (and help)", "response_count": 53, "posts": [{"response": 1, "author": "amy", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (18:12)", "body": "And I guess we can use this area to discuss suggestions about which topics to create. Best to start fairly general. Maybe: motivation, advisor and committee hell, stats, OT?"}, {"response": 2, "author": "KristinP", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (18:20)", "body": "Thanks a bunch, Amy -- I didn't realize how nmuch I relied on reading the board till it wasn't there....."}, {"response": 3, "author": "amy", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (18:21)", "body": "To post a message, you must first register. Just take the \"Sign up\" button. Use a Yahoo (or similar free account) address if you don't want to put in your real e-mail."}, {"response": 4, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (18:24)", "body": "Amy, I know what a headache this must have been for you considering that you're in the midst of moving and all. Thanks for putting up with all the trouble! I'm not sure I like the new format, but that's only because it's new and unfamiliar...I'm sure I'll get used to it, and like you said, maybe even grow to love it. In any case, your new topics sound like a good start, but maybe there should be a category for on-topic posts that don't fall under the existing categories, like \"miscellaneous\" or \"potpou ri\" or something. Thanks to Terry for the support, and I don't want to sound unappreciative, but I feel like we've lost our home and we're living in a tent in a refugee camp! -Tom"}, {"response": 5, "author": "amy", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (18:33)", "body": "] feel like we've lost our home and we're living in a tent in a refugee camp Isn't it funny how a virtual space can get to feel so comfortable and homey? Glad you and Kristin made it over, and thanks for saying you;'re here."}, {"response": 6, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (19:19)", "body": "Hey Tom, Amy and Kristin! Yay! We have a new home! I was having severe withdrawal symptoms all morning and afternoon! Yep it's different, but we'll get used to it. Home is where you hang your heart (and your banner!). Amy, good luck with the move... I know how crazy that can be - I've been back and forth across the country 2 times now and will do it all again in May 2000. Thanks for sacrificing your day to get us set up! -kharyssa-"}, {"response": 7, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (21:39)", "body": "Welcome home - ok I too am not so sure of the new space but we'll all get used to it. I just told Barb we are back - she and I have sent several emails to eachother today just to make contact with someone from PhinisheD! :) Update on my thesis - USPS still says it went to SF at 7:38 am on the 24th, wonder where it is. Oh well if my advisor doesn't get it by Monday am I'll send another copy (FedEx this time:)) Amy - thanks for taking care of us while you are busy moving! Its wonderful to have a home even if it is new! Chrissie"}, {"response": 8, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (21:42)", "body": "OK I am here. I guess this will seem less unfamiliar in a few days. Anyway, I had to go to work today and played yesterday. It is time for me to get organized and back on track. As soon as I do I will figure out a pact. Hope everyone ends up at this location without too much distress. Again, thanks to Amy for taking care of us! Mary Ann"}, {"response": 9, "author": "amy", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (22:06)", "body": "Good good good good. Glad everybody's stopping by. Tip. Once you're registered, here's the URL you may want to bookmark: http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/browse/phinished/all/new It takes you to the front page, and shows only those topics to which messages have been posted since your last visit. You may see all messages posted in the last week (including those you already have seen) by taking the link so marked, http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/browse/phinished/all/since/-7 and you can manually adjust the number of days by editing the URL to see the last two days (-2) and so on."}, {"response": 10, "author": "Barb", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (23:23)", "body": "Hi, all! So glad to see that our conference is up and running. Thanks, Amy and Terry. As Chrissie said, I was going a little bonkers without you guys today. Gotta get back to work. Barb"}, {"response": 11, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (23:27)", "body": "Hey, everybody. I woulda been here earlier but we had a slight catastrophy at home. The waterline from the street main to our house broke and we've been dealing with that. It turns out the piping that goes through the house foundation is cracked and hubby dug the piping free while I transplanted plants. Not the way we'd planned on spending the evening. :-) Many thanks and gratitudes to Amy for giving up her Sunday and to Terry for setting up the refugee tents!! Rochelle"}, {"response": 12, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (23:45)", "body": "One more lost sheep! Sorry about your catastrophe, Rochelle. Hope everything is ack to normal."}, {"response": 13, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (23:52)", "body": "Not quite yet - the water is turned off to the house but we have pitchers of water to drink and a partial bathtub full of water to let us flush the toilets. Hubby said this is our Y2K prep - we learned a lot of things about being without water. I said we should tell everyone we did it on purpose...LOL! Rochelle"}, {"response": 14, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (08:10)", "body": "Rochelle I had to chuckle about the water (not that your situation is funny!) We had a Y2K discussion panel at church last night and I told them I went a little nuts filtering water through our Brita filters and freezing it in gallon jugs (we drink a LOT of milk in our house). We have so many jugs of water in our freezer that I can't fit any FOOD in there. We'll be hungry but well hydrated. Hope the situation resolves soon. Once we went a week with no heat - in January - and I appreciate such small creature comforts. BTW the question that got the most attention last night was \"What if the sewer system doesn't work and we can't flush our toilets?\" I recommended building an outhouse (tongue in cheek, of course)"}, {"response": 15, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (11:56)", "body": "I made it! But I had difficulty getting here from the main page, after I had registered. I went to the Yap(py?) area, but I didn't know where to go from there. The format is a bit weird but change is always uncomfortable. I\"m sure we'll adapt. Thanks Amy."}, {"response": 16, "author": "aschuth", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (13:01)", "body": "Welcome to the Spring, Phinishers! And the best of luck to your ventures!"}, {"response": 17, "author": "sociolingo", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (14:01)", "body": "Hi, I made it. As everyone has said already - thanks Amy for the hard work! i gues Rochelle's mad e us all think Y2K now. Hadn't thought about freezing water. But .. must think about backing up data (a bit more fanatically than usual) just in case. After lurking around the Phinished board for a couple of months I had just decided to pact since I'm now 'wallowing' in the luxury of concentrating on the thesis (instead of working as well), and .. new home. Well, I guess we'll all get used to it. See you on the pact board in the next few days once I've sorted out what I want to commit myself to. Maggie"}, {"response": 18, "author": "aschuth", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (14:34)", "body": "Hi Maggie! Welcome to the Spring! Backup: Do a weekly backup of your work on Zip cartridges, and a daily on floppy disks. Also store one floppy and one cartridge securely off-site. If your PC ever causes you problems, be sure not to back up from the back-up media directly - go to a friends place, and create a copy of the backup. Work with this copy... This way you're safe in case your box eats up media... Or is virus-infected (check friends box first, too!)... I had severe hard disk troble this quarter, and found having Norton Utilities around can improve mood when in doodoo. It solved my problems, and cut my down-time really short. After all, you don't want to work on the hardware, but on your paper, right?"}, {"response": 19, "author": "sociolingo", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (17:23)", "body": "Thanks Alexander. You reminded me I really must get a zip drive. As usual the problem's finding the \ufffd\ufffd\ufffds. My backup is on about 20 floppies right now! Maggie"}, {"response": 20, "author": "aschuth", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (17:36)", "body": "At least you have one... Keep one set offsite. Ask the other Spring folks about the web space at visto - 15 MB! Perhaps if you zip that stuff with WinZip and put it up there once a week? Let me tell you - I run a mag, and the day I lost (a) all my contacts addresses, (b) all articles in the queue, and (c) consequently my nerves wasn't the worst day. Much worse were the weeks I spent until I had everything recovered (and I had my data on two hard disks plus a Zip cartridge...). My biz related productivity was zero, as all I did for weeks was trying to fix my !&%$\ufffd-equipment."}, {"response": 21, "author": "LynnC", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (19:26)", "body": "I'm here. Thanks Amy for taking the time to move us while you're in a physical move as well! Thank you too Terri for agreeing to house us! I'm looking forward to exploring your site and saying hello to fellow phinishers. -Lynn"}, {"response": 22, "author": "amy", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (20:48)", "body": "Anita mentioned having some trouble finding her way back here. I wish I could leave some crumbs, but the birds around Spring.net always foil those attempts, so here is a step-by-step way back. After you take the \"Sign up\" button (I made those buttons, BTW, three years ago, not the one that says \"Spring,\" though) from within any topic, like this one, and after you complete the registration, about two screens worth, you'll be presented with a short page with two links: Log in and Welcome screen . Choose Log in. And you'll be prompted for the username and password you just registered for. Put them in, click OK, and Then you'll be taken to the welcome screen anyway. Take the link marked Conference index Find PhinisheD ; it's at the exact bottom of the list, as the newest conference, and Click on the Add to hotlist link beside the entry for PhinisheD. (Actually, a shorter way would be just to take the link marked PhinisheD, but by adding the conference to your hotlist, you will have created a link to the PhinisheD conference on your welcome screen.) If you didn't just take the PhinisheD link, do so now, after that same screen listing hte conferences has loaded. And you're back. Doing it is much easier than reading about doing it. Pretty intuitive, really."}, {"response": 23, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (22:51)", "body": "Amy, everytime I hit a button I see new, wonderful things popping up on the board? You're very, very busy! When ya' gonna have time to move? Does the skull and crossbones mean I can kill (aka delete) spam when it starts popping up? And the profiles are there! I mean here! This is getting cooler by the Reload. ~:0"}, {"response": 24, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (22:56)", "body": "Where's the skull and crossbones? I found the profiles. How neat! Amy, but you have moving to do! How *do* you find the time???"}, {"response": 25, "author": "amy", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (23:11)", "body": "As it turns out, I have a sort-of welcome, yet frustrating reprieve. I had not yet accepted one job offer, and another old prospect has come back into the picture. So the packing stops until I have a start date. The situation is making me edgy, so I seem able to do little things -- you know, stuff that will take 20 minutes, but I can't keep my mind on anything very complex. Rochelle and Tom and I, as conference hosts, can see the skull and crossbones. I think it must be a new replacement for the kill button, which erases a topic. Tom, forgive my presumption in extending host privileges; it doesn't mean you have to exercise them, but you're such a handy sort. They didn't cut off the bios script -- I guess it isn't such a processor drain as the Webbbs script. Rochelle, just send you a 3+ meg file attachment."}, {"response": 26, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (23:29)", "body": "Cool, thanks Amy. Guess I should tell everyone officially since I let the cat out of the bag in that earlier rant. Everyone, Amy's agreed to let me write the PhinisheD book we spoke about at length on the previous board. She and I are in the stages of archiving all the messages and then I'll start coding shortly. I've got a general outline created but want to spend a bit more time thinking about the purpose, point of view and such before soliciting comments from the PhinisheD gang. So...more on this ater! Rochelle"}, {"response": 27, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (23:32)", "body": "No need to apologize Amy...thanks for the vote of confidence. And thanks for calling me a \"handy sort\", which I take as a compliment of the highest order. Since you didn't swear me in, I'll swear myself in: I, Tom, promise to faithfully and judiciously uphold the spam-free character of PhinisheD to the best of my ability. There, now I'm sworn in. -Tom"}, {"response": 28, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (09:42)", "body": "Tom I like you spirit and your oath! :) Amy, Tom and Rochelle - thanks so much for keeping us all together and spam free! Rochelle - good luck on the book! Chrissie"}, {"response": 29, "author": "deb", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (17:47)", "body": "Finally found my little text entry box though I have been on board since yesterday. Thanks to Amy for keeping things going. I was surprised to log on after the weekend and find a new board. I panicked for a moment when it took a second for the new address to come up. Thanks to to Terri for providing a cyberspace for us. So glad you are all out there. Personally having an unproductive week so far. Will go pact and maybe things will improve. The thesis binder sounds interesting. Can't wait to get this comp done and giveit a try. Deb"}, {"response": 30, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (11:14)", "body": "I was having withdrawal sweats! Now, where is everyone??? -Rochelle"}, {"response": 31, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (11:26)", "body": "Me too, Rochelle. Glad the Spring is back online! -Tom"}, {"response": 32, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (12:37)", "body": "Do we have to join a PhinisheD Anonymous group now???"}, {"response": 33, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (13:08)", "body": "For all you addicts out there... I have some space on Yahoo I set up as a similar board before I found Phinished. We can certainly use it in time of outage. The address is: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/graduatestudentssupportgroup Everyone could put this site in their favorites folder for the occasional downtime emergency. -k-"}, {"response": 34, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (14:47)", "body": "Ok, I'm back from the Yahoo site. Dizzy, anyone? :)"}, {"response": 35, "author": "amy", "date": "Sun, Oct  3, 1999 (18:42)", "body": "Any more lost sheep out there? I had a problem with one of the topics. I must have accidentally hit the \"forget\" button, making the topic not visible when I try to view \"all new,\" but the Remember button seems to be sticking for me. You can view such forgotten topics by taking the Forgotten link, but then it shows you all messages in that topic. So, for anybody who might have done the same thing, there's a little bitty link, \"N/f\" (new forgotten) that will take you to just the new messages in a forgotten topic. Tom and Rochelle, you a so have a Freeze button; this locks up the topic for everybody. I don't think we'll ever need it."}, {"response": 36, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Sun, Oct  3, 1999 (21:51)", "body": "Hey, Amy. Tom and I were debating what the difference is between the Retire button and the kill button. I found by testing a dummy topic that retire deletes the entire topic. So does kill delete the conference????? If so, I don't think I want that button anywhere near my speedy little clicker finger! -Rochelle"}, {"response": 37, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Sun, Oct  3, 1999 (21:53)", "body": "How's the move/job decision stuff going? Last update had everything on hold due to an old option coming back into the picture. Sooooo???? How are you and are you happy and when are you moving or what job are you taking and ...? :-) -Rochelle"}, {"response": 38, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Thu, Oct  7, 1999 (13:02)", "body": "I'm off line for a few days while visiting the in-laws. See you guys next week. -Rochelle"}, {"response": 39, "author": "Yabbo", "date": "Thu, Oct  7, 1999 (14:28)", "body": "Hi All, I'm a little new to posting at PhinisheD and my degree in general but know they both will become very familiar. My main reason for writing today is in the hopes that some of you may be able to turn me in the direction of some additional funding. I just started my degree in Ed Tech at NYU. One week prior to starting my funding was cut, significantly. It forced me from full-time to part-time status and scrambling for some sort of job. Basically, I need info. Funding or Jobs would be greatly appreciated. Any ideas? Thanks, Chris"}, {"response": 40, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Fri, Oct  8, 1999 (11:38)", "body": "I've been using the \"new\" key function to be able to read unread messages. But today, after using the new function, and then going back to all the messages, I found some messages that I hadn't actually read! Did I do something wrong?"}, {"response": 41, "author": "powagirl", "date": "Sat, Oct  9, 1999 (00:47)", "body": "Hello people I'm back! I had a wonderful holiday with my hubby, and have started my new job. It's fun. It's research, but not at a university, it's in industry. I'm loving it. I won't be able to stop by much anymore (the working world seems to have less net access than school) but I just wanted to say best wishes to everyone. Good luck with the book project! This sounds great. I'll stop by again when I get the examiners reports for my PhD, that will probably be in December. Hopefully Christmas time I'll be able to proudly announce that I'm Dr Powagirl! Cheers, Powagirl"}, {"response": 42, "author": "Barb", "date": "Sun, Oct 10, 1999 (10:02)", "body": "Hello, Powagirl! So good to hear that your holiday with hubby was wonderful and that you like your new job so well (good to know that there IS life after academia). Surely the examiners' reports will be favorable. We look forward to sharing more good news with you. Keep us posted. Barb"}, {"response": 43, "author": "fournier", "date": "Sun, Oct 10, 1999 (10:52)", "body": "Hi all! I've finally broken my silence, after a rather hectic four weeks, and am back on the Phinished board, at least for a moment. Thanks again for all involved who have kindly given us a forum here. It looks a bit different, but I'm sure that we'll all adjust (if we haven't already) -- after all, flexibility is a key attribute for anyone who want to pursue graduate studies, with its constant changes and challenges. I may be an old \"dog\" (...purely in the figurative sense, or so I'd like to think... , but new tricks are not beyond me yet! Just a quick note to Mary, wherever you may be, about Thomas King at Guelph. If you're still out there in Phinished cyberspace, please e-mail me! Karen"}, {"response": 44, "author": "amy", "date": "Sat, Oct 16, 1999 (09:29)", "body": "Tom approached me last week about a web server he has at home, and it looks like we'll be able to use it for a temporary home, with our old software. Tom says it's possible there may be some problems with keeping it indefinately, and that he can't forsee some aspects of its reliability, but all in all I think it a preferable temp solution. At least we'll be with our familiar webbbs. So, when it's all ready, the way to get there will be via the old URL at crossmyt.com: http://crossmyt.com/~amyloo/cgi-bin/phinished/phin.cgi Or, if you're ever away from your bookmarks, just http://crossmy.com and there's a link to the board URL on the index page. We'll also make a link from the main page here, from Bluemarble and leave crumbs all over cyberspace. It's incrediblly generous of Tom to do this for us. Thanks so much, Tom."}, {"response": 45, "author": "amy", "date": "Sat, Oct 16, 1999 (09:31)", "body": "That 2nd URL is http://crossmyt.com"}, {"response": 46, "author": "nell", "date": "Sat, Oct 16, 1999 (10:01)", "body": "Tom and Amy, What a contribution to the sanity of Phinished candidates everwhere. You are the best! Can't wait to try out the new site. Ellen"}, {"response": 47, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Sat, Oct 16, 1999 (11:54)", "body": "Aw, Amy...I'm blushing! Really, everyone, here's the story: My wife and I have a MediaOne broadband Internet connection at home, which is a faster connection than ordinary mortals should be allowed to have. I also happen to have a commercial-grade web server lying around just gathering dust (long story). I put two and two together and decided to offer my surplus resources to Amy for PhinisheD. The fact of the matter is that Amy is devoting a great deal of time and effort to getting the software all s t up, so the bulk of the credit should go to her. I merely supplied the empty vessel, and Amy is filling it with her special brand of magic. I owe Amy (and the rest of the folks at PhinisheD) a debt of gratitude for all the support I've gotten, and the least I can do to repay that debt is to let you all play with my toys! So thank YOU Amy for all of your hard work! You'll probably never know how many people have benefitted and will continue to benefit from your kindness. -Tom"}, {"response": 48, "author": "Barb", "date": "Sat, Oct 16, 1999 (12:03)", "body": "Amy and Tom-- Thank you so much! You are both very generous. (Thanks to Tom's wife, too.) Kind as the Spring folk have been, it'll be great to have a space that looks like our old home again. (I'm nearly weepy-eyed at the prospect. I love our Board!) Barb"}, {"response": 49, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Sun, Oct 17, 1999 (14:46)", "body": "I really appreciate Terry's letting us hang for a while. Now I'm ready to go home. Rochelle"}, {"response": 50, "author": "GaryC", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (17:46)", "body": "Amy and all others, Well I did make it over here and had just started using this site. I posted a question and one response and then, a week later, you moved! I was amazed at how quickly I appreciated the support from everyone! I hope that I can be of assistance too! The last time a posted I was having a very big problem with my proposal. I had a fairly major topic and methodology breakthrough and am finishing up my proposal. Does not sound like a lot of progress, but feels like a lot of work! Thanks Amy and all who support this. I am glad that everyone is out there. Gary"}, {"response": 51, "author": "nell", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (18:25)", "body": "Gary, Finishing up the proposal AND having a methodology breakthrough is huge. Good luck...it feel really good when you obtain those signatures on your proposal. Keep going! Ellen"}, {"response": 52, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (22:31)", "body": "Tom and Amy - Thank yo so much! And thanks to Terry here who let us hang out! But it will be good to be home again as Rochelle said (at least I think it was her!) Chrissie Gary - sounds like you have made some major progress! Congrats!"}, {"response": 53, "author": "aschuth", "date": "Tue, Jan 11, 2000 (13:04)", "body": "They seem to have gone to whereever they came from... phinished conference Main Menu"}]}, {"num": 10, "subject": "Celebration", "response_count": 15, "posts": [{"response": 1, "author": "amy", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (19:01)", "body": "Happy dancing with you, Kharyssa. Good going!"}, {"response": 2, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (19:42)", "body": "YEA, KHARYSSA!!! IT'S OVER WITH AND YOU DID IT!!! WAY TO GO!!! ALRIGHT!!! WOO-HOO!!! HIP, HIP HOORAY!!!"}, {"response": 3, "author": "emerson", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (01:09)", "body": "I just finished my dissertation outline for my defense on Tuesday. I can hardly wait."}, {"response": 4, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (10:05)", "body": "Congrats, Sandra! Good luck, and will be sending lots of good vibes your way TOMORROW!!!!!"}, {"response": 5, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (12:22)", "body": "Lots of luck to you Sandra! Stay cool and always know when to say \"I don't know'. -k-"}, {"response": 6, "author": "jomama", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (12:23)", "body": "Congratulations Sandra !!! Good luck to you !! Let us know how it goes !"}, {"response": 7, "author": "Barb", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (13:03)", "body": "Sandra-- That's Great! I'll be thinking of you tomorrow and sending good vibes! Every good wish from here, Barb"}, {"response": 8, "author": "nell", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (18:34)", "body": "Sandra, Thank you so much for checking in with us. You have helped me keep-on-keeping- on regarding my stats and now I know there is light at the end! Have a good night sleep (I find celestial tea with honey works well)and please let us know how it went. Ellen"}, {"response": 9, "author": "emerson", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (20:34)", "body": "Thank you thank you thank you. I've had a horrible headache all day. It is snowing (of course) but it should clear by tomorrow. I talked to my advisor today and he was very positive. I just want it to be over. To keep myself busy tonight I came home to build a fire in the fireplace thinking \"busy hands are happy hands\" and I wouldn't end up picking on my husband the dogs, etc. So what did I do? I didn't move the blanket in front of the doors and while I was outside getting more fire wood my husband smelled the burning and snatched up the blanket before anything serious happened. We decided I could keep the fire going as it was safer than anything else I could think of doing. I\"ll check in afterwards, and who would have thought I would thank my stats member for the \"exercise\" but I definitely know my stats and I am not worried about explaining them. You should all know that on my final reading this weekend I found Figure 2 to be a copy of Figure 1. I printed off new copies and will insert those into the committee's copies before we begin tomorrow. Does faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and something about a train come to mind? TH nk you THank you THank you for being there! Barb & Ellen I feel like I know you...CarolR, Kharyssa, we have been through a lot together, Jomama & Nell your good wishes are much appreciated. I wouldn't be here if it was for the friends I have made on this board."}, {"response": 10, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (22:47)", "body": "Sandra YOU GO GIRL! You'll be great! (As long as you don't build a fire for the committee, big grin!) I usually only cause great backdrafts when I go out for more wood, we heat with a wood stove and in the fall/early winter I ahve to learn it all over again every year!;) Chrissie"}, {"response": 11, "author": "Samantha", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (22:58)", "body": "Sandra- I am sending out good vibes to you for tomorrow. GOOD LUCK, but I am sure that you won't need it because you have skill!!! Samantha"}, {"response": 12, "author": "jomama", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (23:38)", "body": "Sandra: Although I had already sent you good luck wishes, I am sending you more. What time are you presenting your dissertation at, I want to send you extra good vibes, and of course, my prayers. good luck again, Jo Ann"}, {"response": 13, "author": "emerson", "date": "Wed, Oct 20, 1999 (00:39)", "body": "They called me Dr. It was wonderful...the process was tedious. My advisor expected to go an hour and half. The outside chair set the format (none of us knew him) and remember I only got a chair at the final hour, I didn't know his name in time to put him in the acknowlegements. He said two hours with 20 minutes for follow-up. The first hour went by and the second hour was like beating a dead horse, at the end one member asked about the last statement on the last page. She didn't agree, I read it and cou dn't put it into context. My advisor bless his heart, refered to higher up the page, to the subtitle( implications for further study) and I got back on track. Right at 3:00 he drew it to a close, I stepped out of the room and he came to get me in 5 minutes and called me Dr. I am now looking for 100% cotton 20 lb. paper to do my final copy. Thank you all for your advice, good wishes, support, and empathy. More than anything I wanted to see my name on this board along with all the others because it can b done with caring, support, and celebrations of the triumphs! Yea, it is over!!! To those still working, if I can do it YOU can do it. You can make mistakes, send an email to your committee person by mistake and recover, you can redo and rewrite, and call em on \"it\", and succeed. Don't give up. Yea!"}, {"response": 14, "author": "Barb", "date": "Wed, Oct 20, 1999 (10:25)", "body": "Dr. Sandra-- That is so wonderful! I am so pleased for you! Sounds like a grueling couple of hours (geeze, but that sounds LONG!)--but also sounds as though your advisor came through for you. Gosh. I'd have had a hard time keeping my cool with the chair who came on board at the last minute. Good for you for staying \"calm, cool, and collected\"! (I sound like the old Katie Winters commercial for Ice Blue Secret deodorant--lost in the Fifties again, that's me). Anyway, HOORAY FOR SANDRA! YIPPEE! GOODY GOODY! I'm doing a virtual dance for you, Doc! By the way, I thought folks might be looking for your post-defense post on the new-old PhinisheD board, just up (click on the URL Amy's put up on the first screen of THIS board and it'll take you there). So I took the liberty of telling them to look here. But you might wanna post over there, too. Your news surely bears repeating! Barb"}, {"response": 15, "author": "nell", "date": "Wed, Oct 20, 1999 (18:04)", "body": "Dr. Sandra, I am going to post congrats to you on both boards. You have PhinisheD! They made you work for it right up to the end but what an accomplishment. I bet it feels wonderful. Keep on checking in here and sending pearls of wisdom...we can use them. CHEERS..CHEERS..CHEERS! Ellen phinished conference Main Menu"}]}, {"num": 11, "subject": "The PhinisheD Book", "response_count": 23, "posts": [{"response": 1, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (15:05)", "body": "Hi, everyone. I was hoping for some advice from those folks who do interview/survey type research. I saw a lot of posts on the old board about human studies but didn't pay a lot of attention. Now it seems that wasn't such a good idea. The current plan is to assign a unique code to each person who posted to the board and never use the posters' names. But anonyminity (sp?) can't be guaranteed if quotes are used. Someone with a lot of time on their hands could go through every post (assuming the old sites is eventually reposted somewhere), find the thread and potentially figure out who it might be. How do others deal with these issues? Does every poster have to submit a release form? I'd planned on checking with people when I use di ect quotes from their posts but what about the other ones? Might there be a guideline type book that would give some general ideas and recommendations for these kinds of sticky questions? -Rochelle"}, {"response": 2, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (15:11)", "body": "Ok, Kharyssa - let's start the brainstorming on book names. Here are a few to seed the discussion... You Are Not Alone - Graduate Students Talking To Other Graduate Students On The PhinisheD Webpage The Unofficial Encyclopedia of Graduate Student Wisdom Graduate Student Truths - From the PhinisheD Internet Site IF the book is picked up, I'm sure the publisher would want some say in the title. But you never know... -Rochelle"}, {"response": 3, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (12:40)", "body": "A true PhinisheD title would most definitely have a colon in it!"}, {"response": 4, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (13:03)", "body": "I like the encyclopedia one! Though why not something that will reflect its humorous side, like maybe: Jack and Jill Fell Down the Hill: How to tuck and roll your way through graduate studies. or the more pedestrian: The Survivor's Guide to Graduate Studies. ooh ooh... why don't you approach the \"idiot's guide\" people and propose an \"The Idiot's Guide to Graduate Studies\"? Or the dummy people: \"Graduate Work for Dummies\"? These titles are really ironic since we are neither idiot's nor dummies in our fields, but are certainly novice to the process. You could have all kinds of funnies in the margins... running tips like: drink lots of coffee, consider moving into your office (save time and money), 101 ways to cook Ramen noodles; and serious stuff like: take lon walks to clear your mind, setting priorities, etc. With the book I'm doing right now, the publisher didn't make any moves towards the title. They did, however, ask us to research an apparent hole in our prospectus about a claim we make (that the book is the first of its kind). They didn't say a damned thing about anything else. Don't we have a publisher on the board? Here's how we did it: We wrote up a draft prospectus (an abstract) explainning the purpose and the topics covered. Then we solicited for contributions (which you already have from the board). In your prosepectus, make it very clear that the internet is your source for topical material, but not the whole of your book. Once you have written the prospectus, then write a possible outline of chapters. Then figure out a possible timeline for finishing the project. Once this is done, you can then send it all out to several potential publishers, and then sit and wait for a taker. Once someone bites, you'll have to negotiate such things as length, paperback only, price, and release date. Of course, we'd want to keep this book as cheap and accessible as possible. Also, think about publishing it on the web... if you hold the copyright the book may be published in both forums. The ethical question you raise about using threads from the board is a tricky one, but it can be solved easily: don't mention the name of the board. Use an ambiguous phrase like 'internet chat groups' and use material froma few other places as well [there are 2 or 3 others, but we are the most active]. This may be counter to the opportunity to advertise the board in the book, but it would protect everyone on here. If some tricky-dicky did find the board, and figured out who was who, neither you or Amy cou d be held responsible. The other option is to solicit everyone's permission (which means bringing the lurkers out of the woodwork) which may stanch posting on the board for the (remote) fear of having your thoughts and problems published and consequently that a person could be found out. sorry to ramble.... I have so much to say since the board was down, but not enough time to type it all! -k-"}, {"response": 5, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (13:47)", "body": "Cracks in the Walls: Graduate Students Talk About Life in the Ivory Tower CarolR - Do we have to have a colon??? :-)"}, {"response": 6, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (13:53)", "body": "Well, I SUPPOSE we could do without one. But then, you have to start the title with \"On\" - as in, \"On the trials and tribulations of woebegone graduate students\" etc etc etc For a while, nearly every dissertation in the engineering school started that way. We are such creative people, aren't we?"}, {"response": 7, "author": "amy", "date": "Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (15:53)", "body": "Or could make a huge joke of the colons and have a bunch of them. Dissertating on Dissertating: Group Support in the Ether: Hang Together and Stay Sane: Most of the Time"}, {"response": 8, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (17:04)", "body": "Rochelle, I think if you change or obscure the specifics (names, disciplines, dates, universities, etc.), then you are doing more than enough to protect the innocent among us! After all, PhinisheD is a public forum, everybody knows it, and tacit approval for \"publication\" of one's comments is given as soon as the \"post\" or \"submit\" button is clicked. If you're appropriately sensitive to the issue of concealing specific personal information, then you've met your ethical obligations. Because of the tacit approval that's already been given, I certainly don't think that any particular release or waiver from the participants is necessary. I'm sure that whatever argument you're trying to support or whatever picture you're trying to paint can be handled in this way without sacrificing the depth, clarity, or richness of the story you're telling. So go for it! -Tom"}, {"response": 9, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Thu, Sep 30, 1999 (20:56)", "body": "Rochelle just use the ADVISOR_PERSON in the book somewhere I loved that one! :) I for one don't care if you use my name, but think it would be best to use a code name for everyone, both Kharyssa and Tom had better ideas about that then I do. As for titles I think you have some great ones here, espically liked the overuse of colons, but you need to add to it so it reads, Dissertating on Dissertating: Group Support in the Ether: Hang Together and Stay Sane: Most of the Time: Learn How to Survive Your Disseration and How to Properly Use a Colon. Chrissie"}, {"response": 10, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (22:23)", "body": "Rochelle, any thoughts to including a sub-topic on \"maddening hurdles\" like the GRE and the admission process? -k-"}, {"response": 11, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Sat, Oct  2, 1999 (08:34)", "body": "How's it going with the book or prospectus?"}, {"response": 12, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Sun, Oct  3, 1999 (09:07)", "body": "Hi, guys. Wow, everybody's so excited about this I feel like it needs to be written by tomorrow! And we all know that's an unrealistic pact. :-) I'm at the beginning of writing the prospectus but am hesitating about writing the chapter outline. Since I haven't run the data yet, I'm concerned I might miss something or worse yet a topic I put down has no supporting posts. But I do have a brainstorming outline that I'll attach at the end of this post for you to salivate over. Thanks for the feedback on ADVISOR-PERSON. Sometimes the creative juices go into overdrive and stuff like that happens. I thought it was pretty funny myself and still giggle when I read it. Wouldn't it be interesting to have each chapter or section of the book to have a humorous opening like ADVISOR-PERSON? I'm investigating cartooning and creating characters. After I have a few done AND get the scanner back up (long story), I'll add them to my homepage (when I get around to finishing that!) and let ou guys tell me which you prefer - the verbal descriptions or the cartoons. What about a name? \"The Further Adventures of ADVISOR-PERSON\" would require ADVISOR-PERSON to be the central character which restricts the storyline too much. What about \"Letters from the Ivory Tower\" or \"Ivory Tower Realities\"? There will be a central cast of characters that includes both students and faculty (designated by motarboards - Thanks for the idea K!) That's a lot of stuff to do. Don't forget I work full-time and want to do that research which was postponed. But this book will be fun and I get a kick out of hearing from you guys. Ok, here's the brainstormed outline. BTW, this was generated by Inspiration, a mind-mapping software program. Encyclopedia of Graduate Student Wisdom -- As Compiled from Experiences Shared on the PhinisheD Webpage major topic specific question Correlations? solutions complaint request for help success / failure guilt/overachievementitus Pacts Offline Talks? emotional issues fear depression lonliness Relationship issues anger Practical Issues Time management motivation children jobs advisors dealing with professor Choosing a University politics prestige faculty more than one faculty in your field retiring advisors emeritus advisors political game players check with other grad students e:mail students check current people you know for ideas look at graduation records of school (how do this?) academic vs. research faculty advisors Funding grants working for the school/advisor loans self funded social interactions disscam like connects offline e:mail posting on PhinisheD Ben Deans Workshops Committees Analyses timeline of population topics of interest over time recurring themes coding Date time full message Name/Alias"}, {"response": 13, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Sun, Oct  3, 1999 (09:09)", "body": "Wow, that post sucked! Sorry for the messed up outline - all the formating was deleted! Well, hope you guys get the general idea, as it develops I'll get a better format for posting."}, {"response": 14, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Sun, Oct  3, 1999 (09:22)", "body": "Keep your fingers crossed... Encyclopedia of Graduate Student Wisdom -- As Compiled from Experiences Shared on the PhinisheD Webpage I. major topic A. specific question 1. Correlations? a. solutions B. complaint C. request for help D. success / failure E. guilt/overachieve-mentitus F. Pacts G. Offline Talks? H. emotional issues 1. fear 2. depression 3. lonliness 4. Relationship issues 5. anger I. Practical Issues 1. Time management 2. motivation 3. children 4. jobs 5. advisors 6. dealing with professor 7. Choosing a University a. politics b. prestige c. faculty i. more than one faculty in your field ii. retiring advisors iii. emeritus advisors iv. political game players v. check with other grad students - e:mail students - check current people you know for ideas - look at graduation records of school (how do this?) vi. academic vs. research faculty advisors d. Funding i. grants ii. working for the school/advisor iii. loans iv. self funded 8. social interactions a. disscam like connects b. offline e:mail c. posting on PhinisheD d. Ben Deans Workshops 9. Committees II. Analyses A. timeline of population B. topics of interest over time C. recurring themes III. coding A. Date B. time C. full message D. Name/Alias"}, {"response": 15, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (07:48)", "body": "Hi R The outline looks promising. I didn't quite understand what \"correlations\" meant, but I assume, given our on-line sense of humour, that all of the topic headings will be a bit punchier and more descriptive. I guess you're going to be getting lots of input as you go along. Let us kow if we get too overbearing! One of things I notice in diss books is they are either Joan Baulker style - helping you get through the mental hurdles, or they are technical: \"how to set up a proposal\". It seems like ours is more psychologically/politically oriented, is that right?"}, {"response": 16, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (08:38)", "body": "I think the style will develop itself as I begin writing. However, the way I'm currently thinking it will probably be a combination. Kind of like here are the hurdles, here are technical suggestions to overcome the hurdles, here are the ramifications of the suggestions and here's a bit of humor to help you keep your sanity. You guys have seen a bit of how I write. I've been told I have a \"chatty\" style so it sure won't be a pure how-to book. At the same time, I have my own opinions about stuff that I plan to temper severely and highlight what the people on PhinisheD have said. The book won't sugar-coat grad student life but it won't be totally negative. I prefer to think of it as an honest description of graduate student life from the perspective of the student. There will be highs and lows, laughter and tears - just li e on the board. Thanks for bringing up the point Anita. That's something that must be addressed as part of the prospectus. -Rochelle"}, {"response": 17, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (09:12)", "body": "Hey Rochelle, how about \"Letters from the Dungeon of the Ivory Tower\"? -Tom"}, {"response": 18, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (10:15)", "body": "Since I know the gist of the book that title sounds cute. But what about people who will be judging the book by its cover? Does that title sound at all hopeful? Bunches of people from the board have PhinisheD successfully, just not all of the stayed around to chat afterwards. I like the idea of emphasizing that the book is about many people's experiences. What about \"Letters from Inside the Ivory Tower\"? -Rochelle"}, {"response": 19, "author": "deb", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (11:05)", "body": "The title should definitely include the word PhinisheD and use a colon (makes all the academics at home) also the marketing angle for this book is tha it is by grad students at work not just faculty members who have arrived. Also perhaps a section on spouses/partners maybe these longsuffering, support- ive folk might like to write something to include themselves. A bib with either brief annotations or review about books we have read directed at phinishing phds. Also perhaps for fun the academic satire. Rochelle, while my husband worked in the music bus for a while not print media he does know a bit about copyright. So if I can ask him anything let me know I think this book will be great. Especially helpful would be implimentable (sp?) suggestions like the thesis binder and paring down the lit. Cheers, Deb"}, {"response": 20, "author": "janec", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (11:14)", "body": "Hi guys, I don\ufffdt know why but my brain is just not getting into to this format. I am grateful we have a place in cyberspace to stay together, but I am longing for our old format. I liked to be able to peruse the screen and jump into a discussion that I felt I could contribute to. Here it is just too much work to figure out where the discussion is. Anywho...I\ufffdm glad our talk about a book is taking off. Rochelle, I\ufffdd love to help. I like the idea of a title being done with a sense of humor, but I don\ufffdt think it shou d be too too silly. I think we have a very serious contribution to make in this area. To my knowledge there is no book out there done by people currently or having just Phinished so we have a precedent to set. I also didn\ufffdt understand some of the categories in the prospectus. Are we going to create an outline and see how it fills out with support from the strings or are you planning to analyze the strings and sort them into concepts like grounded theory?? An easier outline might be something like What it takes to Phinish: that fire in your belly advice Nuts and Bolts: practical issues that noone ever tells us The Dissertation in the Face of Power: dealing with administration, committee, and others Between two worlds: family, friends and dissertation a. how to combine those worlds b. \"don\ufffdt do what I did\" warnings about priorities c. off-campus advice for trying to Phinish from far away Getting started-getting done: a. the psychological mindset stuff b. the practical/logistical timeframe advice c. substantive advice about putting it together You may get what you asked for, or what do you do once you\ufffdre Phinished? I just did this off the top of my head. As I\ufffdm trying to work out the outline for my own dissertation I was in an outline kind of mood. Anyway, Rochelle my e-mail is jclough_riquelme@quanta.com.py is you want to correspond in another medium. See ya all, Jane Title suggestion... How to Conquer the Ivory Tower: reflections on the dissertation process from a cyberspace support group."}, {"response": 21, "author": "janec", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (11:19)", "body": "Rochelle, I reread my post and gave the wrong e/mail. It is jclough_riquelme@hotmail.com Jane title correction...from the cyberspace support group-\"Phinished\"... How's that??"}, {"response": 22, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (19:29)", "body": "Rochelle's old post about meeting basics could go in the Nuts and Bolts chapter. I have to stop frittering now"}, {"response": 23, "author": "Barb", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (13:15)", "body": "Maybe add a category for discussions about age and pursuing a Ph.D./thesis. (We've had a few threads about folks feeling almost \"too old\" to start or phinish a grad degree, and some threads about younger grad students feeling left out of certain academic cicles because of age.) Barb phinished conference Main Menu"}]}, {"num": 14, "subject": "Job Search", "response_count": 3, "posts": [{"response": 1, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Sat, Oct  2, 1999 (21:08)", "body": "Samantha I am not job searching but my husband is - he's in software so we may move but not likely - we are happy here, love the house etc so would only move if a great job overseas comes up and even then it has to be great - we have 2 toddlers so moving far away can be hard on the grandparents and the friends, not to mention the kids. Good Luck! One thing he is trying to do is pick the boss he wants to work for not just take a job, easier to say then to do I know! Chrissie"}, {"response": 2, "author": "jomama", "date": "Sun, Oct  3, 1999 (19:25)", "body": "I too am job searching, well, kind of. I am searching for a post-doctoral position in my field (Clinical Psychology) where I am required to complete an additional 2,000 hours to get my license. I am currently tyring to set something up, but I am determined to stay within my field (Pediatric Neuropsychology). The competition is very fierce and many professional psychologists feel threatened by new graduates and are unwilling to help out. Is this common, or is it specialized within the field of Psychology? Jo Ann"}, {"response": 3, "author": "puddles", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (13:23)", "body": "I'm on the job search this year as well. I'm not so afraid of the moving aspect, although I'm not looking forward to it. I'm hoping that my s.o. will move with me, but we haven't really talked about it. The actual search process is pretty stressful, having to get your cv's, writing samples, etc. together, but like the PhD process in general, I guess, you have to take it one day at a time. Pez phinished conference Main Menu"}]}, {"num": 15, "subject": "Fittering Away Time:  How to Stop", "response_count": 38, "posts": [{"response": 1, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (07:37)", "body": "How about if we start by confessing how we waste time? -daydreaming -cleaning house -photocopying during productive brain time -playing on the internet"}, {"response": 2, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (07:57)", "body": "Reading PhinisheD? Seriously: sitting with hubby while he flips channels."}, {"response": 3, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (08:23)", "body": "1) Watching football...although I am really tired today, it's a happy tired! fish heads, fish heads, roly-poly fish heads fish heads, fish heads, eat 'em up, YUM! Sorry to any Miami fans. :) Seriously, I do try to work during the games but if my Bills are playing it's tough to concentrate. 2)Playing mahjongg 3)Reading anything else but diss-related stuff Kids and Band don't count as frittering."}, {"response": 4, "author": "Irishprincess", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (08:30)", "body": "Let's see, most of mine involve staring: --at blank pieces of paper --at one page in a book I'm supposed to be reading --at walls --at the computer screen And hey, daydreaming is a very productive thing sometimes! I compose my papers and stories almost entirely in my head, so I do a lot of \"daydreaming,\" but it's not a waste of time. I guess it all depends on what you're daydreaming about! (Does daydreaming about Colin Firth count as productive? What do you think, droolers?)"}, {"response": 5, "author": "lynnc", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (11:29)", "body": "Carol - you're a Bills fan?! I'm from Buffalo, as is my husband. We *love* the Bills! Last night I watched a little bit of the game too (fell asleep at 10:00). Are you from Buffalo? I fritter my time away by reading and responding to some wonderful e-mail lists I'm, reading Phinished, and reading articles on the Salon site. I also talk on the phone to friends and family. -Lynn"}, {"response": 6, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (12:05)", "body": "When I get the urge to fritter I typically, -go to the office... that fritters 1 1/2 hours of getting ready, driving, and setting up. When I do get there I am very productive. -surf the Net... yesterday I went looking for school rings! -watch the brainsucker... I can watch the channels go by for hours at a time! -listen to music... I love to just sit in the dark and listen to music. This activity has been curtailed alot since Adam doesn't enjoy it, but when he's not around I crank it up. -listen to a book on tape... I just bought \"Overcoming Procrastination\". chances are I'll be procrastinating heavily with this tape in the coming days. You know, maybe it's that it's a thesis, but I feel very motivated to work: I just can't spend time on my thesis with this other class looming over me. If I do work on my thesis, I get sucked in and suddenly a whole day has gone by. I am procrastinating mainly from this damned class and its innane homework. I wish I could use my thesis as relief from the class, but I'm at that stage where I have to put in decent blocks of time to get anything done. -k-"}, {"response": 7, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (12:11)", "body": "Yes, Lynn, I'm from Buffalo (although I was born in the Poconos, I've lived here since I was 6 months old). And also a big Bills fan, since forever. Harry Jacobs used to come speak at my dad's softball league banquets. His wife and I had braces at the same time! My son has gone to Jim Kelly's football camp for three years now. I watched the whole game so I'm a little punchy - oops, and late for class!!!!"}, {"response": 8, "author": "Irishprincess", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (15:30)", "body": "I know exactly what you mean, Kharyssa! I'm not working on my thesis yet, thank God, but I have a research methods class that takes up tons of my time, and once I get started working on my assignments for it, I completely ignore everything else, like grading my students' papers, making lesson plans (they love it when I come to class totally unprepared,) and other such stuff. BTW, what are you majoring in? I'm English literature, studying Byron and Gothic lit right now."}, {"response": 9, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (15:49)", "body": "Some ways to stop frittering: 1) Put on a favorite CD (preferably one that doesn't require you to listen closely to it) and work until the last song 2) Work in smaller chunks of time - use a kitchen timer to start small (~15 minutes) 3) Make a daily pact with a friend 4) Get ready at night for the tasks you want to accomplish the next day. Have materials together, data in the right format, etc. If the scut work is done ahead of time you can jump right in 5) Give yourself rewards for finishing tasks - chocolate works well here!"}, {"response": 10, "author": "Irishprincess", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (17:08)", "body": "Well, Carol, I try to do that stuff, but somehow I still don't seem to get things done. For example, I'll tell myself that I'm going to get this batch of papers graded no later than Wednesday (or whatever the next day happens to be,) and I always end up getting sidetracked by decorating for Halloween or making my brother's costume or shopping or something--anything other than what I'm supposed to be doing! Perhaps I'm just a slacker, or I just have too much to do and I can't feasibly imagine getting it ll done."}, {"response": 11, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (22:15)", "body": "Amy YOu need to just tell yourself (and then stick to it) that you can't do anything else until you have done 5 minutes on the thesis/class what ever, limit yourself to the 5 minutes at first. Soon you'll have it worked out to a happy medium. At least that worked for me - of course mine was the thesis and it had to be done at the cost of other things. I'm still realing from the extra time now that the rough draft is in advisor's hands...I'm afriad I'll get used to the time and never want to work on the thesis again! That said I was up way to late last night with a great Dick Francis book, love his work and found an old one I hadn't read yet at a yard sale last weekend, yeah! But more exciting - he's signing books close by this Sat. I'm hoping to go and in case I can't make it I have my books reserved (more than one DF reader in the family). Ed has class so I have to take the kids with me and its only for 1.5 hours and is about an hour away. Hum I could also go to the really cool knitting store in that town, hu how to occpuy the kids while I drool over books and wool? Oh the fall nesting urges are strong, I want to knit and read:) Tea anyone? Chrissie"}, {"response": 12, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (13:07)", "body": "Hey Amy! I'm in archaeology... not too different from literature -- I sometimes feel like I'm writing fiction! I realized last night (as I was trying to sleep around 2am - yes the insomnia is back) that I have a huge unresolved fear which is causing my feelings of resentment towards this class. I am terrified that this class, my last required class in a topic that is outside of my field, will eat up all of my time. This would then results in days and weeks gone by that I haven't found time to work on my thesis; and here is where my fear lies: if I am forced to take a 'break' from the thesis I may (read this as 'pr bably will') lose the motivation I feel right now and never get back to it until the end of the semester -- at which point I'll have 3 weeks to finish it if I want to graduate in May! Arg! And those three weeks will be a really really bad time for me to be cramming on this thing... I'll be serving papers to my soon to be ex-husband on the 16th, getting him out of the house, selling the house, packing, and moving into an apartment with a friend going through the same damned thing. So I am stressed out on m ny different levels as well. Thank the stars I am not teaching this year... phew! I don't envy you for that! Chrissie, Yes Fall Nesting is upon us isn't it? We had our first few cold days here (and snow) in Denver and I couldn't resist pushing my two loveseats together and making a great big reading nest in front of the fireplace last weekend! My best wedding gift was one of those tea makers with its own carafe... now I can nest and never have to leave for more tea! I wish the 5 minute thing would work for me, but I am working on stats right now... which require oodles of brain power, logical thinking, and blocks of time to get all the steps straight. And I used up all my little tasks already! Oh well.... on top of all this I need to pull an A in this class to maintain my GPA -- and so far that ain't a-happening (I failed my first paper). So I feel the need to work doubly-hard on the class. -k-"}, {"response": 13, "author": "Irishprincess", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (13:42)", "body": "Yes, teaching is the hardest part of the whole thing--my students think I can grade 45 two to four page essays in one day, they're always complaining about their assignments, and they never listen and never follow instructions. If I weren't teaching, I'd be in high cotton right now, except that my car would get repossessed!"}, {"response": 14, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (18:35)", "body": "K I was curious about the home situation but I didn't want to ask (you might have rehashed it in August, when I took leave of the group). Hope you're ok. No need to get into it of you don't want - just a short note to let you know that I was thinking of you."}, {"response": 15, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (18:38)", "body": "I've managed to figure out a way to control the cleaning house urge. I give myself just one room to clean, then I clean it, and then I'm not allowed to do anymore cleaning. I guess the other thing I do to use my productive time well is to use Phinished and email as a reward. Sometimes I use Phinished to get out of bed! (\"I can sleep for 10 more minutes OR I can read the board). Otherwise, I try to limit myself to email after something has been accomplished."}, {"response": 16, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (21:20)", "body": "K sorry to hear the marriage is going down, but hope that you are comfortable with it, and that you can find the strength to keep working. Ok so 5 minutes won't work right now - how about doing it the other way round? Instead of 5 minutes on the thesis how about 5 minutes on the class work, or the house cleaning and then doing the thesis for an hour and then another 5 minutes on the class/house/paly...not sure that made sense. I am still waiting to hear feedback from my advisor - have to give her another week before I begin to beg for it back and I am so afraid I won't want to do any thesis work once it comes back - the longer she has it the more I am feeling I'm done and don't want to have to begin again! So I understand how you feel about you thesis and the class! Good Luck in both - what a stress to have to get the A for the GPA and to have failed the first paper, nothing like feeling like you are running uphill all semester! GOOD LUCK! Chrissie"}, {"response": 17, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (22:03)", "body": "Kharyssa, Too bad we can't bottle days like my Monday and your GRE-acing day. Then we could take them out when we get bad news (like failing papers and marriage troubles). Hope better days are coming. Carol"}, {"response": 18, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Thu, Oct  7, 1999 (00:02)", "body": "Thanks Amy, Anita, Chrissie, and Carol! I am actually OK with it all. At this point it is the practical thing to do. I've been seeing a counselor for some time now, and she and I have come to the conclusion to end what has been a borderline abusive marriage. I cried it all out way back when in July and August, so I am cool and collected about it now. I'm sure I will be upset when the day comes... but for now I am just trying to hang in there as best I can. Everyday is horrible, and being home together is sheer torture. Hence the reason I've bee staying/working at school more than usual and necessary. I don't think its effecting my concentration so much as it is effecting my schedule. I guess I've just been through enough crapola in my life to recognize and deal with bad situations in a way that results in minimal damage to my psyche. Again, thanks for thinking of me! -k-"}, {"response": 19, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Thu, Oct  7, 1999 (21:04)", "body": "K You sound good but do let us know if we can do anything to help! When are you moving out - sounded like it was soon. Chrissie"}, {"response": 20, "author": "Barb", "date": "Thu, Oct  7, 1999 (22:47)", "body": "Hi, Kharyssa-- Ditto what Chrissie said: Let us know if we can help. Best of luck, Barb"}, {"response": 21, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Fri, Oct  8, 1999 (11:35)", "body": "I tried the Putting On the CD Trick and it worked!! Excellent."}, {"response": 22, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Fri, Oct  8, 1999 (13:29)", "body": "Well, moving out will be relatively soon in the grand scheme of time... the end of December. So that's what, 2 1/2 months? Yeah pretty soon. I plan to start moving the bigger stuff into storage as soon as he is out of the house -- and there it will stay until I leave in May for Boston or Syracuse or etc. I'm hoping to only have to actually move my bed, clothes, 1/2 the books, and my desk into the new place. The good news is that I found a temp job with a museum over the Christmas break and will make enoug money to pay for movers and storage... YAY! As for the CD thing... I can't do it. I tried. Either I tune the music out completely and don't realize when its over; or I get distracted and jump up tp dance around and sing at the top of my lungs (I used to be in musical theatre) -- or air conduct the steroe. Guess I need to find a genre of music that doesn't do this to me! : ) -k-"}, {"response": 23, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Fri, Oct  8, 1999 (20:07)", "body": "Yikes is Dec really only 2 1/2 months away, sigh I'm not ready for the holidays yet...Oh well I love fall and plan to enjoy it while I can! When does he go - sounds like you are both moving out is that right? I love the image of you conducting the CD by the way! I used to study to the Chipmunks, yes the Chipmunks in college as it wouldn't destract me so much. Yeah weird I know but then I'm weird:) Chrissie"}, {"response": 24, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Fri, Oct  8, 1999 (22:15)", "body": "I love the Chipmunks too! I have an old 45 with the \"We sure like girls, all kinds of girls, from Annie to Veronica\" song on it - Margaret likes it because her middle name is Veronica. My dad picked out my first car - an Opel with no radio - so I bought a cassette player for it, and drove back and forth to college singing along with the Andrews Sisters. At least the tape kept me awake! The kids won't let me play it, though. Kharyssa - working beyond the end of the CD is not necessarily a bad thing! I put mine on continuous loop. If I am really getting into my work, I don't notice when the disc starts over."}, {"response": 25, "author": "EdwardC", "date": "Mon, Oct 11, 1999 (23:01)", "body": "Since we are all Chipmunks fans here, I am looking for a rare compilation of the Chipmunks doing Sex Pistol, Black Sabbath, and Motorhead standards? I heard it once before at a frat party in college so I know it exists. But then again, the air in the frat smelled kind of funny."}, {"response": 26, "author": "Samantha", "date": "Tue, Oct 12, 1999 (01:31)", "body": "Thanks to Tom's encouragement I have found a new way to fritter away my time...trying to get my new disscam to shoot at proper intervals and ftp to the server correctly. (Thanks Tom, just kidding). But don't we all need to fritter occassionally just to keep our sanity? Samantha"}, {"response": 27, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Tue, Oct 12, 1999 (10:48)", "body": "Samantha, if frittering induces sanity, I must be the sanest person on the board. And Edward, good to see you here! I can't imagine Alvin, Simon, and Theodore doing Sid, Ozzie, and Lemmy, but it sure sounds intriguing. -Tom"}, {"response": 28, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Tue, Oct 12, 1999 (11:26)", "body": "Hey, Edward! Glad to see ya, dude. Check out Amazon.com, surf to their music section, search on \"chipmunks\" and there's over 10 hits. Maybe one of those albums has the music you want. Rochelle"}, {"response": 29, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Tue, Oct 12, 1999 (22:13)", "body": "Glad to see you made Edward! -kharyssa-"}, {"response": 30, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (10:52)", "body": "Edward I think I have that album, or had it - Seems like Alvin had a spiked collar on in the cover art, hum will have to dig them out and look now. Chrissie"}, {"response": 31, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (12:15)", "body": "I checked out Amazon, and the song I have on a 78 is \"Alvin's Harmonica\"- on their \"Greatest Hits\" CD. I put it on my wish list! Chrissie, my two older kids had chicken pox; Margaret got it first, and had a bad case. She generously \"shared\" it with Arjay, who got it on Father's Day but not as bad. I made sure Jean got the vaccine, which wasn't available when the older two were small. Margaret was so uncomfortable that I didn't want a repeat with Jeannie, who is much less \"mellow\" than Margaret is. Hope your kids don't get it! If they do, Caladryl \"sort of\" works, for a while."}, {"response": 32, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Fri, Oct 15, 1999 (14:31)", "body": "I know this has nothing to do with wasting time, but I don't have the energy nor to go searching for the right thread. It just takes to long to load up. Found out this morning that a dear friend, someone who I thought of as a second mother, has just passed away. Feeling blue and heavy."}, {"response": 33, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Fri, Oct 15, 1999 (15:16)", "body": "Anita, I am sorry to hear you lost someone so dear to you. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Carol"}, {"response": 34, "author": "nell", "date": "Fri, Oct 15, 1999 (16:43)", "body": "Anita, So sorry. I lost my father and my brother(whom I absolutely adored). Never have truly accepted his death. I hope you can cry about this and take time to be reflective so in the future you can remember her life with joy. I send my deepest sympathies. Ellen"}, {"response": 35, "author": "amy", "date": "Fri, Oct 15, 1999 (17:25)", "body": "These things can't help but make one think of one's own mother, I think, in addition to feeling the pain for the friend. Take care, Anita."}, {"response": 36, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Fri, Oct 15, 1999 (21:14)", "body": "Anita, I'm sorry for your loss. Heartfelt condolences to you. -Tom"}, {"response": 37, "author": "Barb", "date": "Fri, Oct 15, 1999 (22:13)", "body": "Anita-- Sorry to hear that particular bit of news. I lost a second mother, too, awhile back. I'm sending you good thoughts. Barb"}, {"response": 38, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (22:49)", "body": "Anita I too send love and warm thoughts to you on your loss. Sorry to hear it! Chrissie phinished conference Main Menu"}]}, {"num": 16, "subject": "Teaching+Work+Research", "response_count": 3, "posts": [{"response": 1, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Fri, Oct  8, 1999 (11:29)", "body": "I'm not sure if this fits exactly under this thread, but here it goes. I think it will be interesting for the book. Some students move straight from their Masters into their PhD, while others, like myself, have a working gap in between. When I was in Masters I couldn't wait to get out. I couldn't wait to work in the real world. I expected to do amazing work and to get recognized for it. I felt that I was ready to leave the neurotic academic world. But you know what - the working world is not as happy and shiny as students think it will be. It's really trading one set of problems for another, and learning to cope ith the new set. Now I\"m back at school, and there are good and bads things about it. I consider this \"my job\" - this is as good as it gets. I've learned not to harbour false expectations about the next phase of my life, when I go back out into the working world with new knowledge and credentials. But I wince when I hear or read students' expectations about getting out into the \"real world\". This is the real world. Enjoy it. Just my 2 cents."}, {"response": 2, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Fri, Oct  8, 1999 (13:18)", "body": "Anita I agree! School is work and work is school. It drives me nuts to hear younger students talk about how they are going to walk out of school and into the top jobs. What ever happened to the expatation of working your way up? Seems everyone expects to graduate and be the boss the next day! Hello this is not the real world. Experience counts. Chrissie"}, {"response": 3, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Sat, Oct  9, 1999 (11:02)", "body": "I agree that students expect to be slotted into great jobs when they graduate. But, from my humble experience, I do think that they also expect to work their way up (at least I did), through promotion as a reward for good work. The problem is, at least in my sector where government cuts have flattened health organizations, that there aren't many rungs to climb. So students get graduate degrees, expect to get a good job immediately and expect to get that super job within a couple of years. Anyway, I really admire those folks out there who do both -who work and go to school. How do you do it? phinished conference Main Menu"}]}, {"num": 2, "subject": "Pacts", "response_count": 104, "posts": [{"response": 1, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (21:42)", "body": "Ok I'll get us going again... My pact for this week is to not kill the USPS. But to make sure advisor has a copy of my thesis and then to continue to work on it until I get her feedback. I know I sent it with some holes - but I was sick of looking at it. :) Chrissie"}, {"response": 2, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (22:47)", "body": "Half-way check-up! I have had another remarkably productive week. Despite the fact that I pacted only to read for my class and study for the GREs (on Friday)... well, I got bored and worked on my thesis. I revised my outline for chapter 6 a bit after realizing that my original structure didn't 'flow'. I also made a list of all the ArcView stats I need to run for part II of this chapter. I finished typing in *all* of my notes... and made a pact with myself to accept no new references until the first draft is completed. I als got together all of my recommendation forms: all filled out, with addressed & stamped envelopes, and copies of my statement. I'll hand these out tomorrow to the chosen victims. I also wrote two more entries for a dictionary-like book to which I'm contributing. On top of that I finished my readings, including catching up with the readings I didn't do last week because of my sinus infection. I also finished my morphology homework for the same class. I am sooooooo on a roll! I hope I can keep this up! I think alot of my motivation is coming from my thesis binder. Do you all know what this is? It is way cool and I'd be glad to share the particulars... : ) -kharyssa-"}, {"response": 3, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (23:31)", "body": "I'd like to start up with the pacts again. By next week I will have filed copywrite protection on all the research that was reviewed by bunches of people during the proposal writing and comp exam time. Also, I will outline the research steps needed to get going again. Oh, and I'll get plumbers in to fix the broken water main and take a shower. Ewwwwwww! :-) Rochelle"}, {"response": 4, "author": "Barb", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (23:35)", "body": "Hi again. Okay. Pact. Yikes! As usual, I'm a little behind (no, I didn't say I HAD a little behind). I've been working on revising a draft of a chapter. I'd hoped to ship it off to to my advisor tomorrow (probably by Fed Ex, considering the trouble Chrissie's been having with USPS)--but I also figured I wouldn't quite make it. True to form, I didn't. Now I'm hoping to ship it on Friday (that should be okay with my advisor--I haven't promised her it'll arrive by any specific date). I'm hoping to have one incarnation of the revised chapter done tomorrow. Then on Tuesday I'll have another pass at it, and another pass on Thursday. That'll clear next weekend for a seminar and massive amounts of paper-grading (groan!). Have a good week, gang! Hope everyone else shows up soon. Barb"}, {"response": 5, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (23:36)", "body": "Yay Rochelle! Glad to see you getting back into the game (and copyrighting your material)! ps. Did you ever find out any info on that potential advisor you were looking into? -k-"}, {"response": 6, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (23:46)", "body": "I'm calling the university tomorrow to start getting information. One of the big things I'm doing next week is drafting a justification for Supervisor (work, not school) to begin convincing him it's in the best interest of the federal government to send me for a doctorate. The reasons are sound, both politically and economically, plus I have the support of the two PhD's in the office. One is a biologist and the other is an archeologist. Tomorrow, I'm supposed to meet with ex-advisor-to-be and one of t e people who sat on the infamous comp exam committee. ex-advisor-to-be will hopefuly confirm what I think I saw politically at school, may know contacts at other schools and brainstorm things to watch out for next time. The committee member e:mailed me the afternoon of the comp exam and I'm just now getting with him. I'm curious if he will confirm or dispute some of the things Advisor told me. My plan is to see if he'll talk about stuff in general but not ask him directly about things Advisor said. I should prove interesting... Rochelle"}, {"response": 7, "author": "JasonR", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (00:10)", "body": "Wish me luck, I take my first Oral (first of THREE, if that can be believed!) tommorow. I am BURNED out, have spent the last two days doing nothing else but studying and psyching up. Jason R"}, {"response": 8, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (00:28)", "body": "Jason, lots of good luck to you tomorrow! Sounds like you are prepared and ready to go... do let us know what happens! Rochelle, sounds like you've got a 'plan' as well. I wonder what school you'll end up at?! Maybe we'll end up geographically close to one another. And I'll be *very* interested to hear what this committee member says! -kharyssa-"}, {"response": 9, "author": "JaneC", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (00:59)", "body": "O.K. gang it took me a while to figure this one out, but here I am. I was in Mexico for two weeks with my husband (part work, part play). I have to get back on track fast. My first draft for my fellowship is due Nov. 15. I have made quite a bit of progress but time is just zipping by. I am determined to defend my dissertation by the Summer of 2000, but there are too many loose ends right now to know if it is truly possible. Tom, I think we\ufffdre on more or less the same track. Let\ufffds pact together, eh?? Jane"}, {"response": 10, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (08:16)", "body": "Gosh, Kharyssa, I got tired just *reading* about what you did. I'm too old to keep up with that. I need to: 1) finish my homework for my class 2) write up a project-end report for my consulting job 3) decide whether to quit that job 4) read two articles and begin to read two books 5) find the directions for Jeannie's doll house so my dad can put it together (I'm bartering here) 6) design a database for Dad's church treasurer Good luck, Jason. My comps are coming up though I am hoping to stall until the spring semester when I don't plan on taking any courses and will have more time to devote to the exam."}, {"response": 11, "author": "KristinP", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (08:47)", "body": "New board, two weeks off work -- so I'd better begin pacting, too. I'm not sure I can do a whole week at first -- so, today, I find and meet with my data contact so that we can decide exactly how to send out the questionnaires. Good luck to Jason on the orals."}, {"response": 12, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (09:14)", "body": "Good luck on your comps and orals! Let us know when they are and how it goes. Why don't you guys post some info on how you're preparing? Even though comp/exam requirements vary, the methods we use to prepare should be similar. Rochelle"}, {"response": 13, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (09:25)", "body": "I've never joined the pact before, but I think it's time I do. My goal for the next few days will be to assemble and review my key literature on aging. When I'm done I should have a good succinct rough draft written which will eventually make up about a third of my second chapter. First, I will discuss chronological aging and its constituent processes of biological, social, and psychological changes over the life cycle. Second, I will describe the ways in which sociology and psychology have dealt with the aging process, and the methodological implications of confounding the aging process with historical processes, generational replacement, and demographic changes in social science research. Finally, I will review the ways in which political science has addressed the issues of life cycle, cohort, history, and demography in the research on political participation, summarizing the various aging-related models that have been employed to explain changes in behavior and attitudes over time. I hope everyone has a good week and a smooth transition into our new home! -Tom My Diss Page"}, {"response": 14, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (11:25)", "body": "Hi, Tom. A lot of people find it beneficial to state small goals that can be easily counted rather than giving generalities. When you say, \"assemble and review my key literature\" that could take me MONTHS rather than the days that you plan. Since this is your first time to pact, it's good form to take a small bite to guarantee success. What about restating your pact to something like \"read 4 papers/chapters/whatever and make detailed notes\"? Like another poster said, I get tired just reading what you have planned for this week. :-) That way, if you meet your pact in 2 days or 7, it doesn't matter because you will be successful. And you can always make a new pact if you reach this one early. Just some helpful nagging! Rochelle"}, {"response": 15, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (13:46)", "body": "You, of course, are correct. By the end of the day Wednesday, I'm going to re-read and write up four papers and three book chapters. How's that sound? It may sound like alot, but I think it's a reasonable goal. I'll certainly let you know how it goes. I'm new at this pact thing, so please bear with me! Thanks for the gentle prodding... -Tom"}, {"response": 16, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (17:09)", "body": "Hey, Tom. It feels so strange having some folks say things like what you did and others (like ex-advisor-to-be) say almost exactly the opposite. In not so many words he pussy-footed around commiting to a letter of recommendation. I'm bummed and down in the dumps. I'll post more later - I'm sitting in class waiting for it to start. \"See\" you guys later! I'll talk more in another, more appropriate topic area. Rochelle"}, {"response": 17, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (22:00)", "body": "Tom I'm glad you are pacting now - and how is the adjustment to the full time Diss work going? Still miss work? :) I think your goals sound good. I still am not sure if advisor has my thesis in hand or not - she's not the most communicative at times. (Of course I haven't called her either). Chrissie"}, {"response": 18, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (22:37)", "body": "Chrissie - any luck with the post office? Or is your thesis lost and gone forever? Can you send it electronically?"}, {"response": 19, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (22:54)", "body": "I am going to make a teeny pact and then work from there: 1. Finish going back over book I am reviewing for a conf. presentation and making notes. Actually hit the halfway mark tonight. 2. Mail out permission forms to be completed/returned so I can conduct my study. 3. Plan my next activities for my last independent study course which I have been putting off for a month now. My hope is to accomplish these goals by Wednesday, Thursday at the latest. To that end, I am no longer allowed to get on the computer and check board or e-mail until I have done substantial work on the above. The old carrot/stick approach. Jason, how was your comps experience? Rochelle, I suspect no one assocated with that infamous committee is ever going to treat you very well. To acknowledge your worth would be to admit they were might have been unfair previously... Best wishes! Mary Ann"}, {"response": 20, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (23:39)", "body": "Chrissie, I'm finding that working at home all day, day in and day out, is much more difficult than I imagined it to be. Sometime I feel like I'm gonna go berserk with cabin fever! That's one of the reasons I decided to join the pact--it's just to easy to spend all day goofing off around here. Today was good, though...I got through two of my articles and wrote four pages. Not much, I know, but any forward momentum at all makes me feel hopeful. -Tom"}, {"response": 21, "author": "PatriciaF", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (23:43)", "body": "Imagine my utter surprise when \"checking in\" after 4 days out of town to find this new set-up! I'm still getting the hang of this, so bear with me! Unfortunately, I was completely unsuccessful with last week's pact. But, I am going to chalk it up to a bad week, and try again this week. I need to read and take notes on five articles for my thesis. It's not a big pact, but, I am anticipating a difficult week a work, so I want to make sure this will be do-able. As many of you may know, I am still trying to g t myself working on this thesis again after a 2-month hiatus, and am really challenged right now with work, etc. Believe me, this has been the most motivated I have been the last 2 months, so these pacts MUST be working!! Hopefully, sometime in the future, I will be up to Tom's speed! ;)"}, {"response": 22, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (08:26)", "body": "Tom, That's the main problem with working at home. I find there are so many distractions - from the phone to the T-Rex-sized dust bunnies to the piles of laundry - that sometimes I fritter my time away on un-diss-related chores. It takes time to build up the discipline to ignore everything but the job at hand. You'll have to figure out how to give yourself rewards for accomplishing whatever you've set out to do for that day. And work in small blocks of time. I put on a CD and work until the last song, then take a tea break and spend 15 minutes or so straightening up or reading. Then it's back to work again with another CD. You could take a walk, or sit outside for a while and watch people go by - but only for a few minutes! I have started to come to campus every day from 8 until 2. When I was home, my husband would dawdle getting ready for work because I was there, and I'd end up having to drive him downtown. That meant I couldn't get started on my own work until 10 and at 1:45 I had to leave to pick up the kids. I'm actually getting stuff done here (I have an office now! So I have somewhere to park myself and my stuff). Any chance you could get a space at your department? Another thing is to make sure you get downtime from the diss. My computer is in our bedroom and work or school stuff is always there, from the moment I get up until I go to bed. The temptation is to work on it 7 days a week, at all times of the day and night. Fortunately for me, (or maybe not!) my kids also need the computer so we are finding that we need to schedule our computer time in order for everyone to get their homework done. That makes us more efficient in how we use the time. You don't have those constraints - but then maybe Ally McBeal is a strong enough temptation to lure you away at least for half an hour a week? It all comes down to discipline, which nobody likes. But keep taking those baby steps and you're up to 10 pages now so that's 10 pages farther than you were last month! Keep up the good work. I know you can get this done. Carol"}, {"response": 23, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (08:48)", "body": "Carol, thank you for your advice and support. Downtime is not a problem...it's the uptime that I find difficult to maintain, especially when the basement is so messy and the bathtub really needs to be recaulked! -Tom"}, {"response": 24, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (09:01)", "body": "I think that's what was meant by those posts, Tom. If you do feel pulled to do some work around the house, I'd recommend talking to your SO about priorities. Back when I was doing research, going to classes and working full time, I still felt like I needed to do stuff around the house. It was driving me nuts and taking time away from the academic persuits. So Hubby and I talked and what he said he'd like was way different from what I thought he wanted. So when I did stuff around the house, I concentr ted on those things that only I would do (ex. clean toilets, clean fishtank) and the few things that he wanted. By having a weekly schedule, rather than daily, blocks of time were identified that allowed for momentum to develop with whatever task was being done. So by the end of the week, routinely a lot of stuff was done and we were both happier than before. Rochelle"}, {"response": 25, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (09:52)", "body": "Too many things to respond to - let's see Carol, no luck with the PO so far - the web site still says the package got to SF but doesn't say it was delivered! (just processed in the early am) went to the local PO yesterday and of course forgot to take my reciept so that was useless as far as the thesis goes - did mail my other stuff that has been sitting here all week:) Also had to take Liam to the foot Dr and that is a minimum of a 3 hour trip - an hour each way and at least an hour in the office - so I can spend about 5 minutes with the Dr who eems to not even look at Liam! Its nutty but I know he does follow us closely and is great at his job. Just a very frustrating office. The time zones are also working against me on this package thing - can't call advisor until after 9 west coast time and that means its almost too late for me to get to FedEx in time to get a package overnighted, oh well. I have given up on the graduating this semester and will just take it as it comes - too much else going on in life to get upset over this. Liam's surgery takes first place in priorities this week. Tom - keep the pacts with yourself! Use the houshold chores as rewards, yeah it sounds silly but I have told myself that I can't do that cleaning until I get so much of the thesis done - it works (to a point, don't use a dreaded chore or you'll never get done with anything! :)) Make yourself a schedule and try it out for at least 3 days then if need e make adjustments. Ed and I trade off working in the office and watching the kids - he gets the am with the kids and I get the afternoons, most days we also change this at on a whim often if one or the other needs to do something."}, {"response": 26, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (10:42)", "body": "Tom, alternatively you could take 2 days \"off\" and do absolutely everything around the house. It sounds like you have a few handy-man projects (like re-caulking the tub) that could be done easily to improve your home. For me anyway, daily stuff like the dishes and the dust-monsters don't bother me so much as say covering the windows with plastic for the winter -- something that *needs* to be done or they'll be consequences (bigger heating bills). Sometimes doing all these things upfront will help clear your mi d and your space and help you focus on the diss since you a) will spend the time thinking about the diss and organizing your thoughts; b) when finished you no longer have anything to be distracted by; and c) will feel happy in your space. This worked for me in the beginning of summer. I had just gotten my proposal approved and was beginning my thesis. I couldn't get started at all... tomatoes to plant, messy office, clothes to give to Goodwill, locks that needed replacing, garage needed to be cleaned, etc. So I took the first week off and did it all! I was exhausted but satisfied that my house up to snuff and I had no nagging \"gotta do's\" in my unconscious mind. Just a thought.... -kharyssa-"}, {"response": 27, "author": "Barb", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (10:55)", "body": "Well, I met one teeny, tiny goal. I phinished one pass at the draft of a chapter yesterday morning, as planned---and then promptly got hit with a migraine. More downtime while I nursed that. BUT I actually got the M. under control enough to go teach last night and even had a good class. Anyway, today is Second Pass at Revising the Draft Day. I'm going to take it slow (incorporating some anti-headache naps into my schedule) and try to get through it. I may actually get this thing shipped to my advisor this week after all. Hope everyone else is doing well. Tom especially, good luck with your pact and changes in routine! Working at home can be really hard. I know what you mean about cabin fever and distractions. By the way, Carol, I'm going to try your suggestion to work through one CD and then take a little break. Sounds like a very good way to pace oneself. Off to hunt up Mozart's greatest hits, Barb Barb"}, {"response": 28, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (11:07)", "body": "You guys... I finished writing the first of two sections (about half) for chapter 6 yesterday!!!! 7 pages!!! YAY YA AYAYAYAYAY AYAY Yeahhhhhh! I hadn't even planned on working on it but was stuck at school waiting for that meeting with the advisor and decided to whip out my binder and work a bit. I ended up staying in the office until 9pm! I love my binder! Plus I finished my readings for the class on Wednesday, so all I have to do now is study for the GREs on Friday! Over the weekend I have to start a project for the class. Now that I feel 'on track' I'll rejoin the normal pact from sun to sun. -kharyssa- -kharyssa-"}, {"response": 29, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (11:17)", "body": "Good going, Kharyssa and Barb! And thanks everyone for your encouraging words. I'm still slogging through mud, but it helps to have you all nudging me along! -Tom My Diss Page"}, {"response": 30, "author": "JasonR", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (15:33)", "body": "Well, the oral exam is over! It actually went very well, except for one member who asked some pretty off-the-wall stuff. But I had half-way expected somthing like that from him, and just rolled with it, thought FAST and came up with an answer that he liked. This was actually not my qualifying exam - procedures differ from dept. to dept. at my school, and my particular dept. requires THREE orals (really 4 - i'll explain...) Number 1 (what I just took) is the departmental exam. It is a very broad exam that is general for my field of study (entomology). There were about 25 possible areas, ranging from agricultural ent, to medical ent (my speciality), evolution, ecology, etc... Not that I had to cover every topic, they chose a subset (only so much can be asked in two hours). But I had to be prepared to answer any topic. The purpose of this test is supposively diagnostic; it is technically possible to fail (and be dropped r m the program), but they told us that none of us has to worry about failing the first time. So it goes... Number 2: this is a defense of the thesis Proposal. I am not worried about this one at all. My proposal has already been funded by NIH and a state organization, and I am well into the actual research (here we don't have to wait until advancement to candidicy to begin research). Since the proposal was good enough to secure funding, my committee won't hassle me to much about it. I will actually be able to present preliminary data at the defense, which may be a bit unusual. They have as much as told m that this particular hoop will be a formality. Number three: This is our actual Qualifying Exam. It will cover 4 areas; 2 in ent, and 2 outside, with it all relating to my research, but my proposal won't come into it. number 4? We don't have to formally defend our dissertation here. Once the committee accepts it, you are home free. But we have to give an exit seminar... Someone asked how I syudied for this. I read ALL the relavent material, and the biggest help was being part of a study group. The entire cohort had to take the exam, and we all had different areas that we were comfortable with. it was a big help. The othe thing I did was try to anticipate the questions I would be asked, talked to the proffs to get a better idea of how they thought, and did \"mock Exams\", where I pretended I was in the exam and tryed to answer the questions (asked by my study group me bers) as I would in the real exam. Sorry about the long post :) Jason R"}, {"response": 31, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (16:03)", "body": "Good for you! That's great news. Glad you were prepared for the fruitcake prof. My exam is a qualifying exam - we get three journal articles, one from each committee member, and 20 days to come up with a critical review and integration of the three articles. Then we have a 2-hour oral exam. Because I have family commitments, I want to wait until after Christmas to do this. I don't plan on taking any courses that semester so that will not interfere with the exam time. I am not sure how one could prepare for an exam like this; except that I know the committee members very well, and so I've been doing my diss reading with an eye toward what each one's take would be on the paper. My topic is pretty well set and funding is in place; this exam is really just another hoop to jump through (although it's possible to fail it, and we get two tries at it). My adviser says the exam also serves as a diagnostic aid to the committee to point out knowledge gaps. Once the exam is passed, the next hurdle is the oral defense of proposal. Then the BIG defense, and that's it. Congrats on your success, Jason, and keep up the good work! Carol"}, {"response": 32, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (21:11)", "body": "Congratulations Jason! In a way, I am thinking while this may not be the hardest of your four hurdles, it may have been so psychologically. Every time you do one of these things it makes it easier for the next, and as you said, one of the others is a sure thing. So you are over halfway there. Also, if your research is already funded, etc. they are not likely to throw up any big roadblocks but rather want you to suceed and make them look good too! So you are on a roll big time! Tom, I don't know if this helps, but probably part of what is happening is you are still adjusting to being off full time. In a week or two I'll bet you see a good work pattern emerge. Chrissie, wasn't today ear tube day? How did it go?? I am making better progress than last week, and actually finished going back over the book I am reviewing for my conf presentation. So I need to make a new pact and here it is...by Friday I will 1. Get my attitude tests ready to administer for my study 2. Mail out permission forms 3. Contact my committee chair and report in 4. Start a work log for my independent study class 5. Talk with the person who is hopefully going to be a grader for my tests 6. Locate a book I need for my presentation 7. Decide upon and start my next project for ind. study This is not really a lot since only #7 requires a lot of time, but putting them down and then doing them will keep me on the right track...I hope! Best wishes to all, Mary Ann"}, {"response": 33, "author": "Barb", "date": "Thu, Sep 30, 1999 (09:17)", "body": "Ah! At last I can get on here and congratulate Jason on getting through the first of the orals! So glad they went well (in spite of the one weirdo). Mary Ann's and Kharyssa's diligence in completing their own pact tasks has shamed me into making a public declaration that I still aim to get my chapter shipped off to my advisor Friday (wonder how late I can give it to Fed Ex and still expect it to arrive by sometime Saturday). Got behind yesterday due to a far-away doctor's appt. As I e-mailed a couple of Phinishers, we blew a tire on the El Lay freeway (inside lane--the cops weren't thrilled and were none too polite about it) and then had to wait a v ry long time at the doctor's. (She was a new doc for me and GREAT--she actually listened. Natch, she is leaving her practice and so I can't be her long-term patient after all. Bummer.) Got home just in time to get to my chiropractic appt. and then came back with another headbanger (but not a migraine). It's still around, so I'll be takin' it low 'n' slow today. Have got CD's lined up so that I can work for short spells and take little breaks (thanks again, Carol, for the strategy). Sorry for the \"lif story\" here. While Spring was down, I was desperate to \"talk\"; had to laugh at myself because I'm pretty quiet in person. Hope everyone's doing extremely well. Barb"}, {"response": 34, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Thu, Sep 30, 1999 (09:42)", "body": "Barb, Sorry about your tire experience. When we lived in Albany I used to drive Joe back and forth to work every day on I87 (commonly called the Northway). Margaret and Arjay were only 5 and 3 at the time. One of the drugstore chains operated a \"Good Samaritan\" van that traveled up and down the Northway, helping motorists with flats or broken-down cars, or accidents, etc. One day the kids got in a fight in the back seat, and Margaret bonked Arjay on the head with her FisherPrice fireman's helmet. I had to ull over to comfort him and yell at her - and the van pulled over too, because they thought I was having car trouble. I was, but not the kind they could fix! Maybe LA needs the Good Samaritan van. Maybe Margaret could bonk the cop on the head for being nasty. Have you tried that new ice pack for migraines? I was wondering how that worked."}, {"response": 35, "author": "Barb", "date": "Thu, Sep 30, 1999 (11:22)", "body": "Carol, I love the image of the cop being bonked over the head with a Fisher Price toy. (I wasn't thrilled that my husband with the heart condition was getting such an unnecessary dressing down.) Re: The ice strips---I've seen them advertised. Haven't given them a try yet, but they look very soothing. (ANY bit of comfort one can acquire while suffering through a migraine helps!) Thanks for reminding me. I keep meaning to buy them. There is a newish (I think) \"metro van service\" happening in L.A. These vans cruise up and down the freeway, their goal being only to get people out of traffic so they don't block it (not to transport people any distance). Apparently they can fix tires and such. One did stop yesterday, but we'd already called the auto club. We bought a cell phone a couple of weeks ago, right after the car came within a hair's width of overheating. Five more miles and I'd have been stuck on a semi-deserted highway at n ght, on the way back from school. (Problem turned out to be a faulty thermostat, since repaired.) Anyway, my husband jokingly blames our four recent incidences of car and truck trouble on the new phone. (Hmmm. Could use that one in class, as an example of faulty cause-effect.) Barb"}, {"response": 36, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Thu, Sep 30, 1999 (11:34)", "body": "Hey folks. I'm being very unproductive this week as well. About the only thing that's happened is we have water again in the house and I took a shower. LOL. I'm rather down in the dumps because today is the last day of the US government fiscal year and none of my research projects have been funded. It's a big bummer when I thought I'd get several funded. The clock's ticking but I don't think it's going to happen - Wahhhhh! I need to get going on the copywrite and research outline still. I guess that's this weekend's project."}, {"response": 37, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Thu, Sep 30, 1999 (21:50)", "body": "Goals set yesterday: 1. Get my attitude tests ready to administer for my study 2. Mail out permission forms 3. Contact my committee chair and report in 4. Start a work log for my independent study class 5. Talk with the person who is hopefully going to be a grader for my tests 6. Locate a book I need for my presentation 7. Decide upon and start my next project for ind. study 1. Get my attitude tests ready to administer for my study Results today: Completed #1,3,4,6. Almost finished #2, just need to buy stamps. Tried #5 but she could not be reached by phone. Will try tomorrow. It is really helping to get back into setting goals again. I am thinking about #7, which is something, I guess. Sorry to bore everyone with the details but somehow this is working for me this week. New pact: 1. Have a major working weekend 2. Get going on independent study at that time. 3. Come up with some visuals for conf presentation 4. Develop informal survey for same. Hasta la vista, Mary Ann"}, {"response": 38, "author": "Barb", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (11:36)", "body": "Way to go, Mary Ann! Hope you have a successful (and migraine-free) working weekend. I have completed one more revision of that pesky chapter I've been working on. It won't get Fed Exed today. But as my advisor is going out of town this weekend, she wouldn't be able to read it till next week anyhow. So Monday is shipping day. Really. I mean it this time. Anyway, I'll have one more pass at the thing today (making little changes, mostly). Then I'll let it get cold, or at least cool, while I mark student essays (later today) and attend an all-day seminar (tomorrow). I'll have a fresh ook at the chapter on Sunday and fix whatever needs to be fixed before sending it out. Oh. And this time I'll have my husband read it for typo-s and missing pages (long, embarrassing story I won't go into). Barb"}, {"response": 39, "author": "sociolingo", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (14:21)", "body": "First time pact. Not sure if I'm aiming right, but no doubt you'll give me some feedback on that! By the end of next week I aim to thoroughly look through the 'suggestions' from my supervisor for part 2 of my thesis. (Following transfer viva (i.e. I'm thesis writing only now, passed the preliminary stages - it doesn't transfer exactly to US stages) my PhD thesis is in four parts or sections, the first two being theoretical and the second two based on the practical research in Africa) decide which section of part 2 I will work on in detail (i.e. finish writing!) go to the university library to get out some books/articles on that section set myself a target date to submit a 'finished' section of Part 2 to my supervisor evaluate the relevance of social cartography in comparative studies (my supervisors book which I have to return in the next couple of weeks) HOWZAT? Maggie"}, {"response": 40, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (21:22)", "body": "Maggie - sounds good to me. Welcome to the pact and good luck with your goals. Barb - if you don't mail that on Monday i don't want to see you here:) Ok just a little friendly push for you to get it done. MaryAnn - I hope you slow down a bit - your makeing the rest of us look bad:) My goal this weekend is to do the damn yard work we have to get done! Ok I am letting my thesis get icey cold as advisor has it and I am not touching it again until she gives me feedback. Chrissie"}, {"response": 41, "author": "Barb", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (23:31)", "body": "Hi, Chrissie, et al-- I think I'm well on my way to shipping my chapter off to you-know-who on Monday. I revised it again today. It took me a lot longer than I'd thought it would, like all day (\"fixing little glitches,\" indeed!--More like overhauling the whole thing). I got zero student essays marked, and now my eyes are shot. I'm going to go soak them--I wish--as soon as I . . . Gawd. I started to say \"hang up.\" I must be punch drunk. I mean as soon as I sign off. And I mean soak the eyes, not the essays, although that's an interesting thought . . .. Tomorrow's that all-day seminar I foolishly signed myself up for. A whole day lost. But at least I won't be reading the chapter and MISSING all manner of little errors because my eyes are playing tricks on me and my brain is saying, \"Oh. That looks just fine!\" when there's some huge fubar glitch staring me in the face. I'll do a better job of proof reading if I wait until Sunday. Barb (Rambling even more than usual)"}, {"response": 42, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Sat, Oct  2, 1999 (11:49)", "body": "Barb--Here's hoping a day doing something different gives you perspective. And rest your eyes for goodness sake. You do not want them to blow out on you (trust me on this!) Maggie--your goals sound great! Putting down realistic goals and then crossing them off publicly really helps me. Chrissie--The reason I sound successful is because most of the stuff I have done is really small. But it was little picky stuff that was nagging at me and which I really needed to do. I did complete my list, even coming up with some plans for my ind. study. So here is my next pact: By Sunday: 1. Figure out how to get internet acces on another computer I have from work instead of the poor overworked little laptop I am currently using. 2. Email one of my advisors with a question I want to ask her about my grading procedures. 3. Do some visuals for my conference presentation. 4. Start going through the book I decided to read next for my ind. study. 5. Personal--Pay bills before I get carted off! Have a good week-end, Mary Ann"}, {"response": 43, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Sat, Oct  2, 1999 (16:50)", "body": "I got the project report done after 4 hours of writing my part and editing what my intern wrote. I read two articles but only skimmed some of the book chapters. Homework is ~half done. Didn't find the doll house directions (but I did find the instructional video) or do the database. Got another meeting set up with the company my advisor wants to do a project with. I got another article in the mail and it's in German! Will have to find my German-English dictionary and build my Wortschatz up again. So for this week: 1) Finish homework 2) Do database 3) Read German article 4) Start the IDA book"}, {"response": 44, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Sat, Oct  2, 1999 (16:50)", "body": "I forgot - practice my drum music!"}, {"response": 45, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Sat, Oct  2, 1999 (22:59)", "body": "Re pact: I got very little done today. I did pay my bills so the wolf is not at the door. Then the mail came, including a letter from my new health \"insurance\" provider. I knew there was a list of prescriptions that they would not cover unless you got special dispensation from the pope or somebody. Anyway, I threw a hissy fit upon discovering that two of my standbys were on the s(hit) list, including my migraine medicine. When I get mad I clean house, so at least the house is clean, but I got next to not ing done on the pact. Is it a common thing for health insurance providers to do--limit the medicines they will cover? Isn't that defacto prescribing on the providers' part? Also, I took my computer in to get dial-up networking installed, and they said they did the job but did not. Just put a shortcut on the desktop. Weird. And frustrating. On the up side, it was a beautiful day and I do now have a clean house. I am happy I do not work in the insurance industry. I think I would have trouble looking at myse f in the mirror or sleeping at night. What a ripoff. And shame on my employer for opting for such a cheezy plan. Shame on me if I come back for another year. More reason to quit! Sure hope I get to. Anyway, I have to work tomorrow but hope to do SOMETHING toward my pact. Hope somebody out there had a productive day! --ma"}, {"response": 46, "author": "Barb", "date": "Sat, Oct  2, 1999 (23:28)", "body": "There's an echo in here again! Mary Ann, the same thing happened to me this past Thursday re: meds and health \"provider\" coverage. They will cover my blood pressure meds but not the migraine meds. My husband has had similar problems--he takes several heart-related meds. Every time he goes to pick them up, he has a fight on his hands, not because of anything the pharmacy's done but because there's been another screw-up with the \"provider.\" He gets really p.o.'d and is sure his blood pressure shoots sk high, which is kind of ironic, considering that some of his meds are for lowering blood pressure. Okay. Pact time. I went to that seminar thingy today. It was okay but long and tiring. I came home and took a nap and then did some of the lesson-planning I have to have done for Monday night's class. Soon as I hop outa' here, I'm going to try to mark nine student essays. More than that tonight and my brain'll turn to mush and all the essays will look alike; so will the grades and the students will hate me. So better to wait till tomorrow to grade another small batch. (I have 28 in all, which isn' really that bad.) The chapter: Have let it get cold all day and done some minor ruminating about it. I plan to print it out as-is tommorrow morning and then go through it and make some smallish (I hope) corrections. When I think I've got it as good as I can get it, I'll print it out again and proof it and have my husband proof it, too. I posolutely WILL ship it off come Monday morning. Say, will one of you out there please consume an alcoholic beverage in my name? I can't drink (Headache City if I do). A rum and cola would be especially appreciated. Thanks. Barb"}, {"response": 47, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Sat, Oct  2, 1999 (23:52)", "body": "Between last night and tonight I have done enough drinking for exactly 14 people. So one goes to Barb and the rest can be claimed as needed. : ) I am so happy to see that everyone is making progress! I have been rather lax this week with the GREs and all. Honestly I can't remember what I had pacted other than reading for class and studying for that test. Actually I think that *was* all I pacted. I am a little up in arms about the semester right now. That paper I wrote 2 weeks ago got back to me on Thursday and it was a C- (my lowest grade ever!). This was the paper I wrote during the two weeks I was laid up with a sinus infection and then subseque tly had an allergic reaction to the meds. I had called the professor the day before the paper was due to explain my health situation -- I told her I had a doctor's note, told her my symptoms (bad migraines and hives), and asked for a week's extension. She refused! In fact I don't think she believed me at all. I was given the option of turning it in by Friday, but it would have been two days late and would have cost me two letter grades. Yes, she actually said this to me. Anyway, I managed to throw somethi g together and get it to her on time. I guess I'm angry because I sense some unfairness here, and she was so cold about the whole thing -- she could've have given me a letter grade just for effort! After I got it back I asked her if I could have a chance at a re-write since I had been so sick. Nope. Instead she suggested that I \"do well on everything else for the rest of the semester\". So I am really concerned now that I won't have much time after all to work on my thesis -- I'll be spending more time on his class than I anticipated just to pass it. So my pact for this week is to: 1) Sunday -- carry out my ethnographic speech study in the afternoon; meet with the gang that night to discuss the paper. 2) Monday -- closely review the key references for this paper and work out an outline. 3) Tuesday -- write it up. 4) Wednesday -- finish writing and read the material for class. 5) Thursday -- go to school to work on the thesis; conference call at 11am; study group at 6pm. 6) Friday -- read for the next class; review next paper's project (this one is due on the 20th). 7) Saturday -- conduct the second ethno-speech study in the afternoon. 8) Sunday -- recuperate, relax, and reward. Phew. Sweet Mary I don't think I can keep this up all semester and be expected to finish my thesis at the same time. I really resent this class right now! Otherwise, I keep reminding myself that the GREs are over! Yay! I still feel the need to study... but I'm sure that will pass soon. I also need to start typing up my apps for PhD school... so I'll use this as a reward when I need a break from the other stuff. I just hope I get my transcripts and letters of rec soon! -k-"}, {"response": 48, "author": "lynnc", "date": "Sun, Oct  3, 1999 (10:41)", "body": "I'm still trying to get used to this format :) so haven't been keeping up or following as well as I should. Congratulations Kharyssa on those wonderful GRE scores! I met with my co-chair this week and we had a good meeting. She has asked me to revise the results sections again which I am doing now. My goals for this week is to finish revising the results, finish revising the tables and figures, and continue writing the discussion section. I'm a little frustrated with my co-chair. She's very nice but she's not very clear on what she wants or how she wants it presented. She's not all that good at being able to explain herself well which puts me in the position of guessing and then having her tell me what's not right. what's so frustrating in all of this is these revisions wouldn't need to go on like this if she was able to convey what she wants more completely in the beginning. I feel like I did waht she asked and now she wants it differ nt. Ok - she's right - her new suggestions definitely make it tighter and better but why couldn't we have started with that format? I'm sensing a pattern here with her and I'm not liking it. It's like she's able to comment on a few things at a time and that's it. I asked her for feedback on the Tables and she gave me some but I can feel in my bones that she's waiting for the next draft to give more feedback. These Tables take forever to put together . Just needed to vent. On the positive side of things, I did get her to commit to a December graduation and December defense. I'll have to bring my other co-chair in fairly soon to make sure this happens but I'm thrilled that she understands the timelines I'm under from this point foward. Good luck everyone! Lynn"}, {"response": 49, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Sun, Oct  3, 1999 (13:12)", "body": "Maybe now that you've gotten her to agree to defense in December she will clarify her requests? I really hope she doesn't continue to do this to you. Are you in a position where you could revise *only* the results section and leave the tables and charts unrevised until she has read the new text? Gee, now I'm not being very clear?! ; ) What I mean is revise the results section and give it to her with the old charts and tables -- explain that it takes a large amount of time to fix these and you'd like to ge her feedback on the text before you revise those tables and charts so that you can incorporate any new revisions in text into the revisions of the tables and charts. I wouldn't ask her if this is possible, I'd just drop by her office with the revised results and give it to her with the explanation. Sorry to be so redundant... but my brain is still a little muddled (I haven't had my coffee yet). --haryssa-"}, {"response": 50, "author": "Samantha", "date": "Sun, Oct  3, 1999 (15:19)", "body": "Okay, as I am getting used to the new format too, I have been slow in posting this week. Here I will post up for this week. With the job search on I will be working on a lot of job search materials while trying to work on my dissertation as well. My goals for this week are: finish my job packet and consruct a generic cover letter finally finish my history chapter outline my next chapter (generally) work on 2 essays that I am sending out for publication, gotta have more publications on my CV for the job search This seems to be pretty ambitious but this is dream list. --Samantha"}, {"response": 51, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Sun, Oct  3, 1999 (21:47)", "body": "Well, I found out copyrighting isn't possible on ideas, methodologies and processes so anyone who wants can steal my research idea. I can copyright the program scripts I created and the diagrams in the research proposal but that's about it. Bummer. I had a lot of problems getting motivated this week. Looks like baby steps are needed to get me going again. Pact for next week is to re-read the research journal and reorient myself with respect to the program scripts. The next goal will be to begin inve tigating the next steps necessary for the scripts to do their ultimate purpose. But that's a pact for later. -Rochelle"}, {"response": 52, "author": "Barb", "date": "Sun, Oct  3, 1999 (21:55)", "body": "Hi again. Well, I have just finished printing out my chapter for about the 16th time. I think I've finally got the glitches out of it--at least for now. (I'm reminded of the late poet Wm. Stafford who said that he read his poems aloud, listening for odd sounds. He called it \"getting the geese out.\") I will for sure mail the chapter off tomorrow morning. Here's what I plan for this week: Finish lesson plan for tomorrow. Finish marking student essays. Plan a mock lecture for that seminar, part 2 (next Saturday--another day shot) Begin revising another chapter; I'm aiming to ship it on Friday, Oct. 15. That's all I can stand--er, handle--for now. (Kharyssa, thanks for passing me that drink. Much obliged!) Hope everyone does well this week. Lynn, a special \"good luck\" with your advisor troubles. Barb"}, {"response": 53, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Sun, Oct  3, 1999 (23:17)", "body": "Fritter! I feel that best describes what I did most this week-end. Frittered away time. I really did plan to get a lot more done. Consequently my next pact sounds a lot like previous one. Maybe tomorrow... 1. E-mail advisor question about graders for my study. 2. Make a respectable dent in the book I am going through for my ind. study. 3. Come up with visuals for proposal. I'll stop here in the hope of being realistic about what I might get done tomorrow. Good luck to everyone for a productive week. ma"}, {"response": 54, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Sun, Oct  3, 1999 (23:56)", "body": "Maybe that could be a new topic - ways to avoid frittering away one's time. I am an expert on frittering. Maybe I could get a PhD in it!"}, {"response": 55, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (10:15)", "body": "The ways I frittered this weekend. Hubby and I dug up the old Iris bed, then marked out the new flower beds, there are alot of them - we have a big yard. That night we went to a wedding - it was great, very casual the kids had a great time. Sunday we went to church, dug out some of one of the new beds, painted a dresser, made 2 chalkboards (with spray on chalkboard paint). Now I'm should go paint the stars on the bed and dresser to match the chair - this not getting the draft back for a week or two has l t me catch up on my other projects, Oh which reminds me I also made Hannah a dress and one for her doll, gotta get the buttons and velcor on that one... Chrissie"}, {"response": 56, "author": "deb", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (10:38)", "body": "Sorry folks, this is a test. Can't get my responses to post on the board. Deb"}, {"response": 57, "author": "deb", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (10:45)", "body": "Okay, now that that worked. Amy I couldn't get my responses to post after I limited the postings to read w/ the /since/- restriction. Anyway. Spent the weekend at college homecoming. Graded essays in the car. We need a conf. topic for teaching/work I think. Didn't see anyone we new. A former prof. did say she thought my project was interesting. Going to get back to work this week now that Aubree's closet is stocked w/ suitable fall clothes instead of shorts. Taking earlier hints above about breaking things down into smaller bites here is my bite-sized pack for the week. 1. Finish 1st letter section on Arbella 2. Finish 2nd letter section on Arbella and ficticious lover 3. Integrate conf. paper into last body section of essay 4. Proofread 5. Finalize notes 6. Make appt to have my colleague here in town read my draft. My goal is to ship this out via Fed/Ex next week. Must write a conf paper b4 end of month for 16thc conference in St. Louis. Anything I should see/do/eat while I am there? Productive and healthful week to all, Cheers, Deb"}, {"response": 58, "author": "Barb", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (13:57)", "body": "Ok. I just (finally) sent that chapter off to my advisor, via Fed-Ex! One small step completed. (However, I'm sure she'll have suggestions.) This week I'll get started revising another chapter. In the meantime I'm off to write the lesson plan I should have been working on yesterday. Barb"}, {"response": 59, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (21:36)", "body": "Deb In Saint Louis go to Raggiz's (spelling may be wrong) on \"the hill\" for great italian food, they have the best toasted ravoli in town! yum! Also do go up the Arch, its fun and you should do it to say you have been. You can call me Aunt for me and say Hi. hum what else. Union Station is nice, haven't been since it first opened so that may have changed, and I think the art museum is good. But go to Raggiz's! Chrissie, who's parents are both from St. Louis so we usually only see family when we are there:)"}, {"response": 60, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (21:37)", "body": "YEAH BARB! Feel good to have sent it? Chrissie"}, {"response": 61, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (22:07)", "body": "Gee, I seem to have struck a nerve with \"frittering.\" Sadly, got little more done today. Very busy day at work. Every spare minute ws spent on the phone trying to get help with my insurance. I was trying to get them to grant coverage for my medications. I had limited in mixed success. Tomorrow my daughter is coming in for a one-night only visit, because of a concert in town she wants to attend. So I spent the evening fixing some treats and trying to get ready for her visit. Just now checking my email. May e tomorrow? Same pact, obviously."}, {"response": 62, "author": "nell", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (11:14)", "body": "I missed you all! Like many of you I was thrown in a state of bewilderment when I logged on and found our board missing. I have come to rely on our check-ins for invaluable support and advice.I also join the group in thanking Amy for her incredible dedication in finding a new home for us. My life has been so very busy during the last three weeks that I have only now been able to log on and read your messages. Good to see \"old friend\" (not literally) moving ahead and find new friends on the board. Work has been very bus and family life incredibly full but did find time to run my stats..and run them again...and run them again! Completed my last pact: 1. Met with Statistician/committee member. He said my stats are done, regressions have statistical significance and I got the OK to start writing Chapter 4. 2. Found the stats book Dr. Idleman recomended by Tabaschnick and Fidell. It is excellent for multivatriate statistics and is easier than most to read and comprehend with great examples at the end of each chapter for the result write-ups. Pact this week: 1. Start to draft Chapter 4 2. Rework my time-line Thanks for being there/here! Ellen"}, {"response": 63, "author": "Barb", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (12:47)", "body": "Hey, Ellen! Nice to see you again! And congrats on phinishing your last set of pact goals. Hope the writing of Chapter 4 goes smoothly. Chrissie--Yes, it does feel good to have shipped off that chapter. I hope my advisor likes what I've done so far. Today I am going to rest my eyes as soon as I sign off. I've got another eyestrain headache a brewin'! Mary Ann--Hope you're able to get the results you need re: the med/insurance snafu. What a pain! Barb"}, {"response": 64, "author": "nell", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (13:15)", "body": "Hi Barb, Glad to read that you have sent off that chapter to your advisor. I hate the delay in between responses/feedback but it is inevitable. Have you heard from Sandra? Wasn't she schedule for defense next week? Ellen"}, {"response": 65, "author": "Barb", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (01:41)", "body": "Hi, Ellen-- Haven't heard from Sandra. Didn't she say (at the other site, I think) that her advisor was having trouble getting an outside committee member whose schedule would work with theirs? You know my memory . . . it's a total sieve. But I think she wanted to defend on her b.day (Oct. 27?), but the defense was set for a few days before, like the 21st or thereabouts. SANDRA! Are 'ya out there? (Are your ears burning? I feel as if I'm talking about you behind your back.) Anyway, wherever she is, I'm sending her good thoughts. Hope she drops us a line soon. Barb"}, {"response": 66, "author": "deb", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (10:00)", "body": "Having trouble getting work done between having a cold and grading student essays. Amy could we have a topic on Teaching/Work:How to do it and Still Work on Your Project? Pacting for the day in hopes that small goals (as Kharyssa both says and demonstrates so effectively) will help me make progress. Wednesday Pack 1. Write section on Arbella's 1st proposal 2. Write section on Arbella ficitious lover 3. Get remaining student essays marked/commented on Nose to the grindstone, Deb"}, {"response": 67, "author": "Barb", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (11:29)", "body": "Hey, Deb-- Let's mark student essays together today, okay? :-) (I got through about two-thirds of a batch over the weekend but had to let the others wait.) That done, my pact for the rest of the week will be as follows: Thursday: Plan a presentation (mock lesson) for session two of the seminar thingy I'm going to (next session is this Saturday). Friday: Re-read my diss chapter on Adrienne Rich (she's one of my three authors), looking for \"holes\" I need to fill (missing bits of theory, etc.). Saturday: Drag myself to seminar and do a good job on my presentation. Sunday: Start filling holes in Rich chapter. Write a lesson plan for Monday night's class. . . . . .and then I'll go from there. Best to all, Barb"}, {"response": 68, "author": "nell", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (21:01)", "body": "Felt the need to check in. Working at home for four days drafting the next Chapter. Sitting here for hours is spreading my back side. I need to move and do some exercises that don't take me far from the computer because otherwise I am afraid I won't come back. Today looked like a great fall day but I stayed glued to the study and created tables and charts. Is it just me or does anyone else feel that everything takes longer than the original time alloted? I never seem to get as much accomplished as I wa ted too. Take care, good night, Ellen"}, {"response": 69, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (23:16)", "body": "Teeny progress: Did mark off two of my small goals from previous pact. I finally emailed two advisors with problems/questions about my study. I have read two chapters from book for ind. study. It ain't much, but something...ma"}, {"response": 70, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Fri, Oct  8, 1999 (21:12)", "body": "Finally, some progress. I had a holiday today for no good reason. It was a staff development day but you could be excused if you had summer training, which I did. Anyway, even though I had a migraine, I put together a Power Point presentation to use for my conference presentation. I still need to tie up some ends with it but mostly it is done. I am also continuing to read my book for my ind. study, and finished another chapter. Here are my goals for tonight and tomorrow: 1. Tie up ends in Power Point presentation 2. Read another chapter 3. Write up presentation for conference website 4. Write letter as follow-up to an article I submitted for publication recently. Hoping for a fritter-free tonight and tomorrow, Mary Ann"}, {"response": 71, "author": "sociolingo", "date": "Sat, Oct  9, 1999 (13:43)", "body": "Was taken out to BIIIIG meal by a friend. Now I'm stuffed and trying to reflect on the weeks goals. Probably not the best time to do it, but I don't want to put it off. Like others I'm a good fritterer. But I did complete my review of my professors book which I have to give back. I've also spent time looking at my thesis (well, what I've done so far!) but haven't decided which bit of which part I want to work on next. So I didn't go into the library because I hadn't been able to make a decision on wh t to work on. Wow is that contorted thinking. Anyway, I have to make a decision by Tuesday because I have Seminar then and so I might as well go to the library as well. Apart from that my supervisor will probably ask me what I'm working on! I'm finding not working (i.e. the job I gave up so I could concentrate on the studying) harder than I thought. The day is so formless I end up feeling it looming ahead of me. I'm also getting back into French, does that count as frittering? I'll need it for Mali n xt year, but I think I'm also using it as an avoidance technique. By the way I have a really super ASTERIX French language learning CD Rom - you can even play the various characters in the ASTERIX story. (In case ASTERIX hasn't made it to the States- he's a Gaul whose village rebels against the Roman domination of France. His village has a magic potion which makes them invincible and there are loads of stories about their fights against Romans and pirates.) Goals for this week: Try and get into a routine Work before I watch TV!! - use it as a treat when I've actually done something Ditto for French language learning tapes - no matter how much I try to convince myself it's work! I will decide on a small section to work on, get the books out of the library and write. Go to the seminar group, and try to look and sound intelligent Arrange a meeting with my supervisor So - by the end of next week I aim to have one (at leas) small section finished ready to hand in."}, {"response": 72, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Sat, Oct  9, 1999 (19:04)", "body": "Maggie What age group is the French Cd aimed at? Sounds like one my kids (very young) would enjoy but it might eb a bit old for them - then again Ed said he wanted to start learning French again before the kids hit it in school, the school we are looking at the most has French from PreK through 8th grade. Who makes the CD and do you know if they have a web page? Thanks! ChrissiPS your goals sound reasonable to me - getting into the routine was the hardest part for me and now waiting for feedback from my advisor the old routine is slipping away and I'm sure it will hurt to start it all over again! sigh."}, {"response": 73, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Sat, Oct  9, 1999 (21:01)", "body": "Is Asterix a little cartoon guy with horns on his hat? Strangely, he sounds sooo familiar but I cannot think where I encountered him! Are there books about him for young readers?? Anyway, I must say I did not fritter excessively today. I almost finished writing up my conference presentation and read another section in my book. So I am gaining on my previous pact. I will not make new goals until I am completely done with the old, hopefully by tomorrow evening. Incredibly, I am off Monday due to Columbus Da and can get some more work done then. Best wishes to all pacters, Mary Ann"}, {"response": 74, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Sun, Oct 10, 1999 (16:22)", "body": "Hey all! Hope you are all having a productive holiday (Columbus Day) weekend! So I haven't yet my second ethnographic speech event (due the 20th)--I'm just not sure what to do for it yet. *But* I did accomplish everything else on my list, plus I reprogramed a couple of maps in black and white (they had been color). Yay! This week I vow to: 1) Monday: afternoon-go to school and retrieve a book I (foolishly) left in my office, speak with advisor about the comps and stats; evening-verify site database for accuracy and fix any errors. 2) Tuesday: morning-finish fixing database if necessary and then convert all the resulting themes into grid format, create maps for all time periods (8 in all) and create layouts for all (I'm going to try to create an 8 1/2 by 14 z-fold thingy). Make sure to leave off at a convenient point! 3) Wednesday: morning and afternoon-run stats on the new grids; evening-meet the gang for Linguistics homework 4) Thursday: morning-write up info for the meeting, meeting at 11am; afternoon-conduct speech event study and write up the results. 5) Friday: read for class and continue working on paper. 6) Saturday: review articles for the paper and continue writing. 7) Sunday: edit theory chapter of thesis (as a writing sample for PhD apps), finalize C.V., and have both copied and bound for those apps. Gosh I must be nuts! Oh well... I did it last week and I can do it again! -kharyssa-"}, {"response": 75, "author": "sociolingo", "date": "Sun, Oct 10, 1999 (16:47)", "body": "Chrissie, the CD rom is quite advanced. I don't really think it's little kid material, although the stories are fun. It's supposed to be for adults and teenagers. They also produce German, Italian, Latin and Spanish versions. However, the brochure that came with the CD shows the company produces multimedia flashcards for kids too. The website for Eurotalk is www.eurotalk.co.uk I've got other Cd roms by two other companies: Aurolog and The Learning Company. I can't find a web address for them but you could try a search. Yes, Asterix is the little guy with the funny hat - a winged helmet infact. There are LOADS of books - aimed at kids but loved by adults, and even a couple of movies. Kharyssa - I'm breathless with admiration. Are you really going to do all that this week? What's an ethnographic speech event?"}, {"response": 76, "author": "nell", "date": "Sun, Oct 10, 1999 (18:14)", "body": "MaryAnn, You seem to be doing well as does Kharyssa, Maggie and others. Chrissie and Barb, hope you hear from your advisors with good news this week re: your chapters that were sent out. Lets not forget to take care of our health. Cold and flu season is approaching. Vitamins and flu vaccine anyone? This past week was a series of \"take two steps forward and one step back\". I am still working to finish my goals: started to draft chapter 4 and did rework the time-line (which is very helpful and I recommend for anyone who hasn't done one). Chapter 4, the results chapter, raised many more questions than answers. I began questioning my methods and interpretations. I am fortunate to have a wonderful colleague who met me today for two hours and reviewed with me the results and interpretation. I wasn't s far off as I thought(whew! the thought of redoing all the stats gave me very little sleep last night). I'd like to pass on one lesson learned: that is ask for help from qualified friends when stuck...don't let too much time go by trying to figure it out by yourself. This week: 1. Finish draft of Chapter 4 and mail off to committee member Ellen PS. Started keeping a journal describing the process and progress. It made me realize how far I have come and validated the journey. Has anyone else kept a journal?"}, {"response": 77, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Sun, Oct 10, 1999 (20:26)", "body": "Maggie, yes, I'm taking on alot this week, but I don't feel like I have a choice. Luckily I'm not teaching or working, and my wednesday class is cancelled this week. I feel like I have alot of time on my hands... which is never the case, but I figure it's worth a try to accomplish as much as possible this week. I won't get another break from class until the semester is over (all the more reason to crank out material for the thesis as well). An etnographic speec event is really simple... it's the particpant-observation of a conversation including all the context possible. Not so hard (it's actually kind of fun and an easy write-up) but I don't do well in public places, and this assignment expects us to camp out in a public place with a tape-recorder and 'eavesdrop' on conservations. Plus I have an ethical problem with this and so I've been dreading these projects. This week we are supposed to examine a situation in which there are expected ou comes and an almost formulaic speech act anticipated (like buying a cup coffee)-- to me it seems counterintuitive to be expected to remain inconspicuous (so as not to effect the speech of the participants) yet be close enough to eavesdrop. Such a pain in the rear-end. This is why I'm an archaeologist -- everyone I talk to is very very dead. ; ) Glad you're making progress... and that you've found a home here on Phinished! -k-"}, {"response": 78, "author": "Barb", "date": "Sun, Oct 10, 1999 (22:00)", "body": "Wow! It seems as though everyone's making good progress this week. Hooray! Today I've been working on clearing the decks of paper-grading, lesson-planning, and the like so that tomorrow I can get to school way early (like five hours before I teach my evening class) and devote a block of time to revising the diss. chapter. My (continuing) goal for the week: Get the chapter marked up and changes made on the word processor. I'm not bound to ship it to my advisor by Friday--although I'm informally aiming for that. (If I trick myself into believing I must get it done by then, I should actually have it ready to go by Monday, Oct. 18.) Happy working, everybody! Barb"}, {"response": 79, "author": "deb", "date": "Mon, Oct 11, 1999 (11:13)", "body": "Cheers to all, Hope everyone has a productive week. My pact is not dissimilar from last week's. I had a cold and wasn't very productive. Ellen, as soon as I am well I will get my flu shot at Health Services on campus. This is a detailed weekly pact (a la kharyssa) Mon.--Draft 2 remaining section Tues. p.m.-integrate 3rd body section, start conclusion Wed.-revise pages 1-14 with Elizabeth's suggestions Thurs.pm.-revise, proofread, print draft Fri.-meet Elizabeth to exchange and read drafts, pm.make recommended revisions Weekend-print clean copy, run copies for committee Mon.-ship via FedEx to my committee Barb, you and I seem to be working toward similar ends keep me posted on your progress. Bzzzz, bzzz, busy bees, Deb"}, {"response": 80, "author": "Samantha", "date": "Tue, Oct 12, 1999 (01:27)", "body": "I am late again with the pacting this week! My pacts for this week are: To turn in two chapters to my director. Do a final (yeah right) rewrite on my job materials Write a conference proposal Re-edit an article for publication. Here's to being over ambitious!! Samantha"}, {"response": 81, "author": "doctorlady", "date": "Tue, Oct 12, 1999 (16:46)", "body": "Well, hello everyone. It has taken me this long to figure out just how to get into this place and read postings. I'm an ENGLISH major--this computer stuff is not exactly second nature. I guess I could echo some of the previous posters when I say that I am having difficulty with this new site. I really liked the \"old way\" of doing things....guess I'll have to get used to this. Pacts? What are pacts? Am I ever going to get anything substantial done again? Sometimes I doubt it. The baby's been sick for a week (ok, at almost 3, she doesn't qualify for \"baby\" anymore, but the sick thing is still difficult to handle no matter what age) and that has put me behind in everything. Now that the October job lists have been posted, there is that craziness to add to everything, as I'm working to compose my \"Please Give Me A Job\" letter. Just whistlin' Dixie and tryin' to keep my head above ater...hope everyone is fine and well and gettin' on with life! Mary"}, {"response": 82, "author": "Barb", "date": "Tue, Oct 12, 1999 (20:50)", "body": "Hi, Mary-- Welcome back! Glad you found your way into this site. Keep on treading water! Best, Barb"}, {"response": 83, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Tue, Oct 12, 1999 (21:50)", "body": "To Mary, just returning to the group, you are RIGHT to call your 3 year old a baby. My baby is 22. Still my baby. I am still my mother's baby. She is 87. And so it goes. I finished my previous pact! Next goal: Regroup and come up with next pact! Hope everybody is having a good week. Mary Ann"}, {"response": 84, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Tue, Oct 12, 1999 (22:07)", "body": "Mary, I tell my kids they will ALWAYS be my babies. They don't seem to mind. My pact for this week (even though it's already Tuesday): 1) Study for Thursday's midterm exam 2) Have the first draft of the tech communications article ready for Thursday a.m. 3) Write my dad's database (I know, that was last week's pact but I didn't get to it) That's enough for this week. My husband is going away on business for 3 days and I have to juggle 4 schedules around to compensate. Hey Tom - how's your pact coming along? Nag Nag Nag Carol"}, {"response": 85, "author": "deb", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (09:36)", "body": "Welcome Mary, You are among good company--several of us are in English. We've been sick around here lately as well. Kids and germs go together. I can cope with everything but the lack of sleep. I hear job listings are promising this year. My office mate is on the market. Perhaps you can do something toward putting your dossiers together w/out do anything taxing. My office mate is making a spread sheet to track the positions he is interested in. Sounded very productive to me. When I am stuck on my writing, I find there are a couple of great writers in my field that can reignite my fire for my topic. How are you doing, Tom. Been thinking about you. I wish a productive day to all. Deb"}, {"response": 86, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (10:44)", "body": "Mary and the others who are sick - so glad cyberspace is germ free, just found out that my kids have been exposed to chicken pox at preschool! What fun, now we wait the 2 to 3 weeks to see if they get it. Have called the ped.'s office to see about the vaccine, as I have heard that getting it after you have been exposed will reduce your case to a mild one if you get it at all. Worth a try in my opinion - was planing to ask about getting it at their yearly checkups later this month anyway! what timing. Let' hope Hannah doesn't have them for the wedding - which is Nov 13th. Chrissie"}, {"response": 87, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (11:23)", "body": "Hey Carol and Deb, Thanks for thinking about me. Things are going OK--not great, but not horrible either. I'm a little under the weather today, though. I don't think it's the flu, but I'm not sure what it is. Just feeling kinda crappy with a low-grade fever. I'm gonna try that Ben Dean workshop tomorrow and see how that goes. Happy Hump Day to everyone! -Tom"}, {"response": 88, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (15:14)", "body": "Hi Chrissie Are you getting married?"}, {"response": 89, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Thu, Oct 14, 1999 (20:42)", "body": "Yikes - NOpe not me:) The wedding if of 2 good friends and I am one of 2 Matorns of Honor, hubby is the Bestman and Hannah is one of 2 Flowergirls! So the bridal shower is this weekend in Philly - I think I'm ready - I am in charge of games, not sure how this will work with 50 guests! (the other MOH insisted we invite everyone who was invited to the wedding). The bachelor party is also this weekend, one good thing about both of us being in this wedding is we got to pick the dates and make them the same we kend! Only one trip to Philly that way. So far no spots on my kids...but I think they have another week or 2 to go before they'd get sick anyway. Chrissie"}, {"response": 90, "author": "Barb", "date": "Sun, Oct 17, 1999 (00:47)", "body": "Hi, all-- I need to keep myself honest by making a one-day pact for Sunday (it's still Saturday here), come hell, high water, or another earthquake, God forbid. (I awoke at 2:45 this a.m. to the clicking of the TV antenna against the wall and a slow rumbling under the bed. Very, very eerie indeed. The quake's epicenter was about 115 miles almost due east of us. A 7.0 is nothing to sneeze at, but we got really lucky this time, because of the location and the hour at which it chose to happen.) Anyway, I resolve to get through another revision of my infamous chapter tomorrow, Sunday. I SHALL mark up the hard copy, make some small editorial changes, and incorporate some stuff from a few books and articles I've already taken notes on. Still hoping to ship said chapter to the advisor on Monday. Hope everyone's having a good weekend, working or otherwise. Peace, Barb"}, {"response": 91, "author": "nell", "date": "Sun, Oct 17, 1999 (10:10)", "body": "Barb, So relieved this earthquake, as large as it was, did relatively minor damage. Glad you and your family are okay. Didn't you also have a scare with fire this year? Anyway, I too have been struggling to finish a chapter. I am very close and if I can keep from getting too obsessive I think it can be sent to my advisor tomorrow also. I join your pack and will finish yet another \"revision\" today, Sunday and will send it off to advisor on Monday. Can we check in tomorrow night and see how we are doing? I really need to keep moving forward and PhinisH. (My husband left for a business trip yesterday that we had planned to go to together but I felt the need to stay and get this chapter done. I really don't want to keep missing these opportunities as he is so much fun to be with). Ellen"}, {"response": 92, "author": "Barb", "date": "Sun, Oct 17, 1999 (11:00)", "body": "Hi, Ellen-- Hey! Good luck with your revision, too. Yes, let's do check in tonight--if my computer is willing. Had a scare with IT this morning; everything seemed to be working, BUT we had a blank screen. After we shut things down and turned them back on again a couple of times, it decided to work. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the contraption stays well. BTW, you can see a picture of our fire (from several weeks ago) at my website: http://www.netport.com/bjmcgra/ Happy working! Barb"}, {"response": 93, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Sun, Oct 17, 1999 (18:13)", "body": "Hi Barb, I didn't know you had a web page! Why didn't I hear about this before? In any case, I enjoyed visiting your page and learning a little more about you. Nice job! -Tom"}, {"response": 94, "author": "Barb", "date": "Sun, Oct 17, 1999 (20:19)", "body": "Tom-- Thanks! Glad you like the web page. My husband made it for me (not bad, considering it's only his second one). We just got it up and running about two weeks ago. --------------- Ellen--I hope you've got more brain power today than I do. I got most of my chapter marked up. And then my brain quit. I was penning in total gibberish. So in a bit I'll key in the changes on the computer and mull over the not-yet-done portion tomorrow. As I have not phinished my pact goals for today, by rights I should forego my reward: Coloring my roots. But I'm going to do that anyway, if for no other reason than to avoid scaring my students tomorrow night. ------------ Sandra--If by any chance you're out there lurking, please catch these good luck vibes for your defense, which, if I recall correctly, is coming right up: -----/\\---------/\\-------/\\--------/\\--------/\\---------/\\--------/\\-------/\\-- Hope you'll drop us a post to let us know how things turn out. ---------- Hope everyone else had a good day. Barb"}, {"response": 95, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Sun, Oct 17, 1999 (20:35)", "body": "I went a week without any pacts and, while I did perk along last week, I was left with a feeling of \"What did I do??\" because I did not account for it. So back to promises this week. 1. Finalize paper to use for conference November 5. 2. Make sure the teacher delivering instruction for my study is A-OK with all equipment---a must for tomorrow. 3. Continue reading book for independent study--one more chapter by Tuesday at least. 4. Also for ind. study, continue with my do-it-yourself html lessons. 5. Call and make arrangements for grading associated with my study. Tomorrow or Tuesday at latest. There. I feel a little better. Good luck with your chapters, Barb and Ellen, and...Good luck to everyone else! Mary Ann"}, {"response": 96, "author": "nell", "date": "Sun, Oct 17, 1999 (20:50)", "body": "I just completed a very good Draft of Chapter 4 with 21 Tables and all! I have 23 more tables to go for the Appendix but have the need to get this Chapter out tomorrow. While I wait for feedback/critique I can be doing the other tables. I heard a good one on the radio at 5AM this morning. Someone spoke of \"gluteal spread-itis\"...I think I have it! Barb, I like your home page, pictures very creative but the fire was a bit too close for my comfort. Good luck with finishing your chapter tomorrow and have fun coloring tonight (always makes me feel good). Sandra, where ever you are...good luck! The D-day should be soon. MaryAnn, you have a healthy list there. Keep packing! My pact for next week: 1. Send Chapter out 2. Finish tables 3. Clean up Chapter 3 to reflect the methodology used in Chapter 4. Have a good week everyone! Ellen"}, {"response": 97, "author": "Barb", "date": "Sun, Oct 17, 1999 (21:49)", "body": "Ellen-- Way to go! Congrats on completing your draft with the 21 tables! (You're a better man, er, woman, than I. But I've got great, newly-auburned hair!) I do resolve to get that chapter off to my advisor this week. Probably won't be tomorrow, Teaching Day, but I'll shoot for a more reasonable re-newed deadline of Wednesday morning. Mary Ann--Good luck with your list! CarolR--How'd the mid-term go? How's everything else? Barb"}, {"response": 98, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Sun, Oct 17, 1999 (22:26)", "body": "Hi Barb! Want some curl to go along with the auburn? I have extra... The midterm went. The prof had an answer sheet for us when we left, and I immediately saw some really dumb mistakes. Thank heavens for partial credit, which will help, but I was feeling so ticked off at myself that Jeannie, my 9-year-old, took me out for ice cream to make me feel better. It worked, sort of. I find that whenever I have a test or some big deadline looming, family responsibilities seem to increase exponentially and I always end up feeling less prepared and more hassled than usual. I try to compensate by studying/working way in advance, but that doesn't always work. I could have used another couple of hours of study for that test, but I am not sure it would have made a difference because of the types of mistakes I made. Dumb ones, where I KNEW better and the info didn't travel from the brain to the hand! Oh well. On to the next big thing, working on the diss proposal. Your website is really nice - loved the kitty pictures and I agree that fire was way too close. I'll take our occasional big snowstorms anyday. Good luck on the chapter revision! Carol"}, {"response": 99, "author": "jomama", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (12:19)", "body": "Hi everyone: I am having difficulties in finding subjects for my research and it looks like I will not be able to meet my deadline date of Nov. 15, 1999. I only have 3 subjects and I need a total of 24. We have just \"survived\" Hurricane Irene and the flooding is awful. We had only a few hours of advance warning. I am having problems contacting many of the people I am depending on to find subjects for me because they are not going to work. It's a tricky situation. The same thing happened to me when I was doing my master's thesis, hurricane Andrew hit and many people were without homes and the rehab center I was doing my research at had to close down. Anyway, my pact for this week is to test 10 more subjects, hopefully I can do more. Jo Ann"}, {"response": 100, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (16:49)", "body": "Good luck, Jo Ann! I know how hard it is to get subjects; hope you are successful!"}, {"response": 101, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (20:32)", "body": "Good luck to Jo Ann on subjects. And Ellen...with all those tables. The instruction for my study kicked off today--will run six weeks. The kids using equipment will have class tomorrow. We are all set up. It is a little unnerving to think my future is in the itchy hands of a bunch of 8th graders! Barb, here's hoping your writing goes well this week. I made some progress on rewriting my conference paper last night, and plan to do more tonight. Am keeping my fingers crossed that the equipment works out OK t morrow. Mary Ann"}, {"response": 102, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (21:07)", "body": "Did I miss the pact yesterday? Oh well.... last week I did nearly everything I wanted to. I never did read for class, nor did I get around to editing my theory chapter for a application writing sample (though I did edit my cv and sop). I also sent ou my first application... the University of Florida. Yikes. Scary! This week: Monday and Tuesday: Yet another damnable paper for that linguistics class. I've already written a good bit of it but am unsure if it's what the professor wants -- she likes to keep us guessing with evasive and noncommital answers to questions about content and format. Yes, I still resent it all. : ( Wednesday: Finish the paper. Alternatively, stare at the paper until I cannot stand it anymore. Try to do some of the assigned reading prior to class (yeah right). Thursday: Recuperate from the negative feelings this class generates in me. Ben Dean workshop meeting at 11am. Afternoon: call my potential advisors at the PhD schools. Thesis in the evening: need to figure out which maps are necessary, and convert these to black and white. Friday: it's MY BIRTHDAY! YAY! I'll be in meetings all day (from 9am to 5pm) and then will be partying all night! Yes... I so need a break! Saturday: Morning: recuperate fron party. Afternnon: another stab at the thesis. Need to try that z-fold thing again (though the format nazis make it nearly impossible). Write out a super-detailed outline for the second half of chapter 6 (the one using the stats); and go through notes for this section to pick out quotes/info appropriate to the discussion. Sunday: Try not to kill myself and do the readings for class. Also, I need to examine the written assignment for errors and incompletions. And I should probably start thknig about my next paper... due Nov 3rd. Damn. Despite the negative attitude exhibited I'm actually OK with this stuff. I just started a major diet and so am feeling hungry -- not to mention preoccupied with my calorie and fat intake, and meal planning (I was thinking about dinner at 11am!). Any interest in starting a pact and a thread for weight loss? *sigh* Hope you all have a productive week! -kharyssa-"}, {"response": 103, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (22:36)", "body": "Kharyssa HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! Hannah will be 4 this Sunday - I love fall birthdays for some reason, which is good as Liam will be 2 on Nov 4th:) Chrissie"}, {"response": 104, "author": "Samantha", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (23:12)", "body": "Once again I am late pacting up, but here goes. This week I will do lots of things to get ready for the job search: 1. Construct generic letters for all of the types of jobs I am applying for; 2. Finish the book that I am currently reading and another one to boot; 3. Write my research grant proposal; 4. Complete my Human Investigation Form for next semester's research; and 5. Finish the Chapter that I am currently working on. Samantha phinished conference Main Menu"}]}, {"num": 3, "subject": "Stats", "response_count": 6, "posts": [{"response": 1, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (23:32)", "body": "I'm available for geostatistics consulting and this topic needed a first post."}, {"response": 2, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (23:41)", "body": "Hey stats gurus! In preparing my stats for a chapter I had planned on reporting the results in text with a small table. Since I'll have lots of stats I was wondering if it was necessary for me to include an appendix of one big table summarizing them all? -k-"}, {"response": 3, "author": "aschuth", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (13:15)", "body": "Hi Rochelle, you can start by consulting your fellow Springizens in the Geo conference. Been there yet?"}, {"response": 4, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (12:58)", "body": "Hey, Alexander. I checked Geo out but didn't see any ongoing geostatistics section. Since I'm new here, did I miss something?"}, {"response": 5, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Tue, Oct 12, 1999 (22:18)", "body": "Hey! I just figured out, compiled, ran, and assigned to a tool the Nearest Neighbor script in ArcView! And it tests out perfectly against one I did by hand! Yes! This was my first big undertaking with avenue... I am sooooo proud and pleased with the results! And I couldn't have done it without Rochelle's help! Thanks, Girl! {cyberhug} Now I'm off to finish running my stats... keep your fingers crossed that I'll find what I need to finish chapter #6! -k-"}, {"response": 6, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (07:52)", "body": "Way to go Kharyssa! I'm glad it was what you wanted/needed. Good idea about using the test check. Rochelle phinished conference Main Menu"}]}, {"num": 4, "subject": "Motivation", "response_count": 4, "posts": [{"response": 1, "author": "LynnC", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (20:30)", "body": "The bug has bit again. My motivation is at all time low. I had a great working weekend but now I just can't get my head in it. So how do others who put in 8-10 hour days at work find the motivation to get your head into the diss. Any tips for me? Because even after having a cup of coffee and big cookie :) all I want to do is lay my head down and go to sleep. Lynn"}, {"response": 2, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (22:03)", "body": "Lynn promice your eslf a little break or goodie if you do 10 minutes of writing, use free writing if need be - then when the 10 minutes are up if you are going along well keep going or stop and give your self the treat - things like checking in here, walking down for the mail, getting a glass of water/cup of tea, where my treats - simple things that didn't lead to a fatter me:) I'm always tempted to reward myself with chocolate! :) Chrissie"}, {"response": 3, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (10:46)", "body": "Lynn, why don't you try the thesis binder?! I posted the instructions under the noneof the above topic. It really is a great motivator. And Chrissie is soooo right on.... use chocolate to motivate yourself! My advisor used Haagen Dazs ice cream and was never unmotivated. -k-"}, {"response": 4, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (21:38)", "body": "Lynn, My favorite thing to do in the evening after work (besides crash) is check my email and visit PHinisheD. This week I am not allowing myself to do either until I have completed my daily study/writing goal. This has caused me to get through an entire book in three nights! Granted I was rereading a short book but I have been putting if off for way too long. Good luck, Mary Ann phinished conference Main Menu"}]}, {"num": 5, "subject": "OT", "response_count": 10, "posts": [{"response": 1, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Sun, Sep 26, 1999 (23:36)", "body": "Amy, you really amaze me and I'm very appreciative of all your hard work. Thank you bunches for not giving up on PhinisheD when that would have been the easy way out. I'm sure it's frustrating but please know that you and PhinisheD have helped me through some rough times. Rochelle"}, {"response": 2, "author": "aschuth", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (13:04)", "body": "OT?"}, {"response": 3, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (22:07)", "body": "Sorry Alexander - its short hand for Off Topic, doesn't make as much sense here but when we stray from the topic of our thesis or diss we went to an OT board... Things like this - that have nothing to do with my thesis but with my life - update on Liam Liam is going in for ear tubes this wed but he went to see the foot Dr today and we where told he looks great and to come back in 6 months. (I bet this even doesn't make much sense unless you know that Liam is my 22 month old son who was born with biliteral club feet and will be getting ear tubes on Wed! :) ) Update on the package - still have no clue if it got there! Guess I'll be calling SF tomarrow in the early afternoon. sigh. Chrissie"}, {"response": 4, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (23:24)", "body": "Good luck with the tubes! Mary Ann"}, {"response": 5, "author": "Samantha", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (16:58)", "body": "On the Off Topic Board a while ago we discussed joining Tom in his Disscam venture. I bought a netcam about a year ago with the intention of doing a disscam of my own but...life happens. But this past weekend I pulled the cam out of the box and voila!!......SamCam. Of course in the name of frittering I built a dissertation site around it and it can now be found at SamCam Please feel free to email me with any suggestions or comments. I am till looking for a chat program that doesn't take forever to load...any suggestions? Samantha"}, {"response": 6, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (21:52)", "body": "Hey Samantha, Glad you're online! Many of the chat programs I've seen, such as the dinky little one I run on my site, require you to have your own server to run them. Most of the others are Java applets that use someone else's server, such as xoom.com. (I've always avoided xoom.com, because their logo of the black x inside the circle seems vaguely facistic to me...don't know why!) Anyway, if you're interested, drop me an e-mail and I might have some links to examples you can take a look at. However, I gotta warn y u: chat can be a time sink and a major distraction, so think twice before doing it! -Tom"}, {"response": 7, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Thu, Oct 14, 1999 (13:36)", "body": "Samantha How exactly do you get to your discam? I clicked on the link in your last mail, but I couldn't see a camera view, nor a button to get there. (Don't mean for you to fetter time away in trying to sort this out!)"}, {"response": 8, "author": "Samantha", "date": "Thu, Oct 14, 1999 (20:50)", "body": "Anita- There should be a link on the image map in the left frame that says disscam network, or you can skip the framed version and go straight to the cam by clicking Here but then you get to miss all of the other fun stuff that you find at the link above. Let me know if this works. Samantha"}, {"response": 9, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Fri, Oct 15, 1999 (14:16)", "body": "I saw you I saw you! How exciting. Nice to put a face to the name. Now keep working!"}, {"response": 10, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Sun, Oct 17, 1999 (21:18)", "body": "Hee Hee! I saw you too! You appeared to be working very hard. Now it is time for me to go and get to work. I guess. Congratulations on your cam! Mary Ann phinished conference Main Menu"}]}, {"num": 6, "subject": "None of the Above", "response_count": 86, "posts": [{"response": 1, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (09:48)", "body": "Hey guys, I'm still getting used to this new format, so please forgive me if I screw up! For example, this message is related to the pact topic, but I think it's more general so I'm posting it here. Jane, I never saw your \"pact buddy\" post until after I had posted my own pact message. I didn't want you to think I was ignoring you! I'm not sure if I'll be as far along as you by November 15, but I'd be happy to engage in some mutual support and encouragement. I need to do some intense and sustained writing for the first time in a long time, and maybe that's the way to do it. Kharyssa, I'm intrigued by your thesis binder idea, so I'll bite: What the heck is it? -Tom My Diss Page"}, {"response": 2, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (10:08)", "body": "Hey Tom! I'm on my way out the door and don't have time right now to describe the thesis binder in detail. Maybe I could scan the directions and email them to you? or fax (would be easier)? It's only one page but a it's alot of typing. -k-"}, {"response": 3, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (10:40)", "body": "Hey Kharyssa, take your time. Before you take the trouble of scanning the binder directions, maybe you could just post a one- or two-line description of the binder and what it is intended to accomplish. I've never heard of such a thing and I'm just curious in a general sense about what it is. -Tom"}, {"response": 4, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (12:03)", "body": "Kharyssa I, too, would like information on the thesis binder. Please please please (no hurry though. You mentioned it in the pacting thread."}, {"response": 5, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (18:33)", "body": "Hi Rochelle, I saw your post in the \"pacts\" topic, and I just wanted to let you know that you shouldn't doubt yourself because some doddering old fool is being a jerk. He neither understands your research nor appreciates your approach to it, and he masks his ignorance with a mildly distainful bearing. In a book I've been reading about writing in the social sciences, Howard Becker makes a point on a totally different topic that seems appropriate to this situation. He claims that students make a mistake when they thi k that their professors are all experts: Unless students decide that the educational institutions they attend are frauds (and surprisingly few do, considering the evidence available to them), they will accept the implicit organizational proposition that the people who run the schools know what they are doing... This...is hierarchy, full-blown, at its worst: subordinates taking such evaluations as grades and teachers' comments, which are legitimated by the stratification of schools and scholarship, as ultimate and not-to-be-questioned evaluation of their own personal worth. Please don't let this guy make you loose faith in yourself. You're a great person and a capable scholar, and we all know it! -Tom"}, {"response": 6, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (18:49)", "body": "Rochelle, I had a similar experience when I was young and very stupid. I thought the profs knew EVERYTHING and when they beat me down I listened to them. It took me a long time to realize they were JEALOUS, not right at all, and very petty. Don't listen to these people. They are probably feeling threatened by your obvious intelligence and dedication. I'd spew some more but Arjay made lasagna for dinner and it's ready. HANG IN THERE!"}, {"response": 7, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (21:50)", "body": "Damn it!! I am so sick and tired of feeling like I'm worthless and being shat upon by \"my betters\". After talking - heh - listening to ex-advisor-to-be talk about how I didn't perform well in the dry run nor the actual comp (DUH!!) because I couldn't recall the stuff they were asking for and then to hear him effectively say I shouldn't be an atmospheric dynamists and should go major in GIS was a slap in the face. Now this is not meant as a put-down to people who are majoring or working in GIS. But the fact that see in multi-dimensional color and it just happens that I've got this idea about something and GIS is the methodology to do it in and then to be told the load of bullshit I've heard from this school is enough to fuel my prodigious anger. I don't get mad as hell very often but I've had enough of this crap. I've almost informed everyone who needs to know that I've got all my data, no thanks to them (thubbbbpppptttt!!!), I've got the methodolgy and the skill to use and develop it, and I'M COPYWRI ING EVERYTHING AND NO ONE ELSE IS GONNA TOUCH IT TILL ITS FUCKING PUBLISHED!!! Oh, yeah, I'm furious. I can't help but remember the fiasco of the last semester of undergraduate school. My QPA was almost nonexistant, I was newly married and leaving, hated the way the school turned out (emphasis on the wrong aspects of aerospace engineer - yuck!) and just praying to get out with the degree. Geez, no one had ever heard of an adult with a learning disability. Plus my dad dieing, the remaining family splintering, I was totally on my own with a monsterous school loan, newby hubby was leaving on military orde s and I wasn't going to be left alone again. One professor finally asked why I had such horrible problems with aircraft structures. My answer was that I couldn't see it in my head. AND THAT'S THE CLUE!!! This dang learning disability ties up the info stored in my head so that I can't recall the \"correct\" word when an external stimulus asks for it. But I can talk around it, describe it, draw it, see THE WHOLE BEAUTIFUL THING IN MY HEAD and never be able to give the \"expert\" the one or two words that t ey want to hear. If I can wrap my brain around the concept then I can do it, translate it, and explain it in terms that ANYONE can understand. That undergrad prof told me to not work in engineering, the first place I tried for a job literally laughed at me because of the QPA. And now here I am facing a similar situation. Back then I was too afraid and too beaten down to get mad. Hell, I wasn't ALLOWED to get mad - alway had to smile and be the good girl. Well, to hell with that shit...I'm mad now an sick and tired of hearing the same damn stuff even when it's couched in terms of \"you should reconsider...\" Just because I'm different and think outside the box (CONSTANTLY), it shouldn't be held against me. So undergrad professor was wrong. I've had a good, 15 year multi-disciplined engineering career. I've published, I've done work that benefited a lot of people, and I've been selected for some damn important work. If I told you guys, you probably wouldn't believe me. So why do I think these guys, surrounded in their ivory tower, where every woman atmospheric person has LEFT for one reason or another, and they have a 50% comp failure rate and of that group 50% don't get their PhDs, why do I think what t ese guys have to say is important and is a true reflection of who I am and what I'm capable of????? Why do I even CARE what they think? Because I need their recommendations to get into another school - that's why. Damn it!!! I hate needing these people!!!!!! Well, I guess it's back to the old tried and true methodology of convincing people to ignore how I look on paper and watch me produce. This time it'll be atmospheric research rather than engineering. So I have to get up off my depressed, angry butt; get certain work projects out of the way; and begin devoting myself to the first major step in this research. It's needed at work, so I can justify working on it there and then I'll work on the PhinisheD book at home in the evenings. But I want to work on hese things because I WANT to and not to PROVE something. (sigh) I'll be glad when this anger is over and I'm back to a more normal roar of frustration. But I want even that to be minimized. I want to be peaceful and feel the creative juices of the artistic scientist flowing again. Yeah folks - creative science IS an art. Whew! Thanks for letting me vent. Rochelle"}, {"response": 8, "author": "amy", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (22:05)", "body": "Oh, Rochelle. This system. It punishes wanting to do the work as opposed to proving something, doesn't it? You're going to have one hell of a story to tell, though, won't you? Which reminds me, I'll FTP those files right this instant."}, {"response": 9, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (22:14)", "body": "Rochelle I wish I could come over and help you slap a few faces and wake these people up to reality! Oh well, all I can offer at this time is \"Hang in there\" the creative juices will come again. Good Luck! Chrissie"}, {"response": 10, "author": "kharyssaschool", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (22:36)", "body": "Okay here's the gist: the thesis binder is a way to tangibly organize your work and your thoughts while visualizing the finished product. Here's the blurb from the instructions (sorry for the typos): **** Dr. Brown: You have to always keep an image in mind of the final product. People don't have a writing block, they're simply not identifying what they're doing, and therefore not identifying the next thing they need to do. Dr. Brown suggests that you create a loose-leaf, 3-ring binder representing the thesis, with all its chapters, appendices, references, and so on, laid out according to university guidelines for margins and pagination. Put as many blank sheets into the binder as you think you'll need for each chapter. You won't know exactly how many pages to devote to each section, but putting page numbers helps you visually see the relative proportion and importance of each section. Your mock thesis binder will need a tab e of contents, which lets you see the whole as well as the parts of your thesis. Dr. Brown points out that the TOC is different in an important way from the outline. An outline is open-ended, which implies that it can be enlarged and changed ad infinitum. The subliminal message of the TOC is that it is fixed for a completed work. Seeing parts in relation to the whole is helpful when you're reading literature. Instead of reading as if your compiling a reference library, you read only material that relates to a specific part of your thesis. When you read ask yourself \"Where will I use this?\" rather than \"I wonder if I'll have some use for this down the road?\". You can begin your binder by putting your prospectus in your methods chapter. And you're on your way. As you read materials, make notes about what your reading and put them into the binder in the appropriate place. You can also 3-hole punch pages to include in the binder--pages, sections, or chapters you've written; articles; xeroxes; etc. Because the binder is loose-leaf, you are free to change your mind, and to change notes from one place to another as your thesis takes shape. Not only will your changes be easier to make because they're concrete (physically moving paper around in your binder), but your decisions will be easier to keep track of than if you'd made them only mentally -- or on a scrap paper or post-it note. Dr. Brown: Moving pieces around is very motivating when your stuck. If you can physically piece things together while writing -- assembling and compiling them -- you'll rarely have the feeling that you're creating something from nothing. You begin to think of writing as the continued organization of bits and pieces. More often than not, while you're shuffling pages around and organizing your binder, you'll be thinking about the project and break through your block. **** Sound cool or what? I went and bought a $6 binder and three packs of tabbed page separators at Office Max. I labelled each separator with a chapter number and started filling it in with pages I''d already written. For chapters I hadn't started, I put in a detailed bit of outline. Just get it going and you'll see how organizing, visualizing, tangible, and motivating it can be. At my meeting with the advisor today, she was very surprised to see that I'd already done a binder -- she was going to suggest it to me! In addition to having all your ducks in a row, you'll also have a portable office. I have happily been changing my working scene from home to office to library and always have my binder with me... and consequently everything I need to work. I hope this helps someone like it has helped me! -k-"}, {"response": 11, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (23:10)", "body": "Rochelle, your experience solidifies my conviction that a lot of experiences with academia are very similar to sorority/fraternity initiaation and hazing. Which is another experience that can destroy your self esteem and confidence but is based on whim, prejudice, and politics. I hope you are able to move on to a better situation. Anyone who saw your published work (web pages referenced recently) knows that you are a scholar. I really like the binder idea and am adding it to my pact as the next thing to do--Thanks for the idea, Kharissa Adios, I am off to read a little more--Mary Ann"}, {"response": 12, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (09:54)", "body": "I use an according file folder to do similar stuff to the thesis binder - I think the binder might work better - nothing should fall out of it! Chrissie"}, {"response": 13, "author": "Barb", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (11:25)", "body": "Rochelle, Just want to second what others are saying: You most certainly ARE a scholar and worthy and creative. You've already done amazing things with your life. It's a shame (and a sham!) that those high mucky mucks tried to stop you in your tracks. (They sound like real ween . . . er, wimps). They haven't won; you are moving forward--e.g., by proposing that you get funding to work on a doctorate ELSEWHERE, and protecting your work by getting the copyrights in order, etc. I'm totally in awe of you. Barb"}, {"response": 14, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (11:39)", "body": "Your support is like novacain on an open wound. It's deeply appreciated. -Rochelle"}, {"response": 15, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (12:19)", "body": "Hey Rochelle! I posted a response to your rant last night and don't see it anywhere! Oh well... it was huge and I don't remember everthing I said but it went something like: elitist bastard, jerk, butt-monkey. His pussy-footing is really a good thing: at least you know clearly where he stands and would only write a poor recommendation - which you neither need nor deserve. Look elsewhere for academic support (maybe a neutral professor in the same dept?). Of course, there is no rule that says your recs must come from the dept - use your boss and a colleague on that WA committee instead. As for GIS... no offense was taken. Most people don't understand that GIS is a means to an e d not an end in itself. It is just a tool. Yes it's a wonderfully useful skill that can get you a job... but it is certainly not it's own discipline. Get this A-hole out of your life. I'm sure you'll find greener pastures someday soon... moving on to a new university will change perspective for you. And, be sure to meditate and get rid of these bad feelings... venting is great, but if you harbour a grudge/angry feelings towards these folks you will only be hurting yourself. I'm sure those bastards will fo get you very quickly - do them the same courtesy and get on with your research. PS. good luck with the book! I hope you'll let the gang here vote on the title! -k-"}, {"response": 16, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (15:08)", "body": "Rochelle Hope things are little better this afternoon. Your strength truly amazes me. In my other life (the working world), one of the things I use to do as part ofmy job was organize workshops and conferences. We always used to hire a particular facilitator whom the industry admired and respected. She would help us organize our agenda, and when we looked around for \"experts\", she reminded us that we had the power to make someone an expert just by inviting them to speak. And so we \"created\" the expert. I thin it's an interesting lesson....I hope it can be applied to your situation. Hang in there!"}, {"response": 17, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (15:16)", "body": "Kharyssa I like the idea of the thesis binder. Ironically, the things that my supervisor wanted me to by Christmas, in addition to the tasks I'd identified, were and introduction and my conceptual framework. He said they would probably change, but they would serve to guide most of my work. I'll be able to do the intro and binder together. Thanks"}, {"response": 18, "author": "lbaron", "date": "Thu, Sep 30, 1999 (04:02)", "body": "Hello, All! I've been away on business for just over a week and return to find the entire world has changed! Seriously, Amy you're a real star for keeping things on the march. Tom: thanks for your e-mail. Rochelle, Hi! And Hi! to all the old gang and all the new guys. This new format has an interesting effect on perception and communication, I find. But we'll get used to it. We have the motivation, after all. Love to all Lou"}, {"response": 19, "author": "Barb", "date": "Thu, Sep 30, 1999 (16:44)", "body": "Hi, all. Chrissie says she's flying around so much just now that she might not show up here for a few days. But she asked me to tell everyone that Liam is doing fine after his ear tube surgery. He wasn't all that freaked by the procedure, apparently. So that's good news! Barb"}, {"response": 20, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Thu, Sep 30, 1999 (17:26)", "body": "HEhe Of course as soon as I say I won't have time, Liam takes a nap and Hannah is playing on her computer! So I have about 5 minutes before one or the other needs me again. I should be making dinner but I'm out of dinner ideas so its Ed's turn:) Liam is good - tubes went in with no fuss, but he now has a cold and is very cranky, some Dimatap and a nap should help with that. He has said a couple of new words since the surgery (at 5 hours after the surgery he said shark and even earlier then that he said help, we'll see if he retains the words). Thanks for the good thoughts! Still don't know if my thesis was delivered or not - oh well too much life stress this week to worry about that:) If not the PO will just have to send another one for free. Right now they are trying to figure it out for me:) Chrissie"}, {"response": 21, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Thu, Sep 30, 1999 (18:28)", "body": "Literature Review Help! I'm overwhelmed! I don't know what to do, and that's just with the articles I have on my shelf. How do I manage my articles? How do I integrate everything? How do I remember everything? Did you photocopy everything? (I actually wrote a more detailed message about this but it got lost somewhere)"}, {"response": 22, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Thu, Sep 30, 1999 (19:21)", "body": "Anita, I sense a bit of panic in your message.... don't freak out. Yes, it's a lot of material to absorb, recapitualte, synthesize, and integrate - we all feel overwhelmed by it. First of all, don't expect yourself to remember *everything* - some bits will get lost along the way. I'm sorry your longer message didn't make it (that has happened to me too, more than once) -- but maybe this will help. I photocopied absolutely everything (even pages from the books I own). After I read them (with lots of notes in the argin and a huge \"T\" on the front if I wanted to use it for the thesis), I wrote a short abstract (using appropriate key words) on a large, lined post-it note and then filed it away alphabetically by author in my drawer. Once I'd gone through everything once (and everything was filed), I went through each file and pulled out the references I wanted to use. This seemed easier to me than trying to retain it all. Once I pulled out the relevant stuff, I read it all again. Anything that wasn't usable was then anned (ie re-filed). Eventually I had a 'short stack'of usable material. These I read a third time while sitting at the computer, and entered in any quotes/useful bits I wanted to use. Then I structured a super-detailed outline for that chapter and shuffled my notes into the right places. One thing you definitely don't want to do is stack this stuff up on your desk. Everytime you sit down, you'll see the monster pile staring you down and you won't want to work anymore. Try to get it organized and tucked away... clearing your desk often helps to clear your mind. Hope this helps... -k-"}, {"response": 23, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Thu, Sep 30, 1999 (20:02)", "body": "Hey, Anita. Another idea to help organize is to use a biblography software program. I use EndNotes ( http://www.endnotes.com ) and it not only creates a database of all your info, but at the push of a button it will create all your references in a word processing program. There are several folks on the board who use it. The only drawback is if you create the full reference list and then go and change/add the cites within the document, it can become conflicted. A simple think you have to do is remember o keep the document in the EndNotes working text format and only do the full reference list at the end. If you remember (I rarely did) you can \"unformat\" and go from the full reference list back to the Endnotes coding. Cool package at a decent price. -Rochelle"}, {"response": 24, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (10:47)", "body": "OK everyone... today's the day. T-minus 3 1/2 hours. I am not that nervous this time and have studied like the dickens. So between noon and 4:30 (2 and 6:30 Eastern) send me lots of good vibes. I've decided that this is the last time I will attempt this... so what I get today is what the PhD schools get as well. I'm visualizing 640, 650, 700.... 640, 650, 700, 640, 650, 700, 640, 650, 700... what the mind sees it will create! -k-"}, {"response": 25, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (10:57)", "body": "Good luck Kharyssa! I am sure you will do well."}, {"response": 26, "author": "Barb", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (11:17)", "body": "Kharyssa, Yes. Good luck! Hope you get the scores you want. Barb (sending lots of good vibes)"}, {"response": 27, "author": "amy", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (11:25)", "body": "Visualization aid. And I don't mean the club. Good thoughts and vibes of light effortless concentration!"}, {"response": 28, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (11:33)", "body": "Wow! I guess Amy said it all, didn't she? We're all pulling for you, Kharyssa! -Tom"}, {"response": 29, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (11:59)", "body": "Go K Go! You can get those scores. Looking forward to hearing the good news."}, {"response": 30, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (18:42)", "body": "Anxiously awaiting Kharyssa's results...."}, {"response": 31, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (18:47)", "body": "I hope this doesn't mean bad news. She's working so hard on this. I'd hate for her to be disappointed."}, {"response": 32, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (18:56)", "body": "Oh it's very good news! I was just busy calling everybody on the planet! And I tracked a good buddy down at the mall... I am still doing a little dance of glee! happy happy joy joy! First THANKS TO ALL OF YOU for the good vibes... that must've helped. I was confident and positive the whole test! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I really loved all your messages, but Amy's made me bust out laughing! OK so I busted out crying when I saw my scores.... the proctor came in to console me but I was blubbering like an idiot. He kept saying \"but those are good scores\" and all I could say was \"I know\". So you wanna know what I got? Verbal = 630 Quantitative = 660 Analytical = 690 It is downright creepy that I visualized all of these within 10 points! : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) Well I am going off to glut myself on crawfish and crab legs... some food might help weigh me down a bit ... this floating thing is getting out of hand! ; ) -k-"}, {"response": 33, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (19:29)", "body": "YAY!!!! Way to go, Kharyssa! But don't eat so much that you get sick :)"}, {"response": 34, "author": "Barb", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (19:51)", "body": "Hooray, Hooray! Kharyssa's a super-scorer today! Wonderful news! Happy celebrating! (Eat some nice seafood for me, will 'ya?!) Barb"}, {"response": 35, "author": "PatriciaF", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (20:36)", "body": "Kharyssa! Congrats on the scores!! Oh, I remember (and wish I could forget!) my GRE hell. I took that bloody test 5 times, and still had to settle for pretty embarassing scores. Thank god they drop off all the records after 5 years! So, maybe by the time I get around to applying for PhD programs, I can possibly take it over for better scores (or find a program that doesn't consider the test scores as part of the application process!). Finally you can put this annoying little thing behind you and look ahea !"}, {"response": 36, "author": "maryannb", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (21:01)", "body": "Muy bien! Lots of people were pulling for you! Enjoy your success!! Mary Ann"}, {"response": 37, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (21:25)", "body": "YEAH! Way to go Kharyssa! I'm proud of you! Chrissie"}, {"response": 38, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Sat, Oct  2, 1999 (08:30)", "body": "K I am soooooo happy and relieved for you! You worked so hard, and it's paid off. What an inspiration. I hope you have a super weekend (please - no work!) Hang on to that high."}, {"response": 39, "author": "Samantha", "date": "Sat, Oct  2, 1999 (21:16)", "body": "Kharyssa- Congratulations, they are well deserved scores!! Samantha"}, {"response": 40, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Sun, Oct  3, 1999 (13:18)", "body": "Thanks to everyone for their congrats over the last two days. I still have that warm glowing feeling from knowing that I've passed a very big hurdle in the application process. : ) -kharyssa-"}, {"response": 41, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (08:38)", "body": "I have done a lot of work with the technical communications department here and have gotten to be good friends with the instructors. One of them copied the announcement of my fellowship from the university's newspaper, enlarged it, and laminated it. He gave it to me with the following note: \"Congratulations again on your very impressive fellowship award. Being laminated, the announcement is now protected against the blood, sweat, tears, and spilled coffee that may be experienced during the \"doctoral journey\". All the best, Bill.\" Isn't that just the nicest thing? What a wonderful gift for me to find , first thing this morning, in my school mailbox."}, {"response": 42, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (08:43)", "body": "Sounds like that instructor has ADVISOR-PERSON tatooed on his chest. What a wonderful story! May I use this as a future adventure? -Rochelle"}, {"response": 43, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (08:58)", "body": "Most definitely. He is so nice."}, {"response": 44, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (09:08)", "body": "Sounds like you need two ADVISOR-PERSON characters, Rochelle: GOOD ADVISOR-PERSON and EVIL ADVISOR-PERSON. -Tom"}, {"response": 45, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (10:08)", "body": "ADVISOR-PERSON is always fair. The grad student may not like the answer or the decision may be tough, but AP always does the right thing. Concerning evil characters - there will most definately be EVIL Committee Member. Maybe the plague-ridden corpse is a good candidate. Most faculty characters will fall somewhere inbetween. The person who can only speak jargon, the person who doesn't care, the person who steps on others to further their own work. But there will be some good faculty as well - research-guy, professor emeritus, new-kid-on-the-block, idealistic-girl, etc. And another thing, AP is an aspect of any faculty. So AP won't have a single face - AP can be research-guy or person who doesn't care. It's hard to explain, but I think it'll work ok. This comic will definately be for academics - other people probably won't get it. But keep those ideas coming! Rochelle"}, {"response": 46, "author": "janec", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (11:56)", "body": "Hey guys, I also use a binder. I have one general one which is my dissertation in the rough, one for the survey design process, several with output from my survey, and one for my ETHNOGRAPH output from my qualitative interviews (80 in all so I can't afford to have every interview on paper, instead I have two sets of backup diskettes). It is the only way I can keep my brain organized. I started using ENDNOTE and then got sidetracked but now that I am back into the literature I really have to discipline myself so it oesn't get out of hand. I have a file cabinet with all of my literature articles in alphabetical order. I am going through them and rereading them. On the outside of the folder I write a synthesis and what I think it contributes to my dissertation. If I decide that it is critical I take it out and put it in my file draw called literature review. There I have sections which are theoretical arranged and I plop it in the section I think it will be used. This is a dynamic process that changes all the time. Ho efully, I will end up with the articles which really reflect my argument. I don't have a very good long term memory so I really depend on this system to not lose track of the development of my argument over time. I hope some of this advice helps. JaneC Sorry, Tom, I have not been very board attentive. We were on vacation and now my husband is renegotiating his contract and had to go out of town for a week so my life has been a little crazy. I hope to have a draft of a CHAPTER of my dissertation which is probably going to be the heart of the dissertation by November. It's for the interim report to a fellowship I have. I think I am going to make the topic of the fellowship one important chapter of my thesis and for what they want in April I will sort of d a mini thesis focused on gender (in other words there is alot of data that they won't be interested in but that I am for my dissertation. I'd like to share some ideas with you, because I think we are working on a related topic. My e-mail is jclough_riquelme@hotmail.com can you drop me a line so we can go off line?? Jane"}, {"response": 47, "author": "nell", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (11:51)", "body": "Kharyssa and Carol, Just finished reading this topic and found that congratulations are in order. Kharyssa, you have been very deligent in your GREs and I am really glad it paid off. Can't wait to hear where you chose to go for your PhD. Your future is so bright. Carol, congrats on your fellowship. Is this for a year? I don't know any of the particulars but it sounds very impressive. GReat job! Ellen"}, {"response": 48, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (12:08)", "body": "Ellen, It's a 3-year fellowship with the Department of Energy. They only give out 12 each year, and because of budget cuts this is the last year for a while. So I got in under the gun. I still can't quite believe it! Thanks Carol"}, {"response": 49, "author": "nell", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (20:51)", "body": "Carol, When you receive a fellowship like this..I am still learning about all this...do you stay at your place of employment or do you move to another place like the Department of Energy (that may sound like a stupid question but I am curious how the fellowships work). I have had a few colleagues who have received fellowships but not many and I understand this is a huge honor and an incredible award. Once again, congratulations. Ellen"}, {"response": 50, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (08:37)", "body": "Ellen, The fellowship covers my tuition and fees up to $15,000 per year (but I go to a public university, so I don't cost much!) and a stipend of $20,000, for a max of three years. At the end of the third year all the award winners go to a symposium in Washington to present our research. Other than yearly progress reports, that's the only obligation we have. There are some fellowships that require a year or so on-site (NASA has some, and I think Oak Ridge) but this fellowship is not like that. Its purpose is to develop integrated manufacturing methods that conserve resources. They preferred projects that worked directly with some industry; mine is with a local company that makes HVAC units for GM and Ford. When I am feeling really stupid I take a look at the website that lists my name as a DOE fellow and then I don't feel so bad anymore! But there is that lingering thought that someone somewhere made a mistake..... :) Carol"}, {"response": 51, "author": "nell", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (09:08)", "body": "CArol, Thank you for explaining. That is really impressive. Print out that WEB site, enlarge it, laminate it and hang it over your computer work station. Please don't question your intelligence or whether \"someone, somewhere made a mistake\", they didn't, you earned it and it is indeed exciting! Good for you and good for your university to have recognized what a fine scholar you are by recruiting you! Ellen"}, {"response": 52, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (09:40)", "body": "Carol, that fellowship is quite impressive. I work with PNNL, a DOE lab on a lot of my research. These folks are top notch and cutting edge research as well. Sounds like you would fit right in there. Once you Phinish, you should have contacts with DOE, their labs and the contract organizations that operate some of the labs. If they don't pick you up, then someone's making a big mistake. If you need/want introductions, just give me a yell. Rochelle"}, {"response": 53, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (21:14)", "body": ""}, {"response": 54, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (21:15)", "body": "I'll keep that in mind, Rochelle. I am looking forward to getting started on this; I'm going to work on a timeline this weekend, backwards from the symposium date so I don't miss anything."}, {"response": 55, "author": "taylor", "date": "Sat, Oct  9, 1999 (17:37)", "body": "I have finally checked in with a pseudonym because I feel that the posts I made since finding this board during the dissertation process was between kindered spirits. When I read that posts including mine were going to be used in a book I felt my privacy violated. I am disappointed that I can't feel safe in sharing anymore information with the people with whom I have come to regard as friends. I still read the board and I debated on whether or not to make this post. I decided if I didn't tell it nobody would know and maybe this feeling of violation should be considered in the book."}, {"response": 56, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Sat, Oct  9, 1999 (19:07)", "body": "While I am not the one writing the book I do think that Rochelle has taken this into consideration and even asked for feedback on how to protect true identies. I believe she was planing to give us all code names and such :) I do hope you'll come back and keep posting. Maybe if she knows how you feel (and who you are - tell only her not all of us) she can leave your comments out of the book. I'm sure there is a way. Chrissie"}, {"response": 57, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Sun, Oct 10, 1999 (16:37)", "body": "Hey eneryone! Just wanted to pass along my feelings on Ben Dean's workshops... they truly are helpful and amazing! I had my first meeting this week and got soooo much out of it. I have a framework in which to deal with my linguistics class and the feelings it generates; a scheduling/time management strategy; and I have a working way to deal with the trepidation I feel about my next chapter (#7-the simulation). One of the things that was very helpful was recognizing the way in which I tend to learn material. I submerge myself into the topic, and when I cannot do that (as of late) I freak out and do poorly. So the pyschologist leading the discussion suggested scheduling large blocks of time for each task (thesis and class)- this way I know that I'll have the time to work through a task thoroughly rather than feeling pulled in different directions every couple of hours. So, I highly recommend that those of you struggling with this process look into these workshops. They are free and so awesome! It's sort of like marriage counseling where your thesis/diss is the partner! TOM -- I thought about you constantly during my session... all we talked about was how to overcome writing blocks, how to get started after a long break, etc. It seemed like something you would really find helpful. -k-"}, {"response": 58, "author": "nell", "date": "Sun, Oct 10, 1999 (18:35)", "body": "Dear taylorbonkers, I just wanted to write and say I saw your post and am sorry you no longer feel comfortable posting. In research we are used to getting and receiving \"informed consent\" for a project or study. I can empathize that you would expect the same from this forum. I don't think the book needs to mention anyones name or identifying credentials at all. I also feel pretty confident in saying (and I only know this from reading her posts) that Rochele is a very caring and sensitive individual and I think she would w nt to hear from anyone else who feels that their privacy has been/will be violated. I have gained so much support and good advice from this board...and I have this feeling that your posts were valuable..I am sorry we will not benefit from your contributions anymore. Ellen"}, {"response": 59, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Sun, Oct 10, 1999 (22:45)", "body": "Thanks, Kharyssa! How nice of you to think of me, especially since I haven't exactly been an active participant lately. I guess I'm the official poster child of writer's block on the board, and unfortunately, not much has happened lately to change that status. I've been able to write on some days, but even on days when I manage to eke out five or six or seven pages of text I still feel blocked, directionless, and unmotivated. Sometimes I feel like I'm beginning to catch the spark again, but then the f eling just slips away. Pretty frustrating and weird, huh? I'm interested in the Ben Dean stuff, and I've visited the ABD site recently, but I thought it was too late to join one of those teleworkshops. Please set me straight if I'm wrong. Anyway, I'm not sure if that's what I need...my SO made me go to a dissertation workshop in Ann Arbor last week, and although it was interesting it didn't really help much. I feel like I've reached my limit on the self-help approach. What I really need is an attitude adjustment, a shot of inspiration, or maybe just a good s ift kick in the pants! Anyway, I indulged myself on Saturday by hiking in the woods, fixing a leaky faucet, fertilizing the lawn, moping around the house, and otherwise not writing all day. Today I wrote about five pages but consider it to be utter crap and not worthy of becoming ink on paper. I'm not giving up, though, and Monday morning I'm going to sit down with a hot cup of coffee and a crunchy computer keyboard and try yet again to take a bite outta that elephant. If you're so inclined, please feel free to //people.mw.mediaone.net/abiento/diss/disscam.html\" target=\"new\">pop in and keep me company for a minute or two. Thanks again for thinking of me, Kharyssa, and hello to all my friends here at PhinisheD. Sorry I haven't been posting much...I guess I'm just having a tough time getting the hang of our new digs. I'll be lurking... -Tom"}, {"response": 60, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Sun, Oct 10, 1999 (22:53)", "body": "Well, my subtle attempt to slip the DissCam URL into my post failed miserably, so here it is, right in your face. I get lonely and stir-crazy being cooped up alone in the house all day, so drop by if you get a chance. See ya! DissCam -Tom"}, {"response": 61, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Sun, Oct 10, 1999 (23:00)", "body": "Tom I was glad to see you again - I was begining to think you had forgotten us. The thing that helped me over my writters block was something you told me in one of our first post each to PhinisheD - do the free writing Bolker suggests in the 15 mins. book. If you are done with the self help approach how about sending me a chapter? By say friday?...remember I know nothing about you subject so I wouldn't be so harsh on what is crap and what is not - I may not know! :) I found setting the goals up publicly on t e pacts helped me a lot! Ask your advisor to met with you and help you determine where you are and where you need to go - set up weekly meetings so you ahve to produce something, even if its crap - at least it gives you a starting point. I'll be checking in on Monday! Chrissie"}, {"response": 62, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Mon, Oct 11, 1999 (00:55)", "body": "Hi Chrissie, Thanks for your encouragement! Part of the problem is that the free-writing just isn't working for me any more. I've written about 120 pages that way, which was a great way to get going when I wasn't writing anything at all, but I'm no longer satisfied with that approach. I need to have more organization and direction to what I'm writing so I feel like I'm not just spinning my wheels. Also, I tried it but found that the pact thing really didn't seem to help me either. I e-mailed my advisor about two eeks ago with some specific questions about submitting rough drafts to him and he hasn't responded yet, which is pretty darn annoying. I didn't mean to shoot down all of your suggestions, Chrissie...just knowing that I have your support is a big help! I'm just feeling like I need to find my own way right now, and I'm not sure anyone else can do that for me. I guess I should resist complaining about my lack of progress if I'm not actually looking for advice. It would be nice if my advisor wasn't ignoring me, though. -Tom P.S. - Kharyssa, I forgot to mention: I was so sorry to hear that your marriage is not working out. I'm a big believer in the sanctity and permanence of marriage, and I always find it regrettable when a marriage can't be held together. However, based on what you've written it sounds like it's time to throw in the towel for the sake of your own safety and sanity. I'm sad for you, and I hope you'll be able to move on with your life all the wiser for your experiences. Best wishes for smooth sailing thro gh the rough seas ahead."}, {"response": 63, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Mon, Oct 11, 1999 (11:41)", "body": "Thanks for your concern! I guess we've been trading sympathies for the last few days... I didn't think of you as the poster child for writer's block at all! Though this made me laugh out loud -- the sheer absurdity of it! Really Tom, the position you are in is quite understandable... you've returned to the diss after a harrowing job which drained your energy and time! It's almost natural that it'll take some time for you to get back into the swing of things. The question is, how long will that time be? As far as the Ben Dean workshop, I still suggest you might try it. The one I'm in is called \"Writing the Diss\". The great thing about this particular kind of self-help is that you are working with a psychologist who has done a diss; and you really get at the underlying source of your block -- rather than just exercising around it. Though we had six people sign up, only three of us have been coming to the meetings. The leader has been rather disappointed, and I think she'd welcome a late addition to the group. Shoot her an email at vkapur@aol.com... her name is Veena. -k- ps. has your absence from the material over the last few weeks of your job distanced you from the material? I mean... I know you know your stuff, but maybe if you got re-acquainted with the references..? Just a thought..."}, {"response": 64, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Mon, Oct 11, 1999 (21:25)", "body": "Just got back and saw your message. I want to assure you and all others who feel similarly that every reasonable precaution will be taken to ensure anonymity. All direct quotes will have written permission from the author. Also, I'm not sure if the original PhinisheD (TOP) postings will be available over the internet in the future. It depends on what Amy wants to do once she is settled and has some free time for us again. At this time, TOP only exists in archive form with both Amy and I having copies Finally, the internet IS a public forum. While what each of us types is supposedly \"owned\" by use due to intellectual rights I must say that Ben Dean's ABD Guide closely paralleled our on-line discussions at one point several years ago. I don't know what caused this coincident, but ideas and processes are not copywritable - only the way in which we express them. Anyone who has internet access can hop on, surf over and read what we say. It's just there seems to be a small group who actively po t and discuss issues. As Amy said on the other board a while back, she gets e:mail from lurkers occasionally, thanking her for the board even though they chose not to post. Taylor, I hope you feel better after reading this. It is my sincere intent to do no harm to anyone for any reason. If there are things you'd like to discuss off-line, in private, please e:mail me. I'm always open to suggestions. Rochelle"}, {"response": 65, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Tue, Oct 12, 1999 (08:23)", "body": "Who's Ben Dean? What's this all about? Sounds exciting! Tom, I too don't seem to benefit from free writing stuff. It takes me awhile to settle into writing - I finally have, after all of September used up worrying about writing. It'll come back...we're all rooting for ya."}, {"response": 66, "author": "nicole", "date": "Tue, Oct 12, 1999 (09:43)", "body": "I would just like to point out that I can understand Taylor's position about the forthcoming book very well. I do not think it helps to bring up intellectual property rights issues and such we know that what's on cyberspace is not considered private. What Taylor is talking about is the issue of trust. I thought as well I was talking to cyberspace friends and did not know that my comments might be evaluated for a book. Thus I can understand that this is an issue for Taylor. Having said that does not mean that I am necessarily against the book. I just think PHinisheD folks should be aware of that the book wiill shape this board. Folks like Taylow will drop out which in my opinion is the worst side effect. But also people that are aware of the book might well correspond differently on this board. Rochelle herself also has a big issue to face, i.e,. how will she as a participant observer edit or evaluate her own contributions to this board? I just think people just at least be aware of these issues. Taylor at least try to look around for a different cyberspace board if this one has helped you in the past. I also think its was pretty brave of you to raise the issues you did, i.e., when you seem to be in the minority. I myself have some concerns on how the book project will further change this board. I have not resolved for myself yet if I will drop out or not."}, {"response": 67, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Tue, Oct 12, 1999 (12:57)", "body": "These comments about how the book will affect the Board are very interesting. Are there others who feel this way? Please, speak up!"}, {"response": 68, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Tue, Oct 12, 1999 (22:10)", "body": "I have no problem posting to this board and to Rochelle using it in the book. I'm sure some of this has to do with my curretnly peachy situation at school - I might feel differently if I was not on such good terms with them (ie being found out for saying nasty things, etc.). Just to throw in my .02, I do believe the issue is trust as well. However I TRUST ROCHELLE 250% TO TAKE EVERY PRECAUTION IN PROTECTING OUR IDENTITIES. This may come from the fact that she and I have actually met, face to face -- she is a GOOD PERSON. You know this the minute you meet her: she just glows with it. Really, this is one of those rare times when there is the possibilty some utility in our anguish -- and I want to share my experience with others in the hope that they will learn. I have stumbled through this process with a blindfold on, and I'd hate to see anyone else go through that. The book will reach such a wide audience... far wider than this web site... and it will resonate with other grad students as a book by current grads for grads (rather than by psychs or by PhDs). How many of us would give ou front teeth for this information *before the fact*? Sorry-- I'm not meaning to rant, though in reading this over it sure sounds like it. I guess I'm just passionate about the idea and can see the good it will do for others -- and these 'others' are likely to be our advisees in the next 5-10 years. I just don't think there is anything to worry about. -kharyssa-"}, {"response": 69, "author": "nicole", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (09:10)", "body": "Kharyssa (and others), Just to clarify my earlier comments had nothing to do with Rochelle as an individual. (She sure comes across as a very nice person. No debate here.) May be I did not make myself clear I do not question the issue of maintaining the issue of confidentiality. I am concerned about trust, e.g., people's ability to open up to each other in a \"comfortable\" atmosphere. Confidentiality can be achieved quite easily. The ability of people to trust each other is much loner and more complicated process. Sure the book will have an impact on the dynamics on this board. (It already had an impact.) This is just something we at least just be aware of. For me on a very personal level the existence if this board was more important than the book. I have all the advice books I need but I sure did not find a lot of personal support along the way. Something this board I know this board has provided to me and others. I very much understand Kharyssa's and others passion about creating the book so that's why the book will go ahead. I just have mixed feelings about it because of the implications for this board."}, {"response": 70, "author": "deb", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (09:40)", "body": "Anita, I'm with you. Who's Ben Dean. Inquiring minds wanna know. Deb"}, {"response": 71, "author": "deb", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (09:40)", "body": ""}, {"response": 72, "author": "deb", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (09:40)", "body": ""}, {"response": 73, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (10:23)", "body": "Ben Dean is the author of the web based \"All-But-Dissertation Survival Guide\" and used to put out regular e:mail (list-serve type mailings) but he hasn't been very active lately. The most recent stuff I've seen is he sets up free (you pay long distance phone charges) services on various topics that may help grad students. These free services typically have one or two psychology-types leading the discussions. Sometimes they have a lot of experience but other times they may not. Unlike Kharyssa's exper ence, the only one I participated in was absolutely horrible and I quit after the first meeting. One thing of note is that the free services are for a set period of time. If you find the service useful you have the option of contacting the individual's directly and going to a fee based service. This is the equivalent of hiring a consultant to assist with a certain activity, only you get to try it out first. Here's the contact info. Ben J. Dean, Ph.D MentorCoach(tm) Voice: 301-986-5688 Fax: 301-913-9447 E-mail: ben@mentorcoach.com Web: Web:"}, {"response": 74, "author": "huntr", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (10:41)", "body": "Hi all-- Well, I finally figured out how to get this new setup working. (Another English major with no clue about technology.) I want to put in a cent or three on the book problem. I'm mostly a lurker on Phinished, and really haven't posted anything \"sensitive\" or \"private\" on the board. But I seem to recall a few \"break-ins\" on the old board (which was far less \"public\" than this version, it seems to me). The thing is, ANYBODY can EASILY read anything anyone posts here. That's why I'm not worried about the book as a privacy issue. Rochelle will, I am certain, be protective of our identities (and there's no reason anyone can't us a pseudonym on the board--as many already do). The only downside about the book is that it will lack the immediacy of the board. I know that, whether I post a lot or not, the discussions I've followed have helped me get through the PhD process. I do not, though, know whetehr those discussions would have the same effect if they weren't \"live.\" But then I'm a worrier about odd things like that. Richard"}, {"response": 75, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (10:49)", "body": "How long has this Board been in existance? I always forget that it comes with baggage. What happened with the break-ins?"}, {"response": 76, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (13:20)", "body": "Nicole, I agree with your comments... I guess I see this as a transformation of function rather than purpose. I think the issue of trust here is being inflated somewhat (nothing against you Nicole of course). But don't you (all) think that the atmosphere of trust between peers will continue despite the new function of the board? It's not like any of us are going to print out a person's post and mail it to their advisor. The same is true of the book, no one's names or posts (word for word) will be used without explicit permission. As I understand it, the board was going to be used as a springboard for topics in th books -- as a heuristic tool to help with the topics and their advice -- rather than as an end-all \"print out the archives and publish it\" kinda thing. I agree as well that the personal support here far outweighs any benefit of a impersonal print book. But remember that only about 60% of Americans use the internet; and only 25% use it regularly. What about the rest? What about other countries where net use is much less? I have plenty of friends here in Co who know how to use the net, have been told about the board, and yet don't log on more than once a month... and that's just not enough to reap the benefits of this community. We need to reach out to oth rs... and here I am again on the soap box. Gosh, ok, I'm shutting up now.... LOL : ) [My counselor tells me I have the type of personality that won't quit when it comes to just causes. Let's chalk this rant up to tenacity.] ANYWAY, despite what I've been saying I do understand where the reservations about the book's impact on the board are coming from... for me the greater good beckons. However, as I said before, I am not in a sticky political situation at school and my opinion might change if I was to suddenly fear repercussions by the faculty for a hasty post. -k-"}, {"response": 77, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (13:50)", "body": "Amy started the board in Aug 1997 to help out a friend. It's gone through several format changes but the basic look has been the same since 1998. During the early times, Amy initiated many of the discussions and actively participated in most of them. This is the time period that established the positive outlook, open arms and non-judgemental nature of the board. Some of the early posts were harsh, critical or openly judgemental. Amy jumped right in, spanked some virtual bootie, and the offensive indi iduals shaped up or shipped out. We've changed servers a couple of times in the recent past which seems to correspond to the number of posts. Early times had one or two posts per day if there was a lively topic. We were up to a routine 40 posts per day on the old PhinisheD site just before the move to Spring.net. The number of posts on the main board caused more frequent archiving of the messages which is what prompted the last sysadmin to say bye-bye. The scripts which made PhinisheD feel like home used too much processing time (acc rding to the old sysadmin) affecting other pages residing there. I'm sure some of you webpage programmers could explain better, feel free to jump right in. Amy funds the PhinisheD site out of her own pocket and I'm forever grateful to her for starting it. Back in 1998, there was a thread about problems with the board and I volunteered for Spam-Patrol as my contribution. Because the old site allowed anyone to post, we had occasional (sometimes frequent) spam. A few of these people were persistent and Amy, on occasion, would display the poster's home e:mail address. If they didn't stop, she contacted their internet providers and they went away for a very l ng time. (evil grin!) If and when the book is ever published, part of the proceeds (if any) will go toward maintaining the board. To me, that's just another way of giving back a little bit of what I've recieved from PhinisheD. When we arrived at Spring.net, Amy and our new gracious host Terry set up this site. In addition, Tom and I are given permissions to freeze and delete topics. Unlike our old site, Spring.net requires registration which severely discourages spaming. The downside is that this may discourage posts from new people. Ah, well...I'm just glad we're up and talking again! That's probably more than anyone wants to know about the history of PhinisheD! Rochelle"}, {"response": 78, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (15:20)", "body": "So what does freezing and deleting topics mean? I guess it refers to getting rid of topics which seem to have dried out, but I'm not sure. I for one really appreciate the hard work that's gone into the Board. And considering I'll probably be around for the tenure of my thesis - 2 years - I don't mind contributing to the cost. Amy, do you need help in that department?"}, {"response": 79, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Wed, Oct 13, 1999 (16:17)", "body": "Freezing is when no more posts can be made to a topic but you can still read all of them. I've seen this used in other sites when flame wars break out over the topic subject. Deleting is just that - getting rid of that specific topic, permanently."}, {"response": 80, "author": "Shawna", "date": "Fri, Oct 15, 1999 (04:55)", "body": "I didn't realize Amy had to pay any money to keep this board running! I would also like to contribute a donation if possible! Although I'm just a regular and devoted lurker, the people who freely and openly contribute to this board have made a huge difference in my life, helping me realize I am not alone in this thesis writing process. In July, when I first found this board, I was ready to drop out of school, but with the help of this board (mainly), I've managed to get my act together and actually rec ived official word today that my proposal has been approved. I think the book is a great idea, especially if some proceeds can help maintain this type of support group. If only the book will become required reading for all incoming grad students everywhere, maybe more students will realize everyone feels lost sometimes and there is hope! I wouldn't want anyone to not contribute to the board because their comments might be published, but I would think they could write here fairly anonymously and still a d to the community. Thank you Amy for all of your hard work! --Shawna"}, {"response": 81, "author": "Barb", "date": "Fri, Oct 15, 1999 (11:14)", "body": "Hey, Shawna-- CONGRATULATIONS on the approval of the proposal! It's great to get that hurdle out of the way, isn't it? So glad you didn't give up and drop out. Best of luck to you with the next steps in the thesis process. Barb"}, {"response": 82, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Fri, Oct 15, 1999 (11:17)", "body": "Congrats on having your proposal approved! That is a major step! For me it was also an uphill struggle to get approved, and once I did the thesis just flowed out of me. (I was approved in May and am now 2/3 done). Wow! Way to go! Awesome! Be sure you wallow in those warm fuzzy feelings for a while! : ) -kharyssa-"}, {"response": 83, "author": "amy", "date": "Fri, Oct 15, 1999 (13:03)", "body": "Gee. Wouldn't you know this was the topic I can't get Yapp (conference software at Spring) to remember. Book. Taylor, I guess I have to echo the many votes of confidence in Rochelle's kindness and sensitivity, and hope you may begin to see her authorial efforts not in any exploitative way, but maybe as a translation to another medium. Any more, I think, it's almost more likely that anonymity will be blown on the net, than in paper publishing? Board . Thanks for the offer to help with costs. Rochelle and I have been talking to Tom about maybe using his server, and returning to our beloved threaded format (I miss it, too), but wanted to put a bright face on Yapp at least at first so as not to color your opinions with mine. If any of you are at all interested in virtual community and how software impacts it, there's a pretty interesting conversation about it here at Spring, from back when I brought my marooned Jane Austen site here for four months, in 1996-7. I'll see if I can locate it and post the link."}, {"response": 84, "author": "amy", "date": "Fri, Oct 15, 1999 (14:13)", "body": "Here's the old conversation about threaded vs. linear discussion software: http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/community/3"}, {"response": 85, "author": "Shawna", "date": "Sat, Oct 16, 1999 (17:38)", "body": "Thanks for reminding me to wallow! I actually met with my committee last month and knew things were headed in a positive way for me, but just got the official notice in the mail the other day. It does feel good to be on my way. I haven't started writing any chapters yet (guess I'll have to start pacting), but I do have a paper from a class I can probably use. I started a thesis binder (great idea!) and just having the proposal done helps. I hope I can be half as productive as you Kharyssa. Appreciate the encouragement. Shawna"}, {"response": 86, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (22:42)", "body": "Shawna CONGRATULATIONS! So good to be on your way! Chrissie phinished conference Main Menu"}]}, {"num": 7, "subject": "Newcomers, introduce yourselves here", "response_count": 4, "posts": [{"response": 1, "author": "Yabbo", "date": "Thu, Oct  7, 1999 (14:08)", "body": "Hi All, Just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Chris and I recently began my Doctoral degree in Ed Tech at New York University. Actually, I've known about PhinisheD for awhile now and have been waiting to join....officially. I figured I should get in early that way I can start my support group early....yeah I know I'll need it!! Thanks for the \"sanctuary\" That is all. Chris"}, {"response": 2, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Thu, Oct  7, 1999 (14:12)", "body": "Hi, Chris. Sounds like you've got a plan - that's great! I wish I'd found PhinisheD early on in the process. But I'm here now and that's all that matters. So are you in the \"taking classes\" stage or already working on the thesis? Rochelle"}, {"response": 3, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Fri, Oct  8, 1999 (11:14)", "body": "Welcome aboard Chris. Hope you find the discussions useful, and that you contribute often. No issue is too trivial! Cheers"}, {"response": 4, "author": "Yabbo", "date": "Tue, Oct 12, 1999 (11:07)", "body": "Thank you for the warm welcome. Rochelle-- Yes, I'm in the \"taking classes\" stage. Unfortunately, I've had to cut back to part-time because a week before classes started my asstanceship of 18 paid credits was cut to six. It really ticked me off because everthing had been confirmed and I was set to go! grrr.... At the moment I'm still looking for full-time employment in the New York metro area. I just dropped my one headhunter who had been stringing me along for about six weeks. So right now the biggest problem for me is funding. igh. Classes, however, are wonderful!! Sick as it seems it's so nice to be back in an academic environment where people think!! Thanks again. That is all. Chris phinished conference Main Menu"}]}, {"num": 8, "subject": "Advisor and Committee Hell", "response_count": 27, "posts": [{"response": 1, "author": "LynnC", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (19:44)", "body": "I heard from my co-chair today - she wants to meet tomorrow to go over the results section. The last time I saw her in person was *last* July! She proposed we meet over lunch. So tomorrow I'm meeting with her. Should be interesting, and I hope, informative. I'm writing the discussion now so it'll be good to hear what she has to say. I hope she has some good suggestions for reducing the number of Tables and Figures I have (44 total). I'm a little nervous about our meeting tomorrow. Sure hope she ha something good to say - I am SO sick of the results section - and I know it'll need a good rewrite (again). Just needed to vent a bit. -Lynn"}, {"response": 2, "author": "kharyssaschool", "date": "Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (22:13)", "body": "I had a meeting today with my advisor which went just swell! She was impressed with my binder, my outline, and is very confident that I'll finish the draft by the first of the year and graduate in May! Yippee!!!!! Of course, something had to then come along and burst my happy bubble. I walked two doors down and met with a committee member. I basically gave him a copy of my approved outline. He preceeded to then make all sorts of corrections to it (hello, it's already been finalized and approved by the chair just moments ago)! Then he quizzed me on my simulation (which I hadn't thought out entirely yet) and bashed around my methodology. To top it all off he didn't seem to understand why my model included three stage (history, settlement patterns, and ethnicity). This is, like, the basis of my research! Add a little icing: he was asking questions which were answered in my proposal and didn't give me the impression that he'd read it at all! Maybe he just has terrible retention, but jeez-louise! I was warned about this guy by one of his students who just defended. I'm terrified he is going to lead me into a thousand tangential directions and inflate my already huge thesis, and waste my time. Anybody else have a committee member like this? What did you do? -kharyssa-"}, {"response": 3, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (00:02)", "body": "Kharyssa, one brief and simple piece of advice: Avoid this guy like the plague! Stick with your advisor and don't meet with this other committee member at all unless you absolutely have to. And enlist the support of your advisor to help run interference with the dud if necessary--that's a big part of her job in shepherding you through the process. -Tom"}, {"response": 4, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (00:25)", "body": "Picturing this guy as a plague-ridden walking corpse really made me laugh! Bring out your dead! [Monty Python] The frustrating thing is that my chair told me to give him a copy of the outline. Guess from now on I'll take that to mean \"slip it in his box and leave the office post-haste\". ; ) -k-"}, {"response": 5, "author": "TomJ", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (00:31)", "body": "Ya know, Kharyssa, if that's the case, I would talk to your advisor and tell her what's going on with this guy, discuss your fears about the impact he may have on your progress, and solicit her advice about how to handle him. Maybe if she understands what he's doing she won't be so eager to involve him this early in the process. Just a thought... -Tom"}, {"response": 6, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (13:15)", "body": "Ya' know what the military do with DUDs don't cha? They call in the expert who either comes in digs the thing up and disarms it OR they explode it in place. Sounds like a job for ADVISOR-PERSON (ta-da!)!! Dependable as an approaching deadline, smarter than the average dead person, able to get plague-ridden corpses to cooperate, i-i-i-it's ADVISOR-PERSON!! Scene 1: Slowly, steathily, ADVISOR-PERSON"}, {"response": 7, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (13:36)", "body": "Ya' know what the military do with DUDs don't cha? They call in the expert who either comes in, digs the thing up and disarms it OR they explode it in place. Sounds like a job for ADVISOR-PERSON (ta-da!)!! Dependable as an approaching deadline, smarter than the average dead person, able to get plague-ridden corpses to cooperate, i-i-i-it's ADVISOR-PERSON!! Scene 1: Slowly, steathily, ADVISOR-PERSON stalks toward the office. A sickening stench of rotting meat curls in the air. ADVISOR-PERSON takes his trusty shovel and catches his breath. The smell is enough to make anyone retch. The plague-ridden corpse turns slowly around...Eeeeewwwwwww!!! It's horrible!! The corpse has Kharyssa pinned against the wall with it's goolish looks and horrid cackels. As demands and ultimatums are hurled in Kharyssa's direction, ADVISOR-PERSON leaps into the office bra ishing the gleaming shovel. \"Get yo measly, stinking paws off that researcher's outline,\" ADVISOR-PERSON quips. \"You should be ashamed! I, ADVISOR-PERSON, have already approved the outline so get wit da program, you stinking pile of ivory tower crap!\" Kharrysa sidles around the corpse and plops her approved outline on the rotting desk chair. \"I never noticed how much you remind me of someone I met in the Valley of Kings. At least HE was all dried out and didn't stink so much.\" ADVISOR-PERSON ushers the budding researcher out the door but stops, and brandishes the shovel toward the corpse. \"Next time, why don chu consider bein a facilitator and teacher. That's why the ivory tower exists. Help people learn and grow rather than feeding on their creativity to further your evil ways. And take a bath while you're at it. Eeeeewwwwwww!!\" End scene. Exit stage left. Stay tuned for the further adventures of...ADVISOR-PERSON!!"}, {"response": 8, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (13:50)", "body": "Rochelle, I actually snorted while reading this!!! Of course this is all the funnier since we're talking about shovel-wielding archaeologists. Thanks for the (creative) respite... -k-"}, {"response": 9, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (15:29)", "body": "It's funny how things turn out. My thesis committee met in August to discuss my proposal. One member failed to show up. The proposal was approved, and I later met with the absentee member for her comments. I then did a little more work on my proposal and submitted it to all committee members with a note outlining when I wanted feedback and how they could send it to me. Two of the four committee members provided no feedback - absentee member is one of the two. I've now submitted the proposal to the research unit I'm affiliated with at the university, more for visibility than anything else. One person in the unit suggested presenting it at our monthly reading group - guess who's in charge of the reading group? You guessed it - my committee member who failed to show up at my committee meeting. And she's desparate for something because she took over this year, didn't hustle any interest for September, and it looks like she doesn't have anything for October eithe . HA HA HA."}, {"response": 10, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Thu, Sep 30, 1999 (20:48)", "body": "Rochelle I loved the story - write more of them! :) I think it would make a good theme in the PhinisheD book! K- hang in there - or Rochelle will have to write more silly storys about you and your committee! :) Chrissie"}, {"response": 11, "author": "deb", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (09:34)", "body": "Rochelle, Laughed out lout about your post #7 above. Hang in there Kharyssa. I can see Rochelle writing some satirical academic novel. That's what I read to let off steam. Have you all read Moo by Jane Smiley? Also good David Lodge's Changing places and Small World. Keep the ivory tower in perspective. Any other great academic satires any one know of. Perhaps we could generate a list. Deb"}, {"response": 12, "author": "amy", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (11:19)", "body": "Possession by A.S. Byatt has a nice way with competition in the academy."}, {"response": 13, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Fri, Oct  1, 1999 (18:59)", "body": "Donna recommended \"The Straight Man\" to me a few days ago. I haven't read it myself but she said it made her laugh out loud. -k-"}, {"response": 14, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Mon, Oct  4, 1999 (19:40)", "body": "This was a really nice day. My adviser wants me to go ahead and write up my dissertation proposal now instead of waiting until after I take the advanced exam (one of my committee members is being a little slow about getting the questions together). He says I'm ready, and independent, he is confident in my abilities, and that I already know how to do research. Cool! He also said if I want business cards he will pay for them (I do a lot of industry work, both outreach and projects) out of his grant mone so it doesn't come out of my fellowship. I am going to bottle this day, I may need it some time in the future. and I'm going to hang my little laminated article on my wall to look at."}, {"response": 15, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (07:40)", "body": "CarolR Thanks for passing along some of the good things that happened to you - keep it coming. I was curious about the business card thing. Do other people have one?"}, {"response": 16, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (08:15)", "body": "Grad students I have met at conferences from other schools had them. When I go to a factory representing the university it would be nice to have a card to give the plant managers. If my adviser is along, he gives them his, but many times I go by myself."}, {"response": 17, "author": "RochelleW", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (09:19)", "body": "You can make your own business cards if you have a computer and nice printer. Office supply places have card stock which is heavy weight paper. With a graphics program like Powerpoint or some of the other ones, you can make business cards, print them out, and chop them up. I like multiple colors which gets expensive if a professional card company makes them but my ink jet does a great job on them. The card stock paper is slightly less thick than professional business cards but they do quite well. Mos of the people I know in gov't make their own. Now if someone else is paying for them, that's another story. :-)"}, {"response": 18, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (10:56)", "body": "Yes, I have made some for my dad. It seems to me, though, that if the school of engineering wants grad students to make contacts in industry (sometimes it's a class requirement for projects) then we ought to have official cards. I added that to my list of things I think we should get for our fees - along with a stipend for copying costs at the library (10 cents per page!)"}, {"response": 19, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (22:06)", "body": "My brother does professional screen printing - T-shirts and such, he send out the cards but they are cheap if you buy in large quanity (like 1000 of the same card!) so I have had him do some for me and I've made my own, his are nicer but not always what I need. When I do my own I can talior them to the event, espically helpful as I use both my full name (Mary Christine) and Chrissie at different events and places. Also nice to be able to add or subtract you home address (I have no office or space at scho l anymore, and no longer live in SF). If someone else is paying then it would be a great idea for all to have them, if the students end up paying more it would not be so good I think. Chrissie"}, {"response": 20, "author": "jomama", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (22:25)", "body": "I use business cards more as a point of contact than as a business venture. Due to state laws I cannot state I am a psychologist or counselor unless I am licensed. I pass them out to anyone who asks for my phone number (professionally speaking). They are useful and I can't wait until I can use PhD at the end of my name! Jo Ann"}, {"response": 21, "author": "jomama", "date": "Tue, Oct  5, 1999 (22:31)", "body": "Kharyssa: It is your advisor's job to run interference for you. My advisor did that with a committee member whose professional knowledge is currently being questioned at my school. Because of that, he is making all efforts to look more intelligent, usually at the expense of some poor student (does he feel threatened or what?). My advisor talked to him and reminded him that his job was to focus solely on the ethical part of the research, ONLY. This professor \"behaved\" himself and said little. The moral of he story, you have to motivate or encourage your advisor to protect you, and remind him or her that they are there to help you, and especially, help you get out of school. Jo Ann"}, {"response": 22, "author": "Barb", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (01:33)", "body": "Carol-- Wow! Monday WAS a nice day for you (definitely a keeper)! How nice to be recognized as a professional and a colleague by your advisor. And nice of the other person to laminate your fellowship announcement---you must be very well-respected. Nice goin'! Barb"}, {"response": 23, "author": "CarolR", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (08:45)", "body": "Thanks Barb! And don't forget the Bills beat Miami on Monday, too! An all-around good day!"}, {"response": 24, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Wed, Oct  6, 1999 (12:44)", "body": "Hey! Sorry to be late on this one... You can easily make business cards at home using MS Word... the special paper with cut-outs for the cards (which Rochelle mentioned) has its own template in Word. So you just load the paper, load the template, decide on your design and content, copy and paste to all cards, and print. Voila! Here in Denver *everybody* has business cards of some kind. Actually singles hand them out at bars (so if you get a number on a napkin you've been rejected with a wrong number)! I made a bunch because I got tired of trying to give out my email address. -k-"}, {"response": 25, "author": "kotharar", "date": "Fri, Oct  8, 1999 (11:50)", "body": "Ironically, I got an email today from a friend who wanted to know if I was interested in business cards. They are getting a deal from the university printing company (which means we'll get the uni logo on it). For the 8 of us, we'll get 250 cards each for about 35 (Canadian) dollars. I put in my order! Have a good weekend all - and Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians."}, {"response": 26, "author": "kharyssa", "date": "Sun, Oct 10, 1999 (16:46)", "body": "I can't think of any way to start this message other than -- URG! I foolishly asked Clueless Committee Member (with whom I have had several classes) to write letters of recommendation for me for my apps. I gave them out two weeks ago and explicitly stated that I needed them back by the end of October to make ealry consideration for admission. I even told him that if he couldn't make that deadline that I had another writer lined up. Well, the other two folks have already finished and sent all of their recs, and I am still waiting on CCM to supply. I asked him the other d y when he might have them for me and he explained that he was super busy with grants and probably wouldn't have them ready until the middle of November. HELLO?! I am so frustrated with this prof right now that I can barely say hello to him in the hallway without wanting to spit on his shoes. -k-"}, {"response": 27, "author": "Chrissie", "date": "Sun, Oct 10, 1999 (23:03)", "body": "K Sounds like you should ask your backup writer to do them, extra letters arriving late maynot be a problem but the needed letters arriving late will be! Good Luck! and if you can a chance give CCM a kink in the pants from me:) Chrissie phinished conference Main Menu"}]}]}