tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193480412012-01-18T06:50:33.765-08:00and who doesn’t love the lilies of the black ponds floating like flocks of tiny swans, and of course,the flaming trumpet vine where the hummingbird comes like a small green angel -Mary OliverBreena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.comBlogger3171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-54587028702483007922008-10-25T14:04:00.000-07:002008-10-25T14:08:49.409-07:00

Hey folks! I finally did it, I decided to move this blog here. There are some features that I really miss when I'm not using WordPress and I was tired of my current blogger template. Please update your bookmarks and let me know what you think about the new digs!

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-41312668784459798432008-10-25T09:46:00.001-07:002008-10-25T09:46:05.263-07:00

Does anyone else out there ever get tired of talking about gender? I'm experiencing feminist fatigue, it's sort of like chronic fatigue, only caused by having to explain basic concepts of how to treat women like people to someone over and over again.Right now I have an especially bad case because our roommate, lets call him Viking Boy, is strangely obsessed with gender, as if women were some sort

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-28659576657990325362008-10-15T23:58:00.000-07:002008-10-16T00:00:43.302-07:00

Your result for The Classic Dames Test...Katharine HepburnYou scored 14% grit, 33% wit, 62% flair, and 7% class!Anyone else want to take the quiz?

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-15145473733713494902008-10-12T16:21:00.001-07:002008-10-12T16:21:20.954-07:00

Here's my basic question - Under what conditions would you (as a grad student) consider applying for welfare programs like low income housing or foodstamps?Here's my situation. One of the main reasons that I decided to switch programs and go to Crunchy U. is that they offer the option to buy health insurance for your spouse and dependents. Ever since last summer when we were living in an attic

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-41560756189448482712008-09-29T22:00:00.000-07:002008-09-29T22:22:37.500-07:00

Had a not very satisfying orientation/assessment meeting with the departmental chair last week in which she told me that I needed to take a bunch of classes because I don't have the proper "breadth" classes in my field. This despite my master's degree. Apparently, if the courses don't have the correct three letter prefix, despite their content, they are of no use.Luckily after that I met with my

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-62141945798051524182008-09-25T21:29:00.000-07:002008-09-25T22:16:20.672-07:00

I am very grumpy after my "entry evaluation" with the faculty graduate adviser of my new program. Despite having something more than 72 credits of courses through my program at BA U, it looks like I will have to retake many classes. The problem is that most of my classes at BA U, weren't officially listed in "head studies". That's because there was no department of "head studies" so now they want

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-8617071108998229062008-09-20T17:45:00.000-07:002008-09-21T12:55:39.998-07:00

For the longest time, I used Bloglines to manage my RSS feeds. I'm not sure why I chose Bloglines, maybe Trillwing recommended it. I think I read some positive reviews.Back in those olden days (2006) I started out manually adding other blogs to my blogroll. Then I discovered BlogRolling. BlogRolling makes it super easy to add blogs to your list and for a while I was happy. But soon, I discovered

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-17405504306769625682008-09-20T17:27:00.000-07:002008-09-20T17:44:55.909-07:00

In case anyone was wondering, I am still alive. I haven't felt much like posting since I spent most of the last six months doing web design for the office I work for on campus. This summer was my break from academia and with it a break from my reflections on the academic life. I have been considering the future of this blog, as I'm now a wordpress expert and not sure I want to stay with blogger.

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-131265383878764162008-07-23T11:50:00.001-07:002008-07-23T11:50:12.305-07:00

If you haven't seen the TED talks, watch this now. It's Chris Abani, an African writer talking about his experiences in Nigerian prison and growing up with his British mother in Africa. Only watch out if you have mascara on. I love it when men are feminists.

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-87414456407052516572008-07-21T19:41:00.001-07:002008-07-21T19:41:41.005-07:00

This summer I'm staying in a rather nice townhouse or row-house type of place with some roommates. Beorn is away learning his new trade so I'm staying with roommates. Our kitties have been staying inside, but there is a lovely courtyard type backyard. The problem? The princess likes to climb. The courtyard has a sort of trellis or pergola over it, made out of wood. The cat can climb straight up

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-79938560810887008242008-07-18T12:49:00.001-07:002008-07-18T12:49:58.278-07:00

Just paid $4 for a "season pass" to Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along, Joss Whedon's latest project. What a bargain! FYI, I also paid $5 to This American Life, as I listen to their podcast all the time.I can't wait till I can just pay for the media I like rather than paying $60 a month for a bazillion cable channels I don't watch. If I have to pay $60 I would rather it all went to support quality

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-32744881299176403392008-07-18T12:43:00.001-07:002008-07-18T12:43:37.993-07:00

If you have never heard of TED, you are missing out. Start here, with Nellie McKay singing "Feminists." For some reason it won't let me embed the video.In other news Breena and Beorn had a great time at the beach. It's been years since I went body surfing. I love the ocean.

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-58406568604852711912008-07-03T08:28:00.001-07:002008-07-03T08:28:55.166-07:00

Since I graduated (yay!) I have been filling my life up with getting ready for our move in the fall and avoiding any academically oriented work. Since this blog is often about my struggles with academia, I have been avoiding posting here. But that's just silly! Kitties and I are all settled in to our summer gigs. We are sharing a largish townhouse with two roommates, who are also somewhat crunchy

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-51571222928635623572008-06-21T08:51:00.000-07:002008-06-21T09:12:33.558-07:00

It seems that Scribefire may be having some issues with Firefox 3 as my last couple of posts arrived at the blog somewhat incomplete. Hopefully it was just a glitch.In summary:Mockingbirds singing at 12:30 AM = annoyingThe Guild = funny(The mockingbird photo is from jessicafm's photostream on flickr, used under creative commons license. Thanks Jessica!)

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-54752800572922704002008-06-19T23:15:00.001-07:002008-06-19T23:15:12.886-07:00

Since turning in my thesis and moving, I have had a chance to relax a little and catch up on some of my other interests. The kitties and I are settling in with the roommates and dog at "yoga house." I have been running into many old friends from college and high school on facebook. I'm looking forward to watching movies and reading novels all summer. Yoga House now has high-speed internet so I

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-65222658960513814252008-06-07T23:30:00.001-07:002008-06-07T23:30:17.853-07:00

I'm sure that this-Men who hate women on the Web | Salon- is old news to most of you, but I just wanted to point out that misogyny directed at female writers on the web isn't what we should be focusing on. These incidents are just the tip of the f*cking iceberg when it comes to hatred of and violence against women in this country. True, these guys on the web feel free to say whatever crap comes

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-39813255334164159892008-06-07T08:28:00.001-07:002008-06-07T08:28:50.764-07:00

Of what? I'm not sure, but my thesis is signed and submitted! Yay! I don't think it has quite sunk in yet. Now Beorn just has to finish his finals and we will both be graduated and ready to move on. Beorn will be out of town for most of the summer at "field school." I will be sharing a house with some other women and their pets. It will be an adventure. In September Beorn and I will head off to

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-35388504528134886902008-05-27T09:00:00.001-07:002008-05-27T09:00:12.855-07:00

This whole thesis process is driving me insane. To clarify, my program doesn't require a "defense," my committee just has to sign the damn thing. After my adviser having read and reviewed it, in sections, I gave the full draft to the two other committee members. Requesting that they give me feedback within two weeks. I would have liked to get the three of them together in a way, it would have

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-28232148268653499862008-05-20T14:04:00.001-07:002008-05-20T14:04:43.152-07:00

I made it through a meeting with one member of my thesis committee this morning. Now this may not have been the best strategy, but in order to get through the process in a timely fashion, I left my thesis somewhat incomplete. I knew that there were issues I wasn't addressing, but rather than try to address all of the inconsistencies and incomplete points, I decided to see what my committee

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-71533089277221186032008-05-18T12:57:00.001-07:002008-05-18T12:57:24.896-07:00

Sleep deprivation is not a badge of honor - (37signals)"Forgoing sleep is like borrowing from a loan shark. Sure you get that extra hours right now to cover for your overly-optimistic estimation, but at what price? The shark will be back and if you can’t pay, he’ll break your creativity, morale, and good-mannered nature as virtue twigs."David writes about this in relation to work in the private

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-20125585572252811942008-05-09T21:32:00.001-07:002008-05-09T21:32:35.498-07:00

blogging Hello blog readers! I'm testing out a software program called Contribute, that works with Dreamweaver. Contribute is suppose to allow WYSWIG editing of web pages and blogs. We will see if it has any benefits. Ironically, the Contribute spellchecker doesn't recognize the word "blog."

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-30906989828593402432008-05-07T21:52:00.001-07:002008-05-07T21:52:04.273-07:00

Have I told you how much I love ScribeFire? The more I use it, the better I like it. For example, you can right click on whatever page you are browsing and then click "blog this" and the ScribeFire window will open with the link in it. You can choose which blog you want to post to, without having to log out and log in to another account. Also, if you browse to another page and want to link to it,

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-18004366539665304222008-05-07T21:33:00.001-07:002008-05-08T19:20:17.584-07:00

This piece, "Two Families Grapple with Sons' Gender Preferences : NPR", on NPR pushed gender issues into the front of my brain again this week. Listening to the radio this afternoon I was struck by the parent's stories. How difficult it must be for them to find that their child, at two or three, cannot accept the gender role assigned to him/her. Knowing that your child might face a lifetime of

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-6432958496969173702008-05-07T20:07:00.000-07:002008-05-07T20:23:26.156-07:00

Finally had a meeting with my adviser today. I was horribly nervous because I had written the entire thing, submitting sections of it to her as I went, but had had no feedback about it. No feedback is fine, if you are in agreement about the general plan, but there was no agreement about the plan. Adviser is very nice, but not terribly consistent.She gave lots of comments, but they were all

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-51367676516520070182008-05-01T21:56:00.000-07:002008-05-01T23:00:06.536-07:00

My decision to attend Visitation U. coincided with my trip to Big Conference, so I forgot to tell y'all. I would have liked to go to Great White North U. Did you know that Canadian TA's only work 10 hours a week? Union rules, ya'know. 10 hours a week and short semesters, I would recommend it to other grad students.If it wasn't for Beorn I would have jumped on the chance. Beorn will have to find

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-81281140165772656602008-05-01T18:47:00.000-07:002008-05-01T18:54:41.366-07:00

Workers of the World Unite!Jump the Beltane Fires!Make Love Not War!Etc! Etc!Saturday we are going to the beach to celebrate May Day. I can't wait.

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-49840239915889617272008-04-30T22:10:00.000-07:002008-04-30T23:11:36.271-07:00

A while back Wil asked how I was liking Foucault's Pendulum. The truth is I started and then couldn't concentrate on it. I had too much grading and work and worrying to do. My father got it for me for Christmas. On the 23rd of December he called me to ask what I wanted for Christmas. I referred to my Amazon wishlist. I don't actually order from Amazon, but it's an easy way to keep a list of books

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-3739338635785078712008-04-30T21:43:00.000-07:002008-04-30T21:53:01.483-07:00

Just Me and I had our first blogger meetup at Big Conference. We could have used a better venue, but I really enjoyed our talk. I think I talked too much, but hopefully she will forgive me. We didn't take any pictures. It turns out we know people in common. Weird. It made me feel much better to meet with someone so friendly and strangely familiar. Big Conference was starting to wearing on me. I'm

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-76502456155454808052008-04-28T22:27:00.000-07:002008-04-28T22:34:23.998-07:00

My recent trip to Big Conference gave me a lot to think about in terms of how academics present themselves. Apparently Girl Scholar has been having similar thoughts.The Adventures of Notorious Ph.D., Girl Scholar: Keeping up appearances"Really, though, my question is: when did academia become a glamour profession? It seems to me that there was a time when professors were expected to be a bit

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-44839387561233131452008-04-26T19:35:00.001-07:002008-04-30T21:42:12.766-07:00

Check out this post from YoungFemaleScientist: Insidious, hard to quantify, Gender Discrimination. (It's long.)I don't know why we keep expecting men to get it. Seriously, it's rare for a white man in a position of power, even those who are supposedly enlightened to get their privilege. It does happen, for example, my current boss is an awesome mentor to graduate students of all genders, races,

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-762043391827841732008-04-05T22:05:00.000-07:002008-04-05T22:41:20.299-07:00

Some grad student friends and I (my work buddies) were having lunch this week and began discussing the expense of going to the major conferences in our fields. Now, each of us is in very somewhat different fields, but their conclusion was that going to the major conference in your field each year wasn't that important. Last year I attended the large conference in my field for the first time and a

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-56830921553411701672008-04-05T21:30:00.000-07:002008-04-05T21:49:32.026-07:00

I talked on the phone the other night with my potential adviser at Great White North. I really like her. I wish it wasn't so intimidating for Beorn and I to move out of the country because I have a feeling that she would be a great adviser. JustMe makes a good point about the risk of going out of the country in terms of funding. GWN has offered me good funding for the entire degree, more years

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-46897130553280284462008-04-05T21:03:00.000-07:002008-04-05T21:29:37.980-07:00

Here's what I have accomplished so far today-1. I wrote up some more of the "results" section of my thesis. The thesis seems to be looking up. Earlier in the week I felt I didn't have anything interesting to say and my committee was going to be bored to death, now I have found a least a few interesting insights. Yay!2. I spent a ton of time investigating WordPress. I'm starting to get the hang

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-44245351205842833042008-04-02T07:58:00.000-07:002008-04-02T08:44:12.201-07:00

That's the answer to whatever question you are about to ask me. No, my thesis still isn't finished. No, my work computer isn't fixed yet. No, I haven't decided where to go to finish my PhD.The department at Visitation U. is smallish, but seems strong both academically and socially. I like that. The gossip, which I can't say much about, has to do with the personalities and advising styles of

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-43028592493827455212008-03-18T22:44:00.000-07:002008-03-18T22:59:20.098-07:00

I don't know how people find time to blog everyday. I frequently find myself with a major backlog of things I would like to blog about. If I don't catch up on my posts within a week I usually let them drop since timeliness seems of the essence in blogging.Upcoming posts...1. Tips for professors on how to work with TAs. (If you treat your TAs nice, word will get around, people will want to work

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-75986002034270206192008-03-18T22:11:00.000-07:002008-03-18T22:43:27.791-07:00

On the grad school application front, I have now heard back from two universities besides Visitation U. "Great White North U." has made me a very nice offer, which would most likely involve Beorn and I applying for permanent resident status. Their program is excellent, but I'm not sure it's realistic for us to move to such an expensive city and try to emmigrate and all.On the other hand, one of

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-73725638004073900842008-03-18T18:55:00.000-07:002008-03-18T19:19:49.386-07:00

Almost any term, there is a day, a moment maybe, in which I lose the will to go on working. I think the moment has arrived. Beorn's birth-daughter has been visiting all weekend, Saturday was a friend's 50th birthday party, and the grading load has been ridiculous. Last Thursday I gave a mini-lecture in the class I'm TAing and then Friday a presentation to faculty on how I use technology in the

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-76956565620045743382008-03-08T20:20:00.000-08:002008-03-08T21:55:24.642-08:00

Damn, I'm tired. I was so nervous/excited the entire trip that I could hardly sleep. I hate not being able to sleep. Also, I grit my teeth. Usually just a little, but now my jaw hurts.I'm never sure how to disguise my identity or the identities of those I blog about. It's one of the most frustrating things about blogging. I'm not good at office/departmental politics and so I want to blog about

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-35054884214830580862008-03-04T21:22:00.000-08:002008-03-04T21:59:37.768-08:00

I have finally caught the illness that has been going around. When I'm sick I just want to sleep and tend to get depressed. As a recovering workaholic, not being able to work is difficult. Getting behind in numerous types of work is frustrating. My thesis is progressing, but far from complete. I'm treading water at my "research assistant" job. And I haven't managed to finish grading the latest

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-23006383287533964612008-02-24T10:15:00.000-08:002008-02-24T12:37:57.738-08:00

The process of transitioning from a master's program to a PhD program has been a bumpy one for me. Officially, I'm listed as a PhD student here at B.A.U. despite the fact that my master's thesis is not complete. At this point I have completed more than enough credits to be done with classes and preparing for my qualifying exams. My thesis has been lagging for a number of reasons. (I'm trying to

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-70923910671606764812008-02-23T13:06:00.000-08:002008-02-23T13:15:44.322-08:00

Bad news first: I'm spending my weekend grading exams. These are essays, so each one takes a while.Good news:1. I found out this week that at least one of the PhD programs I applied to wants me. They said I was "on top of their list", or something like that. They offered me three years of guaranteed teaching fellowships, which I think is the best they have to offer.2. Pineapple guava jam is good.

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-36348414197748091362008-02-20T20:38:00.000-08:002008-02-20T21:01:40.391-08:00

Big Orange Kitty is doing better now. His tail has survived the ordeal. I'm very glad we got him to the vet when we did. He's such a beautiful cat and his whiskers and tail are his best features. I would hate for him to lose either one. He is amazingly good natured about getting treated and taking his medicine. I can give him a pill without much trouble and he mostly didn't mind as looking at his

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-56823534281510902092008-02-12T22:09:00.000-08:002008-02-12T22:18:23.333-08:00

Last week I applied for my very first external fellowship. I know, I should have been applying for them from the start, but damn, that was a lot of work. I don't know how people do it. They could have asked for a C.V. but instead I had to put everything in one field at a time. It was exhausting and took up a bunch of time I could have used for something else, but I'm proud that I got it done. I

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-51967486773862617952008-02-12T21:53:00.000-08:002008-02-12T22:06:49.907-08:00

Beorn and I stayed with Grandma with weekend so my father could have a weekend away with his wife. This meant we weren't at home much all weekend and the cats were stuck inside. When we got home, exhausted from sleeping on someone else's bed and being woken by strange dogs at 5 AM, we discovered that Big Orange Cat was acting strange. He had been feeling down for a week or so but we had assumed

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-79736746211176557732008-02-12T21:27:00.000-08:002008-02-12T21:42:12.398-08:00

Beorn has been playing Lord of the Rings Online again. A while back we quit WOW and got into LOR, and then we had serious real life issues and gave up gaming for a while. I'm still way too busy to really game, but tonight I'm taking a break.Getting use to gaming after a break is frustrating. If I haven't gamed in a while I get disoriented and can't keep up with other players. Usually everyone is

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-38709125955703222252008-01-31T19:32:00.000-08:002008-01-31T23:55:14.220-08:00

Look, K8 tagged me!1. Name one book that changed your life.The Culture of Make Believe, Derrick Jensen2. Name one book you have read more than once.The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis(I read all those books over and over again as a kid.)3. One book you would want on a desert island.Flintknapping: Making and Understanding Stone Tools4. Two books that made you laugh.Callahan's

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-50318476979037884312008-01-26T18:21:00.000-08:002008-01-26T18:57:47.272-08:00

so here are some photos of my trip to NY last summer....

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-12394663075758541052008-01-23T21:05:00.000-08:002008-01-23T21:55:42.239-08:00

Last year I saw three movies with the same antagonist, the "uptight" upper middle class white mom. Seeing them in temporal proximity brought the theme to the forefront of my mind and for some reason, I started ranting about it to my friend today. The movies are American Beauty, Spanglish, and Radiant City (a "documentary.") Each of these movies focuses around a particular family and in each, the

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-12627272742935560482008-01-16T23:18:00.000-08:002008-01-16T23:32:45.113-08:00

I have been working day and night and sleeping little, so there isn't much fun to report. Since Jan 1. I have worked out seven times! Woohoo! And I have been taking vitamins! Yay! My big excitement this week has been the successful creation of Elderberry Jello. A few years back I bought this book on how to make your own herbal concoctions. It contains all sorts of recipes, but the most fun is

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-89380836913579543752008-01-16T21:46:00.000-08:002008-01-16T23:09:36.266-08:00

Today I had a meeting with Potential Adviser. This person makes me overly excited and nervous because strangely enough, after three years of graduate school, this person is the first to truly engage with my research ideas. His questions and expectations that I actually engage with theoretical questions in my field scare me. (In fact, I ran into him over winter break at the grocery store and my

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-45554774531471214162008-01-07T22:20:00.000-08:002008-01-07T22:43:20.392-08:00

I didn't realize how long it had been since my last post here until I logged in again today. Beorn and I have been in internet purgatory and so doing anything online has been interminably slow. (For a full explaination check out Beorn's Den.) Since our internet was essentially dead, I spent my winter break applying to PhD programs and playing Civ 4. I really wish I had never installed RescueTime,

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-40254205280487148312007-12-17T20:31:00.000-08:002007-12-17T21:51:15.208-08:00

Dinner tonight: ChapagettiWatching: OK Go - A Million WaysObviously I'm way behind in my You Tube watching. Is this kind of "reality" video appealing because these days it's so much of what we watch is over-produced? Is this an appeal to "reality" and/or "authenticity"? Would this video have been appealing 20 or 40 years ago? Is there a name for this phenomenon/style? Baudrillard anyone?

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-76926911569802598992007-12-15T12:02:00.000-08:002007-12-15T15:36:44.109-08:00

The PrincessBOK (aka Big Orange Kitty)Here are some bonus photos from last spring at our old house...(There are little girls under those big umbrellas.)

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-60605765413232952772007-12-15T11:37:00.000-08:002007-12-15T12:02:00.091-08:00

Lately I have been considering this blog. Sometimes I think my tone is too negative and I spend too much time complaining about grad school. Of course, this psychologist, supports me in my enjoyment of whining. I love her.Despite her recommendations, I have decided that the problem with this blog is that I don't let enough aspects of my personality out. I'm completely ADD in terms of my

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-809321955588880112007-12-11T17:45:00.000-08:002007-12-11T18:32:48.805-08:00

My neck has been hurting since Saturday. You know, like I slept wrong. It hurts to tilt my head to one side.I have been feeling nauseous and achey, also since Saturday, especially in the morning. No, I'm not pregnant and I don't have a fever, so I don't know what that is about.I finally got my haircut today, which I haven't done since August. I'm letting it grow out, but I still need bangs to

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-15178420998178296132007-12-06T22:38:00.000-08:002007-12-07T00:27:17.363-08:00

I started writing a comment in response to Articulatedad, but then decided it was getting too long and deserved its own post.1. I completely agree that it's no good to be swayed by other people's research interests, that has been my big mistake in graduate school so far. When I couldn't get my adviser to give me any help or feedback I took it as a sign that there was something wrong with my

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-8886200630044026552007-12-06T21:24:00.000-08:002007-12-06T22:35:06.866-08:00

Ok, I just noticed that JustMe tagged me for the 7 things meme and I missed it! Here I was thinking no one tagged me. Thanks JustMe.I also want to thank Anastasia for blogging so openly about life and her job search. It really helps to hear I'm not the only person facing difficult dilemmas.Thanks to Academic Cog for being so funny. I just discovered her blog and it makes me smile.Inside the

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-5698924785135437202007-12-06T19:48:00.000-08:002007-12-06T20:11:47.583-08:00

Each fall, as the days grow shorter I'm surprised. I always forget that my milaise and lethargy are caused in great part by the season. My perfectly reasonable desire to veg-out in my cozy house during the dark time of the year directly conflicts with (post)modern American commercialized/capitalist (or whatever you want to call it) ideas about how to celebrate the season.In recent years I have

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-42247967053320497212007-12-05T23:42:00.000-08:002007-12-06T00:06:58.923-08:00

It's the final week of classes here. Beorn is in the middle of a massive paper writing marathon. This afternoon he sent me to the thrift store to by an air popcorn popper. The thrift store is super cute. The lady who owns it has all the Christmas decoration out in front as well as some antiques. The back room is filled with dishes and appliances.When I got my new popcorn popper home I thought I

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-42563278358328165182007-12-05T16:57:00.000-08:002007-12-05T23:25:43.902-08:00

No one specifically tagged me, but everyone else is doing it. Lots of people have been too lazy to actually tag anyone, so I'm taking it as an invitation. Academic Cog posted the rules, which helps.1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.2. Share 7 random and/or weird things about yourself.3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-24630901756077823162007-12-05T14:53:00.000-08:002007-12-05T15:11:41.704-08:00

Beorn and I have given up watching broadcast (or cable) TV. We pay far too much for internet now, as we had to get satellite internet at my grandmother's house and are locked into an 18 month contract. Luckily, many interesting programs are available on the internet. I watch the videos at home, but apparently it's common for people to watch them at work, because CBS's video player has a "BOSS

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-4186594619654201062007-12-01T21:13:00.000-08:002007-12-01T22:05:42.080-08:00

so what am I doing? Anything but what I should be doing. I feel really conflicted now, because officially I have already been accepted into the Phd program here and suddenly, they have hired new professors, who work in exactly the subfield I'm interested in. Strangely, three new professors in my discipline were hired in the last year, two in 'hairdressing' department. One of these, lets call him

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-43071998501364944062007-11-21T17:31:00.000-08:002007-11-21T22:02:40.762-08:00

I love Shannon Hayes recent post, "Homespun Mom Comes Unraveled." Shannon's story was featured recently in the New York Times. Reading these articles got me thinking about the discussion I witnessed last weekend at a screening of The Business of Being Born. Moms are so hard on themselves and each other.The Business of Being Born is the brainchild of Ricki Lake. Apparently Lake wasn't satisfied

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-77784886423110247612007-11-21T13:13:00.000-08:002007-11-21T13:30:50.130-08:00

Beorn and I went out to lunch at an Afgani buffet. As we walked back into our little cottage we discussed the fact that we are expecting a call from my father. After all the drama over the summer with my family Beorn and I agreed not to spend the holidays we them. My father never tells me the family plans until a day before the event. We already made plans to have Thanksgiving with another couple

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-32667831094751706892007-11-20T20:07:00.000-08:002007-11-20T21:19:38.461-08:00

Last winter, almost a year ago, I briefly discussed my discipline, let's call it "hairdressing." What I didn't realize then is that I was up for a rather large ass-kicking related to my involvement in the discipline and the direction of my academic career. Although I didn't know it at the time, April 2006 signaled the beginning of the end of my career in hairdressing.Sometime in April 2006 I

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-5724148723132478712007-11-20T17:40:00.000-08:002007-11-20T19:59:20.604-08:00

Beorn and I have been watching lots of Sci-Fi since we no longer have cable. Giving up on broadcast TV (including cable) is a relief. I know lots of people enjoy their TiVo, but that's one area in which I don't feel the need to be surveilled. Now I'm watching the occasional new episode online and mainly relying on our extensive video collection. Recently we re-watched the entire FireFly series

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-76339007576647479972007-11-17T02:39:00.000-08:002007-11-17T02:44:28.444-08:00

Cash Advance LoansI feel good about this. Long ago, when I worked at a small science center, my boss gave me a hard time because I was writing at too advanced a level for elementary school teachers. I guess I was assuming that elementary school teachers would want to be reading stuff at a high school level. My boss learn in grad school that all written materials aimed at the public should be

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-80899365767676738262007-11-14T22:45:00.000-08:002007-11-14T23:33:57.380-08:00

Lately I have been grumpy. Still, there are many things to be thankful for:1. Both Beorn and I are healthy enough to work. We aren't disabled or chronically ill.2. As students we have decent health insurance. That's more than we often had while we were both working full time.3. We have a working car.4. We have a safe and secure place to live, with heat, electricity, and running water.5. There is

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-18461796467851536572007-11-14T21:06:00.000-08:002007-11-14T22:29:29.828-08:00

I really, really, really want to write about the politics at Big Ag U and my feelings around of betrayal and frustration around academia in general. I'm not sure I can do this without revealing more about myself and the U. than would be wise. One thing I'm trying to learn as a grad student is how to practice restraint, but I haven't quite got the hang of it yet.Since starting at Big Ag U I have

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-37442229700686893912007-10-25T18:11:00.000-07:002007-10-25T18:34:45.097-07:00

I'm still not back in the swing of things. My blogging is still terribly irregular. Beorn is strangely interested in attending some sort of Halloween party. Too bad we don't have time to get together costumes or figure out where to go that we won't stand out as super old and square. I want him to dress as Hagrid, because he's perfect for it. One year I made him a Wizard of Oz themed costume,

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-46343773647539815732007-10-25T16:51:00.000-07:002007-10-25T18:07:41.691-07:00

Look, I was tagged! Only my brain is mushy these days, so we'll see if I'm doing it right...First, the rules:There are a set of questions below that are all of the form, "The best [subgenre] [medium] in [genre] is...".Copy the questions, and before answering them, you may modify them in a limited way, carrying out no more than two of these operations:* You can leave them exactly as is.* You can

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-87453423692840216792007-10-16T21:17:00.000-07:002007-10-16T21:38:15.384-07:00

Ok, so my previous blog post was interrupted by a knock on the door. Ignacio, who is apprently a neighbor, came to offer a gallon of milk for the cats. Earlier we let the cats out for the first time at the new place and BOC (Big Orange Cat) immediately disappeared. He is very skittish when it comes to new places, so we were concerned. Beorn started cursing himself and the cat alternately since he

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-24985841536493772242007-10-16T20:32:00.000-07:002007-10-16T21:10:28.890-07:00

Everyone survived the move. We now have our very own tiny house. I'm starting to feel more normal, although the last week and a half has not been without drama.Did you know that the average square footage of American homes has been creeping upwards for many years? In 1950 our little 600 sq ft cottage would have been above average in terms of sq ft per person. Now it seems embarrassingly tiny,

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-42260522898816560842007-09-26T20:58:00.000-07:002007-09-26T21:28:53.723-07:00

So the place we are suppose to move into isn't ready. The folks who run this place are very informal, so they just said "plan on this weekend." Well the guy who is vacating the place hasn't moved out. I seriously doubt he will be able to move and they will be able to clean by this weekend. Classes start tomorrow at the Big Ag. U.In other news I desperately need my thesis to be completed so that I

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-67671766313202441572007-09-11T23:44:00.000-07:002007-09-11T23:58:51.094-07:00

1. We got a call back from an apartment today just as I picked Beorn up from campus, so we went to see it. It will be ready in a week and a half. It's fairly inexpensive, reasonable deposit, no cat deposit, and they seem eager to get someone moved in. It's also in Ag Town, which means that we wouldn't have to drive to campus. Might be too good to be true, but I'm crossing my fingers. As we drove

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-39843078737712883752007-09-10T18:13:00.000-07:002007-09-10T22:35:16.995-07:00

I know that Yoda says "there is no try," but I think trying and imagining a different state of mind comes before attaining that state. Tonight I'm imagining a mental place in which I wouldn't be focused on how messed up my family is and pitying myself for being born into this dysfunctional mess. Instead I would be grateful for all of my supportive friends, my health, my wonderful partner, and

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-994050224942242592007-09-06T20:08:00.000-07:002007-09-06T22:05:43.632-07:00

Today I had lunch with a friend I hadn't seen in a while, who was in my entering cohort. She seemed eager for me to move out of my grandma's house when I explained the situation. While I do agree with her, she seemed a little confused as to why I was moving. It's not that Beorn and I can't help out with my grandmother, it's just that my uncle threatening physical violence makes the situation

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-14892351640541802452007-09-05T21:48:00.000-07:002007-09-05T21:57:11.296-07:00

Thanks again for all the great advice. Beorn and I have agreed that we will probably have to move since my uncle is scary. We can't risk the puppies "disappearing" since it would provoke him. None of his brothers (including my father) are willing (or able) to stand up to him. My father, as executor is responsible for her wellbeing, so he will have to figure out another way to make sure she is

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-51671882211575494992007-09-03T22:02:00.000-07:002007-09-03T22:35:26.095-07:00

Today the puppies arrived along with my uncle, his wife and daughter, and my other uncle. When we explained that no one had asked us if we were willing to care for puppies, my uncle started yelling and threatening to call the police. I told him it was fine with me if he wanted to call the cops, but we weren't going to be taking care of puppies. My second uncle stepped in and tried to say it

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-26436877000280001762007-08-22T11:33:00.000-07:002007-08-22T11:37:10.608-07:00

Saw this at Dr. Brazen Hussy's...?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??MorpheusTake this quiz!Quizilla |Join| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-72076308630150294042007-08-22T10:58:00.000-07:002007-08-22T11:17:52.178-07:00

So this morning I was trying to work from home, to do some analysis for my thesis. I woke up super groggy and couldn't seem to snap out of it. I suspect this has to do with air quality. Between the fires, the smog, and the agriculture outdoor air quality around here isn't too great. Additionally I'm living in an attic with carpeting that is about as old as I am and a bathroom full of mold damage.

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-51684680272477314062007-08-09T18:40:00.000-07:002007-08-09T18:44:40.566-07:00

As you can see I'm still not back into regular blogging. Thanks for all your kind words. I'm hoping things will feel more settled soon. For the weekend, I'm off to a conference in the Big Apple. (Does anyone say that any more?) Suggestions for places to eat or things to see are welcome.

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-36979450799310175452007-07-30T19:57:00.000-07:002007-07-30T21:59:23.023-07:00

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-26982867130161574292007-07-25T22:25:00.000-07:002007-07-25T22:37:21.834-07:00

My blog suddenly went silent.Things got away from me and my normal routine has still not fully returned. So here are a few important details from the last month or so.1. My grandfather died.2. This caused great turmoil in my family.3. The same week we were scheduled to move out of our apartment.4. Then we stayed at my father's house for a while because my grandmother's attic was still filthy and

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-59498220541846573212007-06-13T22:57:00.000-07:002007-06-14T00:13:47.798-07:00

I attended Antioch College from 1991-96 and despite what a number of people have said about Antioch shooting itself in the foot, I learned many important lessons during my time there. The education I got at Antioch was so different from that I see the undergrads here at Big Ag U that it's difficult to cover everything.In many ways my Antioch education wasn't that different than any liberal arts

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-19746551682068534132007-06-13T20:53:00.000-07:002007-06-13T21:31:00.787-07:00

I'm writing a paper to do with posthumanism and the question of the moral standing of non-human animals. Today I ran into an undergrad I know who asked me what I was doing. Then I did a very poor job of trying to explain what the class was about. (I didn't even try to explain what my paper was about.) He said something like, "I always have trouble explaining classes I really like." Thanks. I

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-55168300268527082602007-06-12T22:47:00.000-07:002007-06-12T23:24:03.577-07:00

Beorn and I have been having a little bit of a difficult time. We have our ups and downs, both of us being in school at the same time is very challenging financially. Beorn tends to retreat into the computer and online gaming. Last weekend, after some complaining on my part he made an effort to spend time with me and have a "date night." We went to sushi and then rented movies. Sunday night we

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-919445648986193142007-06-12T22:15:00.000-07:002007-06-12T22:36:51.281-07:00

So my father has proposed that Beorn and I move in to my grandparent's house for a while to help care for my grandmother. This will most likely be the source of much drama. My grandparents already have a caregiver living with them during the week, but my dad and my uncles are supposed to be caring for them on the weekends. This doesn't work very well because my grandmother forgets to take her

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-45702773824214160852007-06-07T21:42:00.000-07:002007-06-07T21:44:30.613-07:00

Apparently this is my week to let out my inner geek.As seen on the Paper Chase:You scored as Ranger, The forest are home to fierce and cunning creatures, such as the bloodthirsty Owl bears and malicious Displacer Beasts. But more cunning and powerful than these monsters is the ranger, a skilled hunter and stalker. He knows the woods as if they were his home(as indeed they are), and he knows his

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-62460747978096107972007-06-06T22:47:00.000-07:002007-06-06T23:35:05.387-07:00

Lately we have been watching The Vicar of Dibley, a hilarious comedy about a female vicar in small town in England, starring Dawn French. I love Dawn French. (You might remember her as the Fat Lady in Harry Potter.) She's funny, smart, and beautiful. I also love the fact that her weight doesn't seem to be an issue in the show.Someday I want to have a face off between the Vicar and Father Ted.

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-26781048598370014142007-06-05T21:06:00.001-07:002007-06-05T21:24:04.941-07:00

Tonight I'm watching The Colours of Infinity and reminiscing about old boyfriends. In the early 90's, I was just starting college. My first college boyfriend was a physics major. He was a senior and had keys for almost anyplace on campus. Why? I'm not sure, but he had a way with the campus staff. This gave me a feeling that he was strong and competent. The fractal sets playing on his computer

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-80173739211725478262007-06-05T19:22:00.000-07:002007-06-05T19:44:20.957-07:00

My grandpa made it through his hip replacement surgery! Yay! He's not out of the woods yet, but I'm hopeful. He already had a knee replacement, but now he has another mechanical part.Grandpa has nothing on Michael Chorost. Chorost has a cochlear implant, which allows him to hear, but produces some interesting side effects such has a magnetic spot on his head and periodic software updates. A

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-31311531845552893052007-06-03T23:00:00.000-07:002007-06-03T23:11:09.454-07:00

I had a interesting time at my conference. Nothing terrible happened during my presentation. Unfortunately, on Friday my grandfather fell down and broke his hip. He's in the hospital, in need of surgery. For years he's been on blood thinners to make sure he didn't have a heart attack or stroke. Now they have to take him off the blood thinners to do the surgery, but that means that there will be

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-70339200612717632772007-06-01T18:14:00.000-07:002007-06-01T18:43:09.980-07:00

A friend (who shall here remain nameless) pointed out to me that there is no such thing as a "tenement farmer," apparently the proper term is "tenant farmer." I googled this, not because I didn't believe her, but because I could swear that I heard it from other people. At least 34 other people have made the same mistake, so I'm not the only one.I was trying to say that before Central Park was

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-35862796303427490432007-05-31T22:20:00.000-07:002007-05-31T22:48:42.835-07:00

Queen of West Procrastination posted in response to conversation at One Bright Star's. It's all about PhD students who say they "just want to teach" or "don't want a research job." I used to say these things, but more and more I think I do really want to do research. Mostly though I worry about not being able to find a research position or having to give up too many other things in order to do

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-91888073927718287892007-05-29T18:00:00.000-07:002007-05-29T18:18:26.951-07:00

I understand that professors need to limit the amount of time they make themselves available to students, so that they can get other work done. On the other hand, as a grad student I have things I need to talk to people about and I feel guilty standing in line with the undergrads during office hours.I know that this is the undergrads' only opportunity to get attention from their professors, so I

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-30949022865373240292007-05-25T17:48:00.000-07:002007-05-25T17:55:11.537-07:00

Lately my blog has been a downer, but there are two things to look forward to here:1. I think I have figured out how the whole full post vs. summary thing works, so that now when you click on the text that says "full post" it actually takes you to the full post and if there is no "full post" it doesn't show up. Make sense?2. Cats are so great.Isn't our couch ugly? We got it for free from

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-75451289076955134442007-05-25T17:45:00.000-07:002007-05-25T17:48:29.555-07:00

Taking ExamsSo helpful!

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-42812638668495380222007-05-24T22:18:00.000-07:002007-05-24T23:17:05.414-07:00

What do you do when you have a very basic disagreement with your PI about the research project that she is paying you to work on? Normally I would just do the project in whatever way she was requesting and then get a new job ASAP. Unfortunately, what she wants me to do is analyze the data and come to conclusions, but I don't think we have enough data to come to any conclusions. I'm suppose to be

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19348041.post-57903073753784128942007-05-22T21:36:00.000-07:002007-05-22T22:00:32.862-07:00

I'm trying the expandable post thing again. I hope it works. If you want the hear more about my recent adventures in getting my thesis written and approved click below...Here are the things I have done this week to move myself towards graduation: First, I wrote a very clear email to my advisor explaining the help I need from her before I can proceed with my analysis. Namely, I'm hoping to analyze

Breena Ronanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02566521893585459242noreply@blogger.com0