can I get an SOP for what?

Sometimes it's interesting to meet people halfway in the way one does when we talk about 'compromise'. And then again sometimes it's a little frustrating trying to explain to someone that biological system might not be all the "simple and controllable" as say... chemical components... not to mention that cells, bacterial cells and virus all are very different in the whoel "controlled growth" and "expected outcome".

But of course, I might just be a little lazy not wanting to commit to a written procedure on exactly how to measure and determine the confluency of cells (and committing to a number of cells for this specific cell line). It wouldn't be because it is really hard to determine something that specific without having any measurable things like say, a camera and a grid..... It's doable of course, but I'm seeing a lot of variances* in the future.


*variences = industry speak for 'deveations that shouldn't have happened'

I have one medal at least ;)

Sometimes I think that maybe I'm not too good at things. Then again I think I'm pretty ok with certain things. Don't worry though, I know I'm the best of the best with "you-want-a-negative-interpretation-of-that?". If ever a medal is to be awarded, don't worry - it'll be in my hands in laser speed ;) .

I'm trying to plan and think a bit about the next step in my career (aka "industry world"). And the fact is that I sent an application to a new place a while back. I'm a little apprehensive, since I think I've overshot (then that would be in line with me and my present thinking about my abilities but somehow my *überjag* thought it was appropriate and in line with what I would be good at doing) but there is no loss in applying, right? And practice makes perfect?

I wouldn't think too much about it if it wasn't for the fact that I need to do a phone call I've put off for a few days now... If nothing else, I don't want to lose more sleep due to pushing it away since I am more and more nervous about it. But I don't know what was wrong with the "other application"* so how can I make better for this next one? (oh the glorious second-thought-brain that I've been equipped with.)

It's not getting easier applying to jobs when you never ever get any feedback from the ones you applied for. It's the dreaded "black hole that sucks up your application and never to be seen or heard from again". I know; "It's nothing personal". Although, it sort of is since if you were really a candidate for the job - you would have been contacted. However, you might have been a candidate partly because HR knew your application was coming through and sifted it to the "interesting candidates to look at". Or because you were "Outstanding and Wonderful"[tm]. Yeah, well. It's true though, it might not be anything wrong with you, they just looked for a better fit... Ah, all these wonderful rationalisations that we give each other.

Good thing though, I'm quite happy in my job while looking for the "next step". Despite this, it still makes me annoyed getting a "we have decided to award the job to someone else"- email 7 months (!) after the position was closed and the "we have received your application and will contact you soon". I mean, is it really that hard to send something out a little earlier than.... 7 months? You don't think I figured it out somewhere in month three? Duh. Although, I guess this means hope for the application that has been in for more than 6 weeks and counting? hhmmm.....doubtful. My little scientist brain sometimes equivilates with the rejection/acceptance letters from editors - not always a good analogy.

I know this post is pretty sad, but bear with a post post-doc who's trying to hack it in the 'real' world - where, on a good day the work is stacked with "development reports", "final reports", "project manager planning" and the actual lab work.

Thank you for your attention. Normal venting on sports, weather, nature experiences and feministic issues will resume shortly ^^

*Quite possibly there wasn't anything wrong per se. Maybe I was just not the strongest candidate, never mind the flaws on my CV and "my greatness shining through". I would just love to know who got the blasted job so I could know where in the ranking I end up in this little game of getting the matching tiles together without having light on when you turn them over....

Summer heat

The summer heat is cranking up. 

Alas, where I am it's more humid and not dry 

heat like Texas (pictured above).

How's your summer looking?  

Bradbury is dead, long live the books

I had some ideas about posting a little more regulary but then I got side tracked... andthen today I read in the paper that Ray Bradbury is dead. If you haven't read him, go read. There are lots of books to choose from, some are great some are good and some might even be mediocre.... but most of them are very good (imho). There are some novellas that always keep me happy when I pick them up.

Of course, he might be most famous for "Farenheit 451", "Dandelion Wine" and "the Martian Chronocles". An interview from a few years back can be found here. For the inerested, the Dark Carnival is painting he did in 1948 and then in 2009 it was made the cover of a collection of a number of novellas.

As a side note, I'm currently wondering if I might have gotten migrane.... I've never had it but yesterday I lost my vision, it became blurry with white and black specks all over one eye, moving to both. After resting and not doing anything for several hours the splitting head ache started... I managed to go to bed and sleep, woke up with head ache but it felt managable. Until I sneezed and then though - for real - that my head was going to split open and/or fall off. Very weird. I wonder if it is prolonged stress and some other issues that collaborate to make migrane appear? Or, I'm just making a hen out of a feather? Little nervous since the vision thing made me weary...ah well, at least I can see well enough now to type... always something ^^