tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88765598328117454372024-03-05T23:12:00.198-08:00Wicked Witch of the Western BlotThat's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-17939618268307867472020-05-13T16:43:00.002-07:002020-05-13T17:08:34.024-07:00Look what I foundAnd old blog of mine.<br />
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Is writing about this meta? I guess it doesn't matter.<br />
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Be prepared for this to just be a bunch of discombobulated thoughts or should I say candid cerebrations (that joke probably would land better if you new that was the title of my old blog but you probably don't and also even if you did this joke would still suck but I've never shied away from a bad joke before and I am not going to start now).<br />
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Anyway, it might be shocking to hear but this isn't my first blog. I have tried blogging a few times before. I think my first blog might have been LiveJournal in high school or if not then early college.<br />
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(So why am I so bad at blogging? Shut up!)<br />
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Blogging to me has always been kind of like journaling, which I have done my entire life, but you also (supposedly) have an audience which gives you the ability to write more, to share, to interact.<br />
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So should I get to the point already and share my old blog?<br />
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I will but first let me give it some context. The blog I found is from when I first moved from Minnesota to New York City and before I went to graduate school. My posts are shorter in general, more photos, there is more creative writing (oh how I miss that), posts on dating and some on running. I guess that's enough context...<br />
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Here it is if you want to check it out: <a href="https://candidcerebrations.wordpress.com/">https://candidcerebrations.wordpress.com/</a><br />
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If not, your loss. Not really. But I do appreciate all who do take the time to read through it.<br />
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It was really fun to scroll through and remember and reflect. Nostalgia is one of those things you don't even know you need until you experience it and it's just such a pure, wholesome feeling.<br />
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Now I am kind of kicking myself for destroying many of my old journals. But maybe I shouldn't because I think they were mostly just me bitching. I remember I wrote a post once about why I usually get rid of them but I think that is in one of the lost blogs. And I don't really remember the reasons. Something like they were overly negative and hauling them around moving is a pain in the ass? I guess it's not that important if I don't remember.<br />
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Anyway...<br />
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Some of my favorite posts in my blast from the past are from November 2014 but they don't have titles... Like why? Did I think that was cool or artsy or something? One is a poem I wrote that I really love and had totally forgotten about although I'm sure I have it saved someone, one is an image with a motivational saying on it - really you can take it or leave it, and the other is a post about how this dude overstayed his welcome in my bed and I can really remember that. Well not really him but how annoyed I felt that he was still there.<br />
To get to November 2014: <a href="https://candidcerebrations.wordpress.com/2014/11/">https://candidcerebrations.wordpress.com/2014/11/</a><br />
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So why the name Candid Cerebrations? Because that was exactly what I wanted the blog to encompass. And I think it did. Also (and mostly) because it's a play on my initials CC.<br />
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And I think that is what I want to also try to encompass here on this blog too. But with longer posts because some of those could have and should have just been tweets.<br />
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Can I repost some of the posts from there to here? Like I know I can but like is that okay?<br />
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Also I really should probably figure out how to log into it and update it to send people here and not that broken url to a domain I no longer have. I'm a bit sad to realize I completely lost what was on my own domain because I never backed it up. Oh past me with such little regard for saving stuff. Oh well...<br />
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Hmmm, I wonder if I have any other old blogs lying around...<br />
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P.S. If you do check out my old blog, please let me know which posts you liked or did not like.That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-79252663840090037282020-05-12T19:27:00.000-07:002020-05-12T19:53:28.673-07:00Feeling like myself againI am finally feeling like myself again. And it feels good.<br />
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What was wrong? Everything yet nothing.<br />
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Why do I say that?<br />
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Because I have anxiety.<br />
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And yes, I have seen a therapist about it. For the most part, my anxiety is fairly well controlled. No, I do not take medications but I do some cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) techniques. And I am learning to see anxiety as a tool rather than a detriment.<br />
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Seriously though. My anxiety is definitely responsible for driving me through and into academia. And for that I feel gratitude. But I appreciate it better when it's controlled.<br />
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So for me, my anxiety is largely made up of rumination which means I get stuck on one thought for a long time. Days. Weeks. Months. Some times this can be good like when I'm stuck on troubleshooting an experiment.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Credit: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/positivelypresent" target="_blank">@PositivelyPresent</a></td></tr>
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The issue, when it becomes anxiety, is when it's on a bad thought that I don't need to get stuck on like a shitty situation in a relationship (this is my kryptonite). But really interpersonal relationships especially romantic ones are what stress me out the most. I'm kind of embarrassed to so publicly admit that so moving on...<br />
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Getting back to how my anxiety can be seen as good. Well it has trained me ruminate on one thought for long periods and think about something from all angles. Like ALL angles. Which one could definitely see as being great for a grad student or academic in general. But I'm definitely still in training at times for controlling what the thought in focus is. I'm not sure if I'll ever have full control of that but I plan to work on it until I die. But I have learned though that running is good way for me to stick on to a thought and troubleshoot. Running is also a really good way for me to de-stress when those bad ruminating thoughts are floating around. Also another positive of having anxiety is that it gives me a lot of empathy for others which I think is desperately needed in academia.<br />
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So what do I mean when I say my my anxiety is well controlled. Well it means I have gotten pretty good at showing those bad, intrusive thoughts the door. How do I do that? Well with a CBT technique called reframing or cognitive restructuring. Basically what that means is I challenge the thought by taking a hard look at that thought and my past negative thought behaviors. Like instead of thinking I am the worst graduate student ever because I'm not being productive and see how it is probably incorrect and I correct it. Maybe I am over generalizing. I am probably over generalizing. Especially if I'm thinking something like I'm never going to be good at this or I'm always a failure. I might instead think something more reasonable and healthy like even the best researchers need a break so it's okay that I took today off from being productive, I did a good job yesterday and I will do a good job tomorrow. Or like oh my gosh how am I ever going to get this project in by the deadline, I'm definitely just going to fail and embarrass myself to something like it is okay to feel stressed out about this project but I shouldn't feel anxious, I don't need to worry about failing as my track record gives more than enough evidence that I won't, let me break this down into smaller chunks to finish in time. By the way, breaking up a big task into smaller tasks is actually another CBT technique called successive approximation. But I often forget that because I feel like it's such a common practice that no one really thinks of it as a therapy tool. Which is why it should also serve as an illustration that stigmatization of therapy is really just ridiculous and that everyone can benefit from therapy whether they have a mental illness or not.<br />
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And I hate to say this publicly but I was really on stuck on the thought that I had to out of my apartment because I could no longer live with my SO. Like I thought about it so much that I thought it was what I needed to do. The reality is that yes, I need to get out of my apartment but no, I do not need to leave my partner. But the issue was, it wasn't until I realized I was grieving the idea of moving out and breaking up that I realized it was because that wasn't the right choice. That it was a bad thought. Don't get me wrong, my relationship has its ups and downs and my partner has some bad habits that I don't like (as do I) but none of them are deal breakers.<br />
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So getting back to why I was so anxious because usually my anxiety doesn't really have much to do with the thought (like I said they are usually about my romantic interests); I am always on edge at the start and end of semesters. Although I can definitely say that this semester bookend anxiety definitely was not as big of deal in undergrad (mostly just trouble falling asleep and bad dreams) but that's because the pressures of what needed to be accomplished each semester was so much less, I really only ever had to show up for class and take exams. Now I have to do novel work. Woof, typing that even made me a bit anxious. Also then there is this whole pandemic thing if you haven't noticed *laughs uncomfortably* just heightening anxiety everywhere.<br />
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Anyway, so I know that school starting and ending is a trigger (one of a handful) for my anxiety. Identifying triggers and ways to manage it are crucial to keeping my anxiety well controlled. And by well controlled I don't mean gone or cured. I mean manageable. Some of my other triggers are not going outside or moving body enough . Which is why I often take outdoor walks and enjoy running. But that week had terrible weather and I really can't get enough movement in my tiny apartment. So really it was a culmination of everything.<br />
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I'm the type that when my anxiety gets bad I like to just withdraw. I don't want to get out of bed. I don't want to see people. I don't want to think. I just want to sleep. So that's what I did for a few days. Because why not? I had the time (thanks pandemic?) and the weather was still garbage. So I decided to be kind to myself and let myself take the time I needed but knowing that I could not stay like that forever. And I would not let myself stay like that for too long. I could only temporarily wallow, then I needed to bounce back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSMjlV9wMQnRsqypxLPU9AeBiYXHBw8nxQzCmtH3RmMfgUdFaSOAA46UNc4f5Lc7TqNjBLPbnJmS5lZ6PZFzLxDIFEp1EdreIRBh60VUN0WkvPLpxYMAvl6HK5BOXnoAP-HCAGt9sAlgP/s1600/tabsinheadclose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1109" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSMjlV9wMQnRsqypxLPU9AeBiYXHBw8nxQzCmtH3RmMfgUdFaSOAA46UNc4f5Lc7TqNjBLPbnJmS5lZ6PZFzLxDIFEp1EdreIRBh60VUN0WkvPLpxYMAvl6HK5BOXnoAP-HCAGt9sAlgP/s640/tabsinheadclose.jpg" width="622" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Credit: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/hellosunshine" target="_blank">@HelloSunshine</a></td></tr>
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My bouncing back strategies involve easy, feel good productivity activities like cleaning (although not lately since I feel all I do is wash dishes), being outside (done, thank you sun for coming out!), an easy run (check!), reading a good book (yes x 3). If it were "normal" time I probably would have needed to spend less time wallowing because of work commitments in which case I'd maybe of only taken the weekend or a sick day if it were midweek. But since I didn't have to, I just let it run its course with a little less forced of an ending. And if it were "normal" time, I probably would have also gone for a solo coffee date at a cafe because I have found this really forces me to get back on track. 1. Because I love going to the cafe. Like I'm not sure I can do this and not enjoy it. 2. Because it requires me to get out of bed which is usually half the battle. 3. Because it also requires me to go into public which means likely showering but if anything at least getting dressed which really does make me feel better.<br />
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The only thing I f*cked up with my wallowing session was the accountability challenge I publicly set with daily blog posts for the month of May. But whatever, I'm the boss in this case so I can change the rules. So don't worry, I will make up for it! With quantity of posts anyway, you'll still have 31 posts this month to suffer through, quality is debatable as always.<br />
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<i>Addendum: Some might question that if my ruminations are about my relationships then the anxiety is probably caused by them because them and if anxiety is caused by them then they probably aren't good relationships. Like while I totally get that logic. And there are probably definitely times that has been true in my life, I have also noticed over many years and with therapy that they usually aren't the cause of my anxiety but rather an expression or projection of my anxiety. I feel like they are something I can control or change so I cling on to them. Like I think that if we just went on more dates I would be happier and less stressed about school, etc. And while I do think my current partner and I could and should go on more dates (and I've asked more than once), more dates definitely isn't a panacea. I don't particularly like that this is how my anxiety manifests (damn that was the word I was looking for before when I said expression or projection), it makes relationships more difficult, but it is what it is and I am working on it which is all I can do. And it has gotten better over the years. And it will continue to get better every year.</i>That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-9037196305220142262020-05-12T08:44:00.001-07:002020-05-12T08:44:58.678-07:00Mitochondria on TwitterI wanted to post this yesterday but had some struggles (re: <a href="https://wickedwitchofthewb.blogspot.com/2020/05/not-real-post.html" target="_blank">Not a Real Post</a>) because I thought it was a really nice Twitter thread on mitochondria. Also it went well with my <a href="https://wickedwitchofthewb.blogspot.com/2020/05/-mothers-day-2020.html" target="_blank">Mother's Day post</a> from the day before. Twitter and meme culture love the mitochondria and for that (and other reasons but mostly that) I love Twitter and meme culture.<br />
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Anyway, please note that this Twitter thread was not created by me but <a href="https://twitter.com/nakedcapsid" target="_blank">@NakedCapsid</a>. I'm just sharing it because I thought it was nicely done and encompasses how cool my beloved mitochondria are.<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay" class="wakeletEmbed" height="760px" src="https://embed.wakelet.com/wakes/o10gbvCLXy7mKTJF4gYEg/list" style="border: none;" width="100%"></iframe><!-- Please only call https://embed-assets.wakelet.com/wakelet-embed.js once per page --><script charset="UTF-8" src="https://embed-assets.wakelet.com/wakelet-embed.js"></script>
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Oh and if you're curious why I was struggling yesterday, it was because I couldn't figure out how to revert back to classic Blogger and was in some very weird viewing format where I could not figure out how to input html for the life of me. Or maybe I couldn't figure it out because I had drank an entire bottle of wine. That was probably the real issue. I mean really, the revert back to classic Blogger was pretty obvious in the bottom left-hand corner of my screen today. Oh and if you must know what kind of wine it was, it is Beringer White Zinfadel. Is it my favorite? No, but it is cheap and it obviously goes down well. That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-37148543828297467182020-05-11T19:24:00.002-07:002020-05-12T08:45:07.026-07:00Not a real postI had a post in mind but I can't post it without being able to figure out how to input html. And I can't figure out how to enter html because the format of Blogger changed. So can anyone tell me how to change it back? Or at least input html?<br />
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Anyway, not a real post. But I'm counting it. Because I tried. </div>
That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-41989048910942289652020-05-10T09:05:00.000-07:002020-05-12T08:45:16.373-07:00Happy Mother's Day & Cheers to Maternal Inheritance of the Mitochondria<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Happy Mother's Day! </span></b></div>
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<b>Don't forget to thank her for all she has done for you including giving you your mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).</b></div>
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Let's talk about maternal inheritance of mtDNA (<span style="text-align: center;">This post is slight adaptation from my original post which can be found </span><a href="https://wickedwitchofthewb.blogspot.com/2019/05/thank-you-mom-for-my-mitochondrial-dna.html" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">here</a>).</div>
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For most organisms (living things), including plants, animals, and fungi, mtDNA is inherited from a single parent (<b>uniparental inheritance</b>). In animals that reproduce sexually (make offspring/babies by... well I think you get it) the mtDNA is normally* inherited from the mother (<b>maternal inheritance</b>). </div>
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*Like in most science, there are almost always exceptions. And in this case, there are examples of certain species having paternally inherited mitochondria such as Plymouth Rock chickens [1] or organisms that get "leakage" and have mtDNA from both mom and dad such as fruit flies [2], honeybees [3] cicadas [4], mice [5], sheep [6] and even humans [7, 8].</i> </div>
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<b>Back to human mtDNA, why does Mom's mtDNA beat out Dad's?</b> There are two main ideas on how this happens; the <b>dilution model</b> and the <b>active elimination model</b> [9]. In the case of <b>dilution</b>, a human egg has ~200,000 mtDNA molecules whereas sperm has maybe 5 and I'm sure you can do that math (this model also allows for "paternal leakage" or some mtDNA from the dad to get through as seen in the above *exceptions). Also most mitochondria in the sperm are in the tail (mitochondria like to hang out where they are needed to make energy and the tail needs a lot since it is the motor for the sperm to swim) and the tail is often lost during fertilization. And lastly, there is evidence that mitochondria in mammalian sperm are destroyed by the egg after fertilization, <b>active elimination</b> [10].</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">[9] Carelli V. (2015).</td></tr>
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<b>Why does mtDNA usually only come from one parent?</b> To be honest, we don't really know but there are plenty of theories out there and scientists are working on it (Possible future post? I don't know. Maybe. Tell me in the comments if you want me to write about this).<br />
<b><br /></b><b>Why care where mtDNA comes from? </b>Well, for genealogy (study of the family tree), it let's us trace back maternal lineage. We can do that for the paternal lineage using Y chromosome DNA. Also mtDNA is highly conserved with relatively slow mutation rates (doesn't change much generation to generation) so that also let's us study our evolutionary relationships to other species.</div>
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While on the topic of maternal inheritance of mtDNA, I should mention m<b>itochondrial replacement therapy (MRT)</b>. MRT is an in vitro fertilization (IVF) technique where the mitochondria from a donor egg is moved to the mother's egg and results in a baby with mtDNA from a donor female and nuclear DNA from the mother's egg and father/donor's sperm - this procedure is used when a woman with genetically defective mitochondria wants to have a baby with healthy mitochondria but have the baby be genetically similar to her (she could also use a donor egg). Wait, so is this the <b>three parent baby</b> I hear about in the news? Yes. And you can read more about it <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/health-37485263" target="_blank">here</a>. Some people think it's controversial but I personally find it no more controversial than egg or sperm donation. mtDNA contributes such minimal DNA (37 genes, when there is an estimated 20,000 genes in the nucleus) to have a major impact on the child's identity (this is what most of the controversy centers on) other than allowing them to be healthy.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">References</span></b></div>
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[1] Alexander M et al. (2015). Mitogenomic analysis of a 50-generation chicken pedigree reveals a rapid rate of mitochondrial evolution and evidence for paternal mtDNA inheritance. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0561">https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0561</a></span></div>
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[2] Wolff JN et al. (2012). Paternal transmission of mitochondrial DNA as an integral part of mitochondrial inheritance in metapopulations of Drosophila simulans. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.2012.60">https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.2012.60</a></span></div>
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[3] Meusel MS, Moritz RFA. (1993). Transfer of paternal mitochondrial DNA during fertilization of honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) eggs. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00351719">https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00351719</a> </span></div>
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[4] Fontaine KM et al. (2007). Evidence for Paternal Leakage in Hybrid Periodical Cicadas (Hemiptera: Magicicada spp.). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0000892">https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0000892</a></span></div>
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[5] Gyllensten U et al. (1991). Paternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA in mice. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/352255a0">https://doi.org/10.1038/352255a0</a></span></div>
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[6] Zhao et al. (2004). Further evidence for paternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA in the sheep (Ovis aries) <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.hdy.6800516">https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.hdy.6800516</a></span></div>
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[7] Schwartz M, Vissing J. (2002). Paternal Inheritance of Mitochondrial DNA. <a href="https://doi.org/0.1056/NEJMoa020350">https://doi.org/0.1056/NEJMoa020350</a></span></div>
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[8] Luo S et al. (2018). Biparental Inheritance of Mitochondrial DNA in Humans. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1810946115">https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1810946115</a> </span></div>
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[9] Carelli V. (2015). Keeping in Shape the Dogma of Mitochondrial DNA Maternal Inheritance. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1005179">https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1005179</a></span></div>
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[10] Sutovsky P et al. (1999). Ubiquitin tag for sperm mitochondria. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/46466">https://doi.org/10.1038/46466</a></span></div>
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If you liked learning about mitochondria, you might also like the following posts:</div>
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<a href="https://wickedwitchofthewb.blogspot.com/2019/03/mitochondria-powerhouse-of-cell.html" target="_blank">Mitochondria: The Powerhouse of the Cell</a> & <a href="https://wickedwitchofthewb.blogspot.com/2019/04/wait-what-do-you-do-i-study-rna.html" target="_blank">Wait, what do you do? I study RNA processing in the mitochondria</a></div>
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That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-14356982434448165942020-05-04T11:30:00.000-07:002020-05-12T08:45:26.078-07:00[Attempt to] WFH Day 48Last week went by in a blur. And not in a good way blur. More in a I've lost sense of time and meaning way blur. Is anyone else feeling that way? I had been doing fine most of this pandemic so why now? I hope it's just a blip.<br />
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I think it started okay because I remember on Day 42 aka Tuesday, April 28th I went for a midweek hike with M which was really nice to do. Started my week off strong but then I guess it fell apart. My sleep has been messed up. I've just been very tired and sleeping late which throws my productivity out the window but I'm also just not feeling like fighting it. What's the point?<br />
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Day 44 aka Thursday, April 30th I had a student meeting which was mostly unhelpful but my program director said he doesn't think we'll be back on the 15th which put me a bit at ease. It's not that I don't want to go back to lab. I really do. I just want to be mentally prepared for it and by that I mean given sufficient notice on when and how exactly it's going to happen. But I have a feeling that is too much to ask for. Who knows when we'll return or how. Will it be staggered? Most of my experiments at this time involve long days and consecutive days, will that even be possible right away? Just so much unknown.<br />
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Saturday Day 46 I went on my regular couple hour hike with M. We even ran 5k. It was a gorgeous 70F day. I tried recapitulating it Sunday Day 47 with Dom but he's a chore as always. I convinced him to go to a local preserve by his parents since he had to pick something up but it was too crowded which I kind of figured it would be but he told me I didn't know what I was talking about. We walked for like 10 minutes and left which was fine, it really was too crowed. But instead of trying somewhere else or taking me up on the idea of a walk around the neighborhood or hanging out in our parking lot (an idea he previously seemed keen on) he decided to just cancel it. It was a bummer because I took off all weekend to enjoy the weather and Sunday was just a let down but the worst part was I didn't expect it to be anything but. I knew I should have made alternative plans to take myself out on my own hike but I made the mistake again of giving him a chance.<br />
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Not feeling great today so I'm taking it easy. But hoping to have a better week this week by getting up at an earlier time and getting back on a schedule. My final project for my one class is due Friday at 5pm so I need to GSD (get shit done). Also it's a sunnier week so hopefully that will help with the mood.That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-47438449999141726792020-05-03T18:52:00.001-07:002020-05-12T08:45:44.722-07:00Mental HealthSince I'm not feeling so hot mentally today I feel like I should share a great resource for mental health during your PhD, <span style="text-align: -webkit-center;">Dr Zoë Ayres. I was lucky enough to meet her at #COVIDCafe although I followed her on Twitter before and she's great! She recently launched her website </span><a href="https://www.zjayres.com/">https://www.zjayres.com/</a> <span style="text-align: -webkit-center;">to showcase all of the brilliant work she's shared on Twitter. Check her out!</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-center;">Also I love this latest project of hers, click on the tweet to see the whole thread. Or go to her website to see it in entirety: </span><a href="https://www.zjayres.com/100voices">https://www.zjayres.com/100voices</a> And if you have a Twitter, make sure you follow her!<br />
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Launching <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/100voices?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#100voices</a>. 100 researchers, 100 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mentalhealth?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mentalhealth</a> journeys over 100 days. Let's get the conversation started around mental health, exploring what peers, friends and ourselves so often experience. <br />
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You are not alone. 🤝</div>
— Dr Zoë Ayres (@ZJAyres) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZJAyres/status/1247054626781827072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2020</a><br />
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That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-54826395772145774002020-05-02T08:50:00.000-07:002020-05-02T08:50:35.439-07:00My May ChallengeAs seen on Twitter, I've decided to write a blog post every day this month. That's 31 posts.<br />
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I'm setting a goal to write a blog post everyday this month. I'm tweeting for accountability. Here is my first post recapping what I read or rather listened to in April (thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/meetlibby?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@meetlibby</a>) <a href="https://t.co/BOrZuxDYlN">https://t.co/BOrZuxDYlN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/blogging?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#blogging</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whattoread?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#whattoread</a></div>
— Caitlyn Cardetti (@CaitlynCardetti) <a href="https://twitter.com/CaitlynCardetti/status/1256389603826769920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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31 whole posts! Well I guess 29 now counting yestersday's "<a href="https://wickedwitchofthewb.blogspot.com/2020/05/bookshelf-april-2020.html" target="_blank">What I Read in April</a>" and this one for today. But still 29 is plenty. What am I going to write about? I have no idea. But that is the point - I want to challenge myself.<br />
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I'm hoping that this challenge accomplishes a handful of things: a habit of blogging more frequently, trying out posts that I wouldn't deem "my style" which is silly since I'm definitely still working on finding "my style" for this blog, and hopefully blogging a bit more personally and by that I mean opening up and being more vulnerable.<br />
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I want to open up about my relationships - romantic, friendships, family and my mental health - which actually has been quite good lately. I think I have been holding back because what if they don't like what I write about them? What if my PI sees my blog and finds it a waste of my time aka time that could have been spent on my dissertation. I don't have the guise of anonymity on this blog. But even if I did would that make me feel any more secure writing about these topics? I am not sure. I guess to an extent yes because I do write about all of this in my private journal. But I don't need to care about how my writing affects other people's feelings there or what people would think of me. I don't know if anonymity would truly counteract those feelings. Anyway, I will try to be more vulnerable here. So why do I want to be more vulnerable? Anais Nin can best tell you why:</center>
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<i>"If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don't write, because our culture has no use for it."</i> - Anais Nin</center>
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I don't want to be just another blog discussing the surface of grad school - better productivity tips, how to pick your advisor, blah who cares. All that is out there somewhere and probably done better than I would. I want to get into the nitty gritty of me and my life because that is not out there. And that cannot be written by anyone but me.</center>
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And lastly, I'd like to get better at the practice of writing in general. It's a skill I desperately need to complete my PhD and for my dream career in academia and also one that I'm definitely not great at ...yet. But I'm trying and I know with practice it will get better. I will get better. Like running I'm assuming it is more mental than anything else and if I can do that for running (although I haven't been much lately) I can do that for writing. What helped me run my first marathon was to train with a group so I'm adopting that for my writing which is why I joined a dissertation writing bootcamp at my uni - for accountability and camaraderie. My first session was yesterday and damn was it challenging! But helpful! While I failed to remain focus the entire four hours of writing (the bootcamp runs 1-5pm Fridays for 5 weeks), I did get some words down so I'll call that a success. And I learned what I need to do to prepare for next time, revisit the literature aka read more.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comic courtesy of <a href="http://phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1759" target="_blank">PhDComics</a></td></tr>
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<b>Are there any topics you'd like me to address during this challenge? Let me know in the comments below.</b>That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-44878081499664886462020-05-01T17:39:00.000-07:002020-05-01T17:39:09.670-07:00What I Read in April<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">Wow I only got through two books this past month. I guess I shouldn't be surprised as I haven't spent as much time doing activities where I listen to audio books this last month - solo walks, runs and commuting (mostly this one). Another reason to start running more. Also both books were fairly long and I'm currently reading two physical books (stay tuned to hear about them next month). Although I've misplaced one which is ridiculous when my apartment is the size of a shoebox and it's not like I have been going anywhere. Seriously, where is it? Because I've really been enjoying it and would like to get back to it!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">Anyway, the two books I read or rather listened to are <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44318414-the-dutch-house" target="_blank">The Dutch House by Ann Patchett</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34912895-the-great-alone" target="_blank">The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah</a>. A shift from the thriller genre I was reading and a turn into family dynamics. I would rank them both as solid fours.</span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">My rating system:</b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">5 - Loved it and recommend it!</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">4 - Liked it and recommend it!</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">3 - It's not my cup of tea but that's not saying I didn't not enjoy it or not to read it.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">2 - Pass!</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">1 - I'm surprised I didn't put the book down. Actually I probably would put the book down so you probably won't see this rating on my blog.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">The Dutch House was a character driven story of a family over the years and the cyclical nature of them. The story was a bit flat (no climax) but always kept me engaged. A slow but solid read.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">The Great Alone was also driven by dysfunctional family dynamics but more adventurous, had a bit coming of age going on and really made me want to visit Alaska. </span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts? Do you have any book recommendations for me? Comment below.</b>That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-65761311489096974672020-04-26T17:02:00.002-07:002020-04-26T17:10:26.147-07:00[Attempt to] WFH Day 40<b>Day 28 Tuesday, April 14th</b><br />
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Dom and I went for a grocery store run. We initially tried going to BJ's (like a Costco or Sam's Club) but the line to get in wrapped around the building so we just went to the normal grocery store. It wasn't bad at all. A lot more stuff in stock (i.e. meat) than the last time we went about 3 weeks ago. Almost everyone had masks on. People were friendly while still maintaining distance. When we got home I still sanitized everything, while likely not necessary I felt it was easiest to be safe than sorry. I feel like this will be the new normal for awhile.</div>
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<b>Day 29 Wednesday, April 15th</b><br />
Attended my 10th #COVIDCafe. They really have been nice. If you're interested sign up here to get updates: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/covidcafe-mail">tinyurl.com/covidcafe-mail</a></div>
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<b>Day 30 Thursday, April 16th</b></div>
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GWiSE Zoom Coffee Hour 11am-12pm but then I stayed on Zoom another two hours with two of my close friends, G and N who I'd normally see and chat with frequently during "normal" times. It was really nice.<br />
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<b>Day 31 Friday, April 17th</b></div>
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Hosted a Zoom Pomodoro Writing Group open to my department. Although group is a stretch as it was just me and G but it helped me make progress. For those who don't know what Pomodoro is, it's just a timer strategy so we spent 25 minutes writing and then a 5 minute break, repeat 4 times.<br />
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Later that night I joined G again and some other friends for a Zoom game night. We used Skribbl.io and then a friend shared her screen so we could play Jackbox games. It was a lot of fun.</div>
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<b>Day 32 Saturday, April 18th</b></div>
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I did laundry at the laundromat downstairs. Three loads and as much as I want to claim I've been putting laundry off because of the pandemic, that's just my normal strategy. I was a little anxious how this would go down but I was the only one there beside the lady who works there so it was fine. I just made sure to do my folding upstairs on my bed instead of down there on the folding counter.<br />
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Another Zoom/Jackbox game night not as fun because there were only 4 of us but Dom joined which was nice. </div>
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<b>Day 33 Sunday, April 19th</b></div>
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M and I went for a nice hike again. We initially canceled the one last weekend because we were concerned about respecting the call for proper social distancing and the fines. But we ultimately decided the risk was low but the need for our mental health was high so that we should do it. </div>
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I picked up Chinese take out on my way home because my favorite place <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/best-kitchen-west-islip" target="_blank">Best Kitchen in West Islip</a> was reopened. And crab rangoon is my comfort food. It was delicious and we ate the leftovers for days.<br />
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Crab rangoon is trending because it's the comfort food of my generation & what time more than now do we need comfort food. Unfortunately, my fave spot is closed (kudos to them). So when y'all ask what's the first thing you gonna do after this? STUFF MY FACE WITH CRAB RANGOON <a href="https://t.co/xkpkau1DmT">pic.twitter.com/xkpkau1DmT</a></div>
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<b>Day 34 Monday, April 20th</b></div>
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I submitted a draft for my final project for my one course.<br />
I went to join #COVIDCafe but backed out because I was just feeling really overwhelmed and not mentally up for it.</div>
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<b>Day 35 Tuesday, April 21st</b></div>
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Ran for the first time since this all started. A very (very!) slow 5k through the neighborhoods. The weather was perfect so I shouldn't complain, brisk 50s with a light breeze.<br />
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I then attended the <a href="https://www.nyas.org/events/2020/mitochondria-in-complex-diseases/" target="_blank">New York Academy of Sciences Mitochondria in Complex Diseases Symposium</a>. I will be honest, I was underwhelmed. A lot of presenters didn't show new data which is the best part about conferences/symposiums - if I want to learn about your published work I will just read the publication. I could not make it through all of them. Zoom burnout is real. </div>
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<b>Day 37 Thursday, April 23rd</b></div>
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I attended a talk by Dan Tyrell on the role of mitochondria in vascular (and cerebrovascular) aging and disease. It was brief but really interesting. The Lamming Lab is putting on a series of aging talks and I definitely plan to attend more. Check out the schedule here: <a href="http://www.lamminglab.org/agingscitalks.html">http://www.lamminglab.org/agingscitalks.html</a> I also really like their format with asking questions on Slack.<br />
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I also virtually attended IDPSIG which was also very enjoyable.<br />
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Excited for Thursday!🥳Final schedule below⬇️Come join us and our speakers for an update on the latest science in the protein disorder and phase separation fields. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IDPSIG20?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IDPSIG20</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/YSPTSPS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YSPTSPS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/megcoh_bio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@megcoh_bio</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WeiruiMa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WeiruiMa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EmSontagMU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EmSontagMU</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ChanYulYoo1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChanYulYoo1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/seresanu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@seresanu</a> <a href="https://t.co/LfMXrefm3L">pic.twitter.com/LfMXrefm3L</a></div>
— IDPSIG (@idpsig) <a href="https://twitter.com/idpsig/status/1252445590065049601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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I am glad I really enjoyed these virtual talks/symposiums because Tuesday really let me disappointed. Also in between I went out for a 2nd 5k. I really hope I keep up this momentum next week.</div>
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<b>Day 38 Friday, April 24th</b><br />
Hosted another Zoom Pomodoro Writing Group - only N attended this time but whatever. My priority with this session is not to worry about attendance but about getting some of my writing done.<br />
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Attended my 11th #COVIDCafe and accidentally missed the Aging Talk I wanted to see but don't worry I watched the talk later because they recorded it (they are available for 48 hours after the talk).<br />
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For some reason, I was up until 3:30am doing work on my computer. Hey if the inspiration strikes you go with it. I also wrote my professor a cheesy email thanking him for how the class he waived the prereqs for has been really helping me through this time - but don't worry I waited until I proofread it in daylight hours before sending off. But seriously, the regularity of this class gives me some sense of a schedule and the work and learning gives me purpose.<br />
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<b>Day 39 Saturday, April 25th</b><br />
Woke up way too early for such a late bed time.<br />
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Met up with M again for a nice long hike - definitely needed.<br />
And when I got home I took a really nice nap with the sun shining in on me while in bed - those naps are the best.<br />
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Tried to Zoom chat with my family but no one really had much to say. My sister moved home with all her pets - she just graduated vet school and will live at home until she starts work and maybe a bit after that to have a few paychecks to put a down payment on a house (who is she?!) My parents are going to a housewarming BBQ with friends today - not thrilled by that but I know there is nothing I can stay that will stop them and I didn't feel like getting my mother started.<br />
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<b>Today</b><br />
I slept in. Like way, way in until 1pm. Which is crazy seeing as I went to bed at like midnight and took a nap yesterday. But I am all for listening to what my body needed and when I woke up at 9ish and a little bit here and there it told me to stay in my warm bed.<br />
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Also today's update is thanks once again to attending my old NYC writing group.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif; font-size: 16px;">As previously, my recaps aren't all encompassing, just the "big" things that have been going on. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;" />
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">What have you been doing? How are you holding up?</b></div>
That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-62757129424520422162020-04-24T12:56:00.000-07:002020-04-24T13:09:30.852-07:00Check me out on PhDTalk!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPioRkwC77Oj9BYwqZo2RCTZTTyUK7Gr9JWmwkZISnXaZHvr661sldgi2xnkXSvpRg7SJM-8scZsuk9atDgNASz-4NsU04cQkumhlb4FREkFFtqzUa62AwJ9fXw4CgkqPcL98MEX4IJd8r/s1600/PhDTalk.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="1093" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPioRkwC77Oj9BYwqZo2RCTZTTyUK7Gr9JWmwkZISnXaZHvr661sldgi2xnkXSvpRg7SJM-8scZsuk9atDgNASz-4NsU04cQkumhlb4FREkFFtqzUa62AwJ9fXw4CgkqPcL98MEX4IJd8r/s640/PhDTalk.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Check me out on PhDTalk by Eva Lantsoght where I was a part of her How I Work Series. I did this interview back in December so a few things have temporarily changed (i.e. working in lab) but other than that I hope you enjoy it.<br />
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<a href="http://phdtalk.blogspot.com/2020/04/i-am-caitlyn-cardetti-and-this-is-how-i.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is the link!</span></a></div>
That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-41220543019058441162020-04-13T23:03:00.000-07:002020-04-22T12:07:19.184-07:00[Attempt to] WFH Day 27<b>Day 27 Monday, April 13th</b><br />
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I don't even think I fell asleep until 4AM, this is why I don't take naps, and I slept in until noon. So much for being productive today. Usually Mondays are a good day for me, a fresh start to get back on track. Not feeling it today. But that is okay I guess.<br />
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I was up until 3AM hoping that one of these times refreshing my InstaCart would give me a delivery time. It did not. I guess I will have to brave going to the store in person tomorrow. As much as I want to get out of the house, I'm not looking forward to it. Not so much because I'm scared but because I find the whole process so physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting. It will be the only thing scheduled for Tuesday.<br />
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I found out a friend's dad is intubated and in critical care for COViD-19. I'm worried for her. She can't see him. She doesn't even get regular updates. She lost her mom already a few years ago due to cancer. If you can spare her a thought or prayer or whatever your forte is please do so.<br />
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I checked in with a bunch of people I probably should have checked in with sooner.<br />
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I attended another COVIDCafe today. Smallest turnout I've seen yet but the company was good.<br />
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I had my class which I'm now behind in but today is not the day I'll be catching up. But everyone in class seemed different, tired maybe? Lots of silence. Not comforting. And not distracting (which I guess is usually the comforting part).<br />
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I did not workout.<br />
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I did not go outside - it was rainy.<br />
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I journaled. I read. I played Animal Crossing. But I felt there has been a cloud over me all day. Here is to hoping tomorrow is sunny.<br />
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I feel I should say something positive. My friends had their baby yesterday. She's healthy, they are all healthy. Dad was able to be there. And for that I am very happy. </div>
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That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-11352423098716918862020-04-12T19:25:00.003-07:002020-04-22T12:08:05.863-07:00[Attempt to] WFH Day 26March 17th was my last day in lab before social distancing which means I have been social distancing and working from home (WFH) now for 26 days. Why it's taken me this long to really write a blog post, who knows...<br />
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Actually I do know and I started a draft of this blog post on March 18th. I've been sitting on it for 25 days just adding notes here and there. Not knowing what to say or how to say it. I was worried about being judged for what I have and have not been doing during this time.<br />
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The week of March 16th was rough because neither my university nor my department had made any official statements about what to do or to expect. This lack of communication was very frustrating. It was pretty obvious we were going to shut down, everyone around us (i.e. Yale, Columbia, Memorial Sloan Kettering) were shutting down labs. But when it came to us, radio silence. This gave me a lot of anxiety. Should I be starting my planned experiments only for them to be interrupted and essentially trashed? I was in the middle of optimizing a protein purification protocol and a round of CRISPR/Cas9 knock-in transfections which would take a few weeks for and clonal expansion. So I took it into my own hands and decided to wrap up before getting official word on what to do. This helped immensely with my anxiety because I was no longer in the limbo of whether to start or not start my experiments. I got my experiments to nice and tidy stopping points on Tuesday, March 17th and then transitioned to working from home (WFH).<br />
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I am and have been officially working from home (WFH) for an undetermined period of time.<br />
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While it feels weird it feels good to know what I'm doing even if it's not exactly what I want. I want to be in lab. But it did not feel good to be in lab unsure what to start vs wait on in the case the lab may just be closed tomorrow. So I made the decision myself.</div>
— Caitlyn Cardetti (@CaitlynCardetti) <a href="https://twitter.com/CaitlynCardetti/status/1240085500251320321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<b>Day 2 Thursday, March 13th </b><br />
I received official word I could WFH.<br />
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<b>Day 3 Friday, March 20th</b><br />
I attended my first COVIDCafe which has been a saving grace. I've attended 6 so far. I wasn't able to go to any of them one week early on and I definitely missed it.<br />
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Yet AGAIN <a href="https://twitter.com/GC4AMH?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GC4AMH</a> is hosting not one, not two, but THREE <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVIDCafe?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVIDCafe</a> events this week! Connect with academics all over the world and discuss the trials and tribulations of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QuarentineLife?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QuarentineLife</a> ranging from the serious to the frivolous. We creating a safe space to discuss <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mentalhealth?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mentalhealth</a> <a href="https://t.co/F5TiPJ1zjL">pic.twitter.com/F5TiPJ1zjL</a></div>
— Wendy Marie Ingram (@pyromanticism) <a href="https://twitter.com/pyromanticism/status/1249094401688629248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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I also think this was the day Dom bought me Animal Crossing as a belated birthday present. It has been great! Easy to lose oneself and spend hours not feeling for the times where that is exactly what you need.<br />
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Dom was bummed because this was supposed to be a weekend in Montreal for his brother's bachelor party.</div>
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<b>Day 5 Saturday, March 22nd </b><br />
We went to the super market. It was an exhausting ordeal. They were limiting people in the store (which I complete support and respect) so we had to wait outside a bit. Inside it had a weird vibe since it was so few people and you weren't sure how much you should stay away from others. Should you get fresh produce? We decided we could risk it. There was barely any meat available. Dairy and eggs had buy 2 limits. The checkout lines had marked spacers to keep us 6 feet apart but it was so empty it was hardly needed. It was exhausting. And when we got home we washed and sanitized everything. We also washed ourselves. We haven't been back since but we're probably going to have to soon.<br />
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<b>Day 6 Sunday, March 23rd</b><br />
My workshop/committee update which was scheduled for today was canceled - I'm actually okay with this, well kind of. I needed more time because I was hoping to have the aforementioned protein purification protocol optimized for this update but I needed that time to be collecting data which I'm obviously not.<br />
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<b>March 8 Tuesday, March 25th</b><br />
Found out my labmate likely has COViD-19. He's okay now but his family also got sick, they are also okay now. But it gave me a lot of anxiety because I interact with him a lot. Did I have it? Was I just asymptomatic while it was incubating?<br />
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<b>Day 11 Friday, March 27th</b><br />
My little mini vacation I planned for the weekend to go to Maine to visit my friend Trina and go hiking in Acadia was supposed to be this weekend.<br />
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<b>Day 12 Saturday, March 28th</b><br />
It was a rainy day. I was feeling bummed so I went to Starbucks drive-thru for a mocha and to the beach. It was rainy and I only saw one other person who was over a mile away. Sinking my toes into the wet sand and letting the still too cold ocean water ice my feet was exactly what I needed.<br />
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<b>Day 13 Monday, March 30th </b><br />
The extended spring break was finally over and my class resumed via Zoom. I am so, so thankful I decided to take this course. I was initially unsure because it's an extra elective and should I really be taking time from my research like that but now it is another one of saving graces. It is really the only thing keeping me accountable time-wise - Mondays and Wednesdays I zoom into class 2:30pm-4pm. This course also involved a project using DOCK and AMBER which keeps me busy outside those hours and doing something I enjoy the most, learning.<br />
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<b>Day 14 Tuesday, March 31st</b><br />
Had our first Graduate Women in Science and Engineering (GWiSE) Coffee Chat. I was inspired by COVIDCafe so I thought I should bring it local to GWiSE. So far we've had two of them which has been nice to see familiar faces with a third scheduled for this week Thursday.<br />
Also felt a lot of relief because it has been 14 days and I felt fine. Huge relief actually. So huge I cannot adequately word it. Don't get me wrong, I know the risk is still real but I am very cautious now which I obviously wasn't as much 14 days ago.<br />
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<b>Day 16 Thursday, April 2nd </b><br />
I went on a very long walk as my partner, whom I live with, had been in a bad mood for quite a few days and I needed to get away (he seems to be doing a lot better now (he discovered Zoom with friends) but it was a rough week). Unfortunately, I didn't wear the best shoes and I activated some tendonitis in my foot/ankle from an old running injury.<br />
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<b>Day 18 Saturday, April 4th </b><br />
I went for a nice 3 hour hike with my friend, M. We'd both been social distancing so we felt it was safe enough for us to meet up for a hike. We were planning on having this be a recurring Saturday activity to help keep track of the days but it turns out this is the only one as there are now fines for people who don't live in the same household being together. While I understand this new rule I don't like it. I get it's easiest for it to be black and white but I think it will take a huge toll on people's mental health. I think people should be able to interact if they are both safely social distancing outside of this.<br />
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<b>Day 21 Tuesday, April 7th</b><br />
I found out they closed my nearby park which was pretty devastating as I was going there daily for walks. Dom and I ran into our neighbors and we all went for a walk to the docks.<br />
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Well the one thing that was keeping me sane is now closed... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/phdpandemic?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#phdpandemic</a> <a href="https://t.co/sJogml2jmw">pic.twitter.com/sJogml2jmw</a></div>
— Caitlyn Cardetti (@CaitlynCardetti) <a href="https://twitter.com/CaitlynCardetti/status/1247640609428561920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<b>Day 22 Wednesday, April 8th</b><br />
Tried walking through the neighborhoods but it just isn't the same. I have 0 motivation to take long walks on the sidewalks around my apartment and a 30 minute walk just doesn't have the same effect as a long trail walk. Also people stare at you like you're breaking the law which makes me feel uneasy.<br />
Late that night, like real late so probably really day 23, I decided to start the Coursera offering "The Science of Well-Being" I think I did this because I knew the lost walks would have a negative outcome and this was also the week my partner was pretty cranky which had its toll on me as well.<br />
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<b>Day 23 Thursday, April 9th </b><br />
My sister's 27th birthday. No different for me since I live far and wouldn't celebrate in person with her either way but I'm sure still a bummer for her.<br />
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<b>Day 25 Saturday, April 11th </b><br />
Attended Dom's brother's wedding via Facebook Live. They will have a more "normal" ceremony July 5th. Glad they found a way to keep their day.<br />
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<b>Day 26 Today </b><br />
I slept a crazy amount today and then still took a nap. I think this was my first nap during this social distancing. Not a big napping person. I attended my writing group via Zoom (something I haven't been to regularly in years, since I left NYC) which was nice and 100% the reason this post finally was written.<br />
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My recaps aren't all encompassing, just the "big" things that have been going on. I've been doing some writing for work here and there - although it seems more in bursts than regularly scheduled -checking emails, reading journal articles, attending a Zoom seminar/thesis defense here and there. On the personal side, I've been journaling more, reading a real live physical book, still listening to audiobooks too although less now that I haven't been walking as much, a handful of Nike Training Club app workouts throughout the week - although not the last few days which I should get on top of. Oh, and I of course, watched Tiger King.<br />
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<b>What have you been doing? How are you holding up?</b>That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-21743487749488591782020-04-06T12:33:00.000-07:002020-04-06T12:33:31.209-07:00What I Read in March<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif; font-size: 16px;">A lot happened this past month as everyone in the entire world knows (i.e. COVID19 pandemic) so reading wasn't the highest priority and I'm sure my lack of commuting/hours at the gym also really reduced my reading hours. Anyway, here are the four</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif; font-size: 16px;"> books I read or rather listened to via </span><a href="https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby/" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #be376b; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Libby</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif; font-size: 16px;"> in March (no, I'm not affiliated to Libby which is free anyway). </span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">My rating system:</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif; font-size: 16px;">5 - Loved it and recommend it!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif; font-size: 16px;">4 - Liked it and recommend it!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif; font-size: 16px;">3 - It's not my cup of tea but that's not saying I didn't not enjoy it or not to read it.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif; font-size: 16px;">2 - Pass!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif; font-size: 16px;">1 - I'm surprised I didn't put the book down. Actually I probably would put the book down so you probably won't see this rating on my blog.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>The 4s or rather the 4 (singular)</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42080142-the-turn-of-the-key" target="_blank">The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif;">Honestly, probably more of a 3.5 but bottom line is I liked it! I wouldn't say it's anything special but it was a nice thriller set in a smart house which is interesting since that's what so many people in society are moving to. It's a bit slow at times but there are twists that just aren't predictable which is nice - really what more can you ask for in a thriller. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>The 3's</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43430495-fast-girl" target="_blank">Fast Girl by Suzy Favor Hamilton</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I thought I'd like this book more - about a former runner (I run) and her struggle with mental illness but it fell short. I really appreciated her openness but it mostly just felt like she was listing bad choices she made and not really digging in deep. I feel like it could have been so much more. I debated between a 2 and 3 but ultimately am leaving it as a 3 because it was interesting.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31450913-the-idea-of-you" target="_blank">The Idea of You by Robinne Lee</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I kept seeing this book everywhere so I figured I'd jump on the bandwagon but honestly, I thought it was a bit overrated. It's written about all over the blogosphere and honestly I don't really have anything to say about it so I'm not going to. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42599605-the-last-widow" target="_blank">The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Also a bit of a let down, heard a lot of great things about this author and probably will still check out her earlier work but didn't love this book. The premise was interesting, the story arc was interesting, the characters were alright, the medical/biology stuff is where I felt it was lacking. I try not to give spoilers so I won't say more but if you do read this don't take all the medical/science as completely accurate.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts? Do you have any book recommendations for me? Comment below.</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">ICYMI: <a href="https://wickedwitchofthewb.blogspot.com/2020/03/bookshelf-february-2020.html" target="_blank">What I Read in February</a></span>That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-43043643941135467782020-03-27T12:44:00.000-07:002020-04-06T12:44:36.161-07:00I am apparently a camerawoman and producer now...Kidding! But my partner did make me film this for him so check it out. I figured it jived with the whole PhDLifestyle aspect of my blog anyway because grad students definitely have a need for quick, easy and cheap meals.<br />
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So what do you think? Do I have a career in cinematography if science doesn't pan out? (Please don't answer that)<br />
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<b>But please answer in the comments below: What weird things has your partners/roommates/parents/yourself? made you participate to stay sane in these crazy times (i.e. COVID19 Pandemic)?</b>That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-11472655191192647392020-03-23T12:43:00.002-07:002020-04-24T13:04:12.927-07:00Check me out on PhDetails!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySL6XEAPSmrbLrCEx0qXziIWlsnaB49IOu2GlH8JtMuFl1QJ2inp8Q8S1UszohaIiQcJTx7IGnTJ8yvTPgBla4QYlklXxTqIE2ZFiucp7Wk6GDC6xaKZmaFEOmZ-ahNwkiMSwbiWyjEYP/s1600/phddetails.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="649" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySL6XEAPSmrbLrCEx0qXziIWlsnaB49IOu2GlH8JtMuFl1QJ2inp8Q8S1UszohaIiQcJTx7IGnTJ8yvTPgBla4QYlklXxTqIE2ZFiucp7Wk6GDC6xaKZmaFEOmZ-ahNwkiMSwbiWyjEYP/s1600/phddetails.png" /></a></div>
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I was featured on PhDetails last week!<br />
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Hey look it's me! Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/PhDetails?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PhDetails</a> for this awesome & fun opportunity! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/scicomm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#scicomm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomenInSTEM?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WomenInSTEM</a> <a href="https://t.co/2h5FK2Q1SY">https://t.co/2h5FK2Q1SY</a></div>
— Caitlyn Cardetti (@CaitlynCardetti) <a href="https://twitter.com/CaitlynCardetti/status/1241009067071602689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif; font-size: 16px;">What's PhDetails? "PhDetails is designed to be a blog to share the ups and downs, ins and outs and stories behind biology PhD students from all over the world. We hope to remove some of the mystique surrounding PhDs and give a real insight into what a variety different PhD students did to end up where they are, what they're currently doing with their time, and what drives them."</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif; font-size: 16px;">It was definitely fun to be a part of and easy. Please check me out </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif;">(<a href="https://phdetails.blogspot.com/2020/03/94-caitlyn-cardetti.html" target="_blank">here's the </a></span><span style="color: #be376b; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://phdetails.blogspot.com/2020/03/94-caitlyn-cardetti.html" target="_blank">link</a></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif;">)</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif; font-size: 16px;">. But don't forget to check out the other profiles and maybe even consider doing it yourself!</span>That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-51810801936343356012020-03-15T12:26:00.000-07:002020-03-18T11:18:15.908-07:00OH THAT ACADEMIC AUDACITY: COVID-19 EDITIONVirtual classes good but kicking students out of the dorms because of precautions for COVID-19...<br />
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What?</div>
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And by what, I mean what the f*ck?!</div>
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That's a mighty assumption you're making that all your students have the privilege to just simply "go home". </div>
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Thank gawd my university hasn't done that. And neither has my alma mater. At least not yet.</div>
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<b>A list of universities that have shut down their dorms:</b></div>
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Harvard University</div>
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The University of Maine, Orono<br />
Stanford University<br />
University of Wisconsin, Madison<br />
Trinity University, San Antonio<br />
Bellarmine University, Louisville KY<br />
MIT<br />
University of South Alabama<br />
University of Massachusetts, Amherst<br />
Fordham University, Bronx NY<br />
Columbia University, New York NY</div>
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<b>What universities are missing from this list?</b></div>
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<b>What are your thoughts on this?</b><br />
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<b>Update on March 18th, 2020.</b><br />
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Well Stony Brook University has officially done it - they've closed their on campus housing too.<br />
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You can read the public announcement here: <a href="https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/campus-residences-announces-move-out-requirement-to-reduce-density/?utm_campaign=1584464860&utm_content=marcom&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR2rgYxfXYa2oHlADouSoMqqYcXz-X6BmhljOb9oZn9lk_vayqbL8wq3y8E">https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/campus-residences-announces-move-out-requirement-to-reduce-density/</a><br />
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But let me make it clear, this announcement was not disseminated to ALL students and staff via email. I found out through a forwarded email and the grapevine. Also the email I saw was specific to RAs, TAs and GAs who are still working and how they had less than 24 hours to appeal if they wanted to stay. LESS THAN 24 hours. So best make sure people are checking their email religiously during our SPRING BREAK!<br />
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I am so not happy about this. While I understand that there are tough decisions being made about reducing public interactions I do not agree with the closures of dorms. See my Twitter rant here:<br />
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I am trying to generate a list of universities that have kicked people of the dorms. I know <a href="https://twitter.com/Harvard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Harvard</a> has and so has <a href="https://twitter.com/UMaine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UMaine</a>. <br />Please comment below if you know of other universities. And please RT. <a href="https://twitter.com/AcademicChatter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AcademicChatter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PhDChat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PhDChat</a></div>
— Caitlyn Cardetti (@CaitlynCardetti) <a href="https://twitter.com/CaitlynCardetti/status/1239271361144434688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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If you read the comments on the official post and Facebook (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/stonybrooku/videos/190822505548282/" target="_blank">link to FB post</a>) you'll see I'm not alone. Just last week they assured us the dorms would remain open then sent everyone on spring break only to now be told a few days into spring break, just kidding? Regardless of opinions about the actions they (SBU admin) are taking, their communication is whack. WHACK!<br />
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P.S. The labs are still open though. Unlike our neighbors Memorial Sloan Kettering and Columbia University who have chosen to close theirs.<br />
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That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-63127024169975931082020-03-15T12:06:00.002-07:002020-04-24T13:03:23.786-07:00Check me out on 46 Questions!I was featured on 46 Questions last week!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIff_JY86vjuMQ7NwIRuM6kHVqnFciOqtnSIKepi4HQLPKcuolcuOmYQh5uy_teJCCrCy1e8wdCMQ8NICWQ1x51nuFJaD3-qPDLS4_gFxWQIcAatwpJVrCmfrDzP4a2KSksIcINSXacyWl/s1600/46Q.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIff_JY86vjuMQ7NwIRuM6kHVqnFciOqtnSIKepi4HQLPKcuolcuOmYQh5uy_teJCCrCy1e8wdCMQ8NICWQ1x51nuFJaD3-qPDLS4_gFxWQIcAatwpJVrCmfrDzP4a2KSksIcINSXacyWl/s1600/46Q.png" /></a></div>
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Meet <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/46Qs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#46Qs</a> scientist: Caitlyn Cardetti (<a href="https://twitter.com/CaitlynCardetti?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CaitlynCardetti</a>)!<br />
Caitlyn's a PhD Candidate in Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology at Stony Brook University. Her research focuses on RNA processing in human mitochondria. Her other interests… <a href="https://t.co/R4OmroK8XM">https://t.co/R4OmroK8XM</a> <a href="https://t.co/7Lw3GgZQlB">pic.twitter.com/7Lw3GgZQlB</a></div>
— 46 Questions (@46Questions) <a href="https://twitter.com/46Questions/status/1237009214918340611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
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What's 46 Questions? They are a blog that is "Making Science Inclusive By Highlighting Those That Do It Via A #46Qs Interview Everyone Gets To Read" [from Twitter bio].<br />
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It was definitely fun to be a part of and easy. Please check me out<span style="font-size: large;"> (<a href="https://46questions.wordpress.com/2020/03/09/caitlyn-cardetti/" target="_blank">here's the link</a>)</span>. But don't forget to check out the other profiles and maybe even consider doing it yourself!That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-19859375320653006522020-03-15T11:50:00.000-07:002020-03-15T11:50:29.993-07:0030 Lessons I've learned in my 30 years<br />
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I had this post mostly written and meant to post it sooner but with all that's happening other things took priority. Anyway, I'm 30 now and here are "30" lessons I've learned over my 30 years.</div>
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<li>Growing pains never stop! You are not who you were a year ago and accepting yourself is a lifelong process although it gets a little easier every year - this isn't to say it isn't still hard though.</li>
<li>Who your family is is your choice. Genetics be damned!</li>
<li>Female friendships are the best.</li>
<li>True friendships will survive distance and time.</li>
<li>Hang out with friends one on one, it's lovely. Not saying group outings aren't great but one on one is the best for intimacy and not feeling lonely.</li>
<li>Take the risk and be vulnerable, if it's not received well they're not worthy not you</li>
<li>Don't overthink it (okay, I lied, I am still learning this lesson)</li>
<li>The power of habits is no joke. Breaking bad habits are just as important (if not more important) than building good habits.</li>
<li>Most of your habits are hidden, take some time to really look at them.</li>
<li>There is nothing wrong with asking for help. Just make sure to ask the right person.</li>
<li>Never stop learning.</li>
<li>Leave your comfort zone more often.</li>
<li>If there is something you want to try, stop making excuses and try it!</li>
<li>Putting yourself first is not selfish. Full stop.</li>
<li>The greatest reflection of your priorities is your time (okay so I didn't come up with this).</li>
<li>Being late is fucking rude and inconsiderate - it's saying your time is more important than the others. Thank you Dad for teaching me that anything other than 5 minutes early is late. But for real be on time. </li>
<li>Your shit stinks too. Keep this in mind when it comes to being empathetic and forgiving of others. We're all human and no one is perfect. Let the little things go.</li>
<li>Expectations set you up for failure - be open, be present, be mindful.</li>
<li>Spend time outside everyday!</li>
<li>Stop comparing!</li>
<li>Drink more water!</li>
<li>You might not be able to control your emotions but you can control your reactions. Take a breath and a moment to decide what you want to do.</li>
<li>The human body is extraordinary, it does amazing feats, respect yours and celebrate it instead of always focusing on what it isn't or can't do. E.g. I am always blown away by how quickly a body can make mucus, like is this something I enjoy? Absolutely f*cking not but to say it's not amazing is an an understatement.</li>
<li>There aren't rules for roommates, significant others, or adults - people have different views on how to live life and that's okay but that doesn't mean either of you are wrong just maybe not compatible. </li>
<li>Just get started (also a lie because I'm definitely still working on this!).</li>
<li>Saying no to others is usually saying yes to yourself.</li>
<li>Read more, if you don't like reading listen to a damn audiobook.</li>
<li>It's okay to have a pet hamster in your late 20s, even into your 30s. Hi Zinc!</li>
<li>Learn to be honest with yourself without judgement. Self reflection helps you grow the most.</li>
<li>Know that you have the power to change if you want to. Key word want. If you don't want to then learn to accept it. If you do want to, be patient with yourself and give yourself reasonable time to make this change.</li>
<li>Having life figured out is a lie, there will always be a next hurdle, if you get stuck on this you'll be stuck on this until you die so might as well ditch this terrible concept now. Having it all is BS!</li>
<li>Be kind to yourself. If you don't know how imagine whatever it is you're struggling with is what a friend is struggling with and then give yourself the love and advice you'd give them.</li>
<li>Rules are social constructs and social constructs are fake. So f*ck them. That's why this list is longer than 30 because ain't no "real" rules! **Getting arrested though is very real. </li>
<li>Wear sunscreen.</li>
<li>Be true to yourself!</li>
<li>It's never too late!</li>
<li>Sorry for listing cliches but it's not like the idea of a post listing life lessons for a birthday is original anyway... And you know what those cliches are cliches for a reason. May not be original but they are true. So I guess I need to make this a lesson in which case who cares if you like shit that's not original, we all do. Own what you like no matter what. Now bring me some pumpkin spice!</li>
<li>Find an outlet (e.g. bad blogging, journaling, screaming, running).</li>
<li>Don't let someone claim you're not being grateful or appreciative or whatever for wanting to seek out more or better. Because guess what? You can be both grateful and appreciative while still wanting more. Tell them to STFU because they are a hypocrite because they are full of sh*t if they claim they don't do the same.</li>
<li>But do be grateful and appreciative. </li>
<li>"The cure for anything is salt water — sweat, tears, or the sea." - Karen Blixen Okay, so this is a quote but it's also a lesson because it is so true!</li>
<li>You don't have to be good at something to enjoy doing it. </li>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dVGnNjPA6pqUzGPcx5Q5hFCDm1G7oNFzPAjSzVQPvZDY8-t4QLLRQpjyq8F-mtEBYuGsdxX-0LWdLYISToO55c1-v9e3z1jl5ze2lIdSiTP3ZKg8CEcG-ZehXr2bZ9ExsqrBScgwNsUU/s1600/Attach129132_20190310_101113_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dVGnNjPA6pqUzGPcx5Q5hFCDm1G7oNFzPAjSzVQPvZDY8-t4QLLRQpjyq8F-mtEBYuGsdxX-0LWdLYISToO55c1-v9e3z1jl5ze2lIdSiTP3ZKg8CEcG-ZehXr2bZ9ExsqrBScgwNsUU/s1600/Attach129132_20190310_101113_2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay so this poor quality photo is from my 29th birthday but we're gonna work with it. I didn't do anything big for my 30th because I'm old and tired. Well not really but I am definitely tired because grad school (my very valid excuse for everything). Don't worry I did have a nice dinner out though. </td></tr>
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That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-14487913266170219052020-03-06T08:00:00.000-08:002020-03-06T08:00:00.141-08:00Happy Birthday to Me!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZQ5wCMY1D5U21c96JH82oacJgzN4gm1fPrQeks_LmSv0BY1OxZ9Wcjy88ck26eF1MG3UBT4kOxAiVQ4ayVOfawEf2-BZUdWQmviow9og3hjw8VzTZQxz5y582l-piEzDEvjKMFyB1O7F/s1600/38501148_1462119267223321_1016692391882522624_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZQ5wCMY1D5U21c96JH82oacJgzN4gm1fPrQeks_LmSv0BY1OxZ9Wcjy88ck26eF1MG3UBT4kOxAiVQ4ayVOfawEf2-BZUdWQmviow9og3hjw8VzTZQxz5y582l-piEzDEvjKMFyB1O7F/s640/38501148_1462119267223321_1016692391882522624_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: <a href="http://goneintorapture.com/">goneintorapture.com</a></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">It's my 30th birthday today!</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I can't believe I'm 30! I don't feel 30! And according to others, I don't look 30 but then again I don't question them too hard on that. ;) Honestly, I'm kind of weirdly excited to turn 30. Here's to hoping I feel the same way for the coming decades. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">P.S. I've been dying to use this comic for years! </span></div>
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That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-2292756691952401442020-03-01T15:50:00.000-08:002020-03-01T15:50:11.658-08:00What I Read in FebruaryAnd what I read in January since I didn't make a post for then. I'm still finding my voice for this blog so for now I'm trying out the types of posts I see on blogs I like. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.<br />
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<b>My rating system:</b><br />
5 - Loved it and recommend it!<br />
4 - Liked it and recommend it!<br />
3 - It's not my cup of tea but that's not saying I didn't not enjoy it or not to read it.<br />
2 - Pass!<br />
1 - I'm surprised I didn't put the book down. Actually I probably would put the book down so you probably won't see this rating on my blog.<br />
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<b>The 5's</b><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41592780-mrs-everything" target="_blank">Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner</a><br />
In my opinion, it did a great job embracing the complexity of women and their relationships and how society treats them.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34810320-sadie" target="_blank">Sadie by Courtney Summers</a><br />
Nice crime drama. The ending was amazing, I don't want to say anything more. Would definitely recommend it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34273236-little-fires-everywhere" target="_blank">Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng</a><br />
I was inspired to read this because it's being turned into a TV show. I loved it. I love the ending. I'm now reading her book Everything I Never Told You.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42975172-the-testaments" target="_blank">The Testaments by Margaret Atwood</a><br />
Haven't read The Handmaid's Tale but I watch the show which is why I wanted to read this book. It was great.<br />
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<b>The 4's</b><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42135029-city-of-girls" target="_blank">City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert </a><br />
It was written as if an older woman was accounting her past in letters. I<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40097951-the-silent-patient" target="_blank">The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides </a><br />
This was a solid psychological thriller. I also really liked that how the actual psychology was portrayed in it. Definitely kept me on edge the entire time.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40389527-the-woman-in-the-window" target="_blank">The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn</a><br />
I read this because it's coming out as a movie soon and that's the kind of person I am. The beginning started off sounding like a rambling crazy woman which I guess it is but it took me a bit to get into. But when I did get into it, I was into it. Had some great twists.<br />
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<b>The 3's</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31434883-eleanor-oliphant-is-completely-fine" target="_blank">Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman</a></div>
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Eleanor reminds me of what's his face in Catcher in the Rye and by that I mean annoying. But overall, it was a good book but I think a little overrated.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/41429816-alpha-girls" target="_blank">Alpha Girls: The Women Upstarts Who Took on Silicon Valley’s Male Culture and Made the Deals of a Lifetime by Julian Guthrie </a></div>
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I read this for our Graduate Women in Science and Engineering (GWiSE) Book Club. I went in with expectations of female empowerment and was let down there. But it was an interesting history of the internet/e-commerce as we know it and the women behind it so I can't say I didn't enjoy it. Just didn't meet my expectations which I guess maybe I shouldn't have had? *shrugs</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39280445-nine-perfect-strangers" target="_blank">Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty </a></div>
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Eh, neutral on this. I would recommend it if you like Big Little Lies but I’m not a fan. Lots of dramatic characters.</div>
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<b>The 2's</b></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34066626-start-without-me" target="_blank">Start Without Me by Joshua Max Feldman</a><br />
Eh, I mean I finished it. I didn't hate it. But I wouldn't recommend it to others. Also I didn’t like how he wrote the female character.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17184.The_Invisible_Man" target="_blank">The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells </a><br />
I read this because I want to see the movie that has a modern take on it with Kate Moss. Also I thought a book on a mad scientist would be my cup of tea, but it was not. I just could not get into it.<br />
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<b>Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts? Do you have any book recommendations for me? Comment below.</b><br />
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Also if you're curious how I got through 12 books in two months while in grad school it's because I listen to a vast majority of them as audiobooks on my 40 minute commute, while I wash dishes, at the gym, etc. I use <a href="https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby/" target="_blank">Libby</a> which is an amazing free app that checks audiobooks out using your local library card so it's free!<br />
<br />That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-26524546664504491282020-02-27T11:39:00.002-08:002020-02-27T11:39:22.245-08:00Oh That Academic Audacity: Reddit AITA Edition<span style="font-family: inherit;">This made its rounds this week and it inspired me to create a new category on my blog called #OhThatAcademicAudacity where I will be posting the ridiculous events I hear/read of going on in Academia. Also feel free to send me submissions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">AITA for making my graduate student walk upstairs after knee surgery? <a href="https://t.co/jMNYpAtzqs">https://t.co/jMNYpAtzqs</a> <a href="https://t.co/ikNBUSVon6">pic.twitter.com/ikNBUSVon6</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">— Am I the Asshole? (@AITA_reddit) <a href="https://twitter.com/AITA_reddit/status/1232386596751712257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2020</a></span></blockquote>
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If you don't know about the AITA thread on Reddit, it's a place for people to ask "Am I The Asshole" and explain their case - in this case <span style="color: #1a1a1b;">the OP (original poster)</span><span style="color: #1a1a1b;"> </span><span style="color: #1a1a1b;">is definitely an asshole.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Y0mSFsnDjKVRStEXU8VfTDzbQCfr9X3sboIuho2c4S8gUXkjpMCJozxfi8562QShR67Ew4fgU9RWtu1U_I-2rVNaZCCw4DyLD8JUMEw7MBn5fccasVBArvqM3oiCcEmIPceNfP32jqSJ/s1600/85197152_10212635741248064_3075456206119108608_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="828" height="523" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Y0mSFsnDjKVRStEXU8VfTDzbQCfr9X3sboIuho2c4S8gUXkjpMCJozxfi8562QShR67Ew4fgU9RWtu1U_I-2rVNaZCCw4DyLD8JUMEw7MBn5fccasVBArvqM3oiCcEmIPceNfP32jqSJ/s640/85197152_10212635741248064_3075456206119108608_n.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<div class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; padding: 0px 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "noto sans" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">AITA for making my graduate student walk upstairs after knee surgery.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "noto sans" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I am an assistant professor at a university with an office on the ninth floor of a building. I hold regular meetings with graduate assistants, and they are expected to attend unless they have a really good excuse. Failure to attend results in less involvement in research projects. This system is common here, and I must abide by it to maintain the respect of my department.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "noto sans" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today, unfortunately, the elevator is out of order. My assistant had surgery three weeks ago and has a brace. She asked if we could meet in a lower floor communal area. There are people who walk in and out of there, and I feel like it would be too distracting. I told her that meetings are always in my office, as planned, and unless she had a statement from a physician that she could not go up the stairs, I would not change the location or cancel the meeting. I have no doubt that she can make it up the stairs, it would just take her longer than usual. She could arrive at the building earlier.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "noto sans" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Apparently she complained to the department head. I talked to her (the head), and she said that it is my right to hold meetings wherever I find them appropriate. However, she also said, and I quote, "it seems like a dick move." I was taken aback at the inappropriate language from my head, and I am considering filing a complaint against her with the ombudsman. Sounds like someone who will seek retaliation if she is so quick to make gender-based slurs against people. I do not think I will file a Title IX claim against her, but that is not off the table. I told her I did not appreciate her words, and she said, "Just consider what I said. You can require the meeting where you would like."</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "noto sans" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I did require it in my office. My assistant made it up. She did not seem to be in any more pain as normal. We had the meeting. I reminded her that I allowed her three weeks off of meetings, which is a big deal to me. I expected her next week whether or not the elevator is repaired. This is an inconvenience to me, as well. I am not a big fan of walking up nine flights of stairs in dress shoes, but I have to do it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "noto sans" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A colleague of mine told me he would have just met her downstairs, but he did not think I made a "dick move." Another colleague told me that she would have never done what I did. I feel like they might be talking about me behind my back. Hopefully it is not the department head spreading rumors, but I will surely find out.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "noto sans" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I would like your opinions on my behavior but also on the behavior of my department head, as I think most would agree that even if what I did was unconventional, what she did was much worse. Thank you in advance."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1a1a1b;">Source: </span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/f9d89h/aita_for_making_my_graduate_student_walk_upstairs/" style="background-color: transparent;">https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/f9d89h/aita_for_making_my_graduate_student_walk_upstairs/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What do you think of this situation? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I personally have no words. At least no coherent words. Like how is this even a question? </span>Like how is someone even questioning if they're an asshole in this situation? <span style="font-family: inherit;">But then again we all know plenty of academics who don't exactly know how to ask questions (you know the ones... those who use Q&A sessions as a time to make comments).</span><b style="font-family: inherit;"> </b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What audacious BS have you seen in Academia lately? Comment below. </b></span></div>
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That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-47812523781905566202020-02-18T15:14:00.000-08:002020-02-18T15:14:01.724-08:00On not feeling guilty - sick day edition<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
I took a sick day today. I've been sniffling and sneezing since Friday and I'm just plain exhausted. My sleep is out of whack probably because I haven't been able to properly breathe. I dragged myself in yesterday (albeit late) because I had class to attend and an exam to proctor. But today, I just had a busy day of experiments. But you know what those experiments could do? They could wait. So I emailed my PI and let him know I wouldn't be in today. Instead of lab work I slept. I mean really slept. I slept from midnight last night until noon today. Then I took an hour nap from 1-2pm. My body obviously needed sleep.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6RlvbhYjugpn-DdFSvmaYmcUkQXVZ1Ysw-JrvBFWY3oFL9wDdcNN8bzYFy9utvazICKc-2leOO0iE412yHYyITsdUxhJ1uhqi2WQR5p7ddg8Ab8OK05HFhIxwfF_FvMnryKsi7a7xI4P/s1600/recoverchibird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6RlvbhYjugpn-DdFSvmaYmcUkQXVZ1Ysw-JrvBFWY3oFL9wDdcNN8bzYFy9utvazICKc-2leOO0iE412yHYyITsdUxhJ1uhqi2WQR5p7ddg8Ab8OK05HFhIxwfF_FvMnryKsi7a7xI4P/s640/recoverchibird.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: <a href="http://chibird.com/" target="_blank">chibird.com</a></td></tr>
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Do I feel guilty? A little but I know I shouldn't. And I know I feel a lot <i>less</i> guilty than I would have in past years so I'm making progress, right? Right?</div>
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I am a firm believer that I don't need to justify my sick day to anyone. When I request sick days I've always just simply stated a "I will not be in today" with no details on why. So why is it I feel the need to justify taking one to myself? I worked 14 hours Saturday and I even popped in Sunday for a bit to do tissue culture (I actually had a longer day planned for then too but I was so exhausted). Also I know when I'm exhausted I make mistakes in my work - so why am I going to go in to slog through an experiment that I'm likely going to have to repeat again? It's best just to rest. I know this so where is this cognitive dissonance coming from?</div>
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While I'm on the subject, here are other reasons you should take time off/rest without feeling guilty:</div>
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You're too stressed to actually get anything done. Take a step back.</div>
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You're feeling sick or exhausted. You will recover better and faster with rest so the sooner you do it the better.</div>
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You're no longer being productive. </div>
To spend time with your significant other and friends. Spending quality time is crucial to the success of your relationships. And your relationships are crucial to your social support network to get through grad school.<br />
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What else should I add to this list? Do you feel guilt for taking time off?</div>
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Okay, well I'm going to do some reading and writing as a way to help ease this guilt. </div>
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That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-10300720093054557932020-02-14T08:00:00.000-08:002020-02-15T19:31:25.714-08:00Happy Valentine's Day!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZCKvxLS3UAO0gVF_YIbRDzpP1lmK1x8foqqRtsxegypNK_o1l3mNTosQKCibaAW0rl0YTRv2WcS3n7MjWxOvKRiVlj460ZO-cbIGCfe8wOghn1VJ3FkUGzkY5YeOYXOnwqcUscRvNWvN/s1600/gwisevday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1150" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZCKvxLS3UAO0gVF_YIbRDzpP1lmK1x8foqqRtsxegypNK_o1l3mNTosQKCibaAW0rl0YTRv2WcS3n7MjWxOvKRiVlj460ZO-cbIGCfe8wOghn1VJ3FkUGzkY5YeOYXOnwqcUscRvNWvN/s640/gwisevday.jpg" width="612" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/redpenblackpen" target="_blank">@redpenblackpen</a></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Happy Valentine's Day!</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I know a lot of people hardly consider this a holiday or grumble about it being a conspiracy for greeting card companies, whatever, blah blah blah. But what I see this holiday is as a reminder to celebrate love. And not just romantic love but the love of friendships, family and self-love. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I know you other grad students can be bad at self-love so let me yell at you for a moment and remind you to <b>TAKE SOME TIME TO LOVE YOURSELF TODAY!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Or maybe tomorrow when all the chocolate goes on sale! ;)</span><br />
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One final <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/academicvalentine?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#academicvalentine</a> for Valentines Day, PhD poets! 🌹📕❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PhDchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PhDchat</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AcademicTwitter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AcademicTwitter</a> <a href="https://t.co/8krefDnu1W">pic.twitter.com/8krefDnu1W</a></div>
— PhDoodles (@PhDoodles) <a href="https://twitter.com/PhDoodles/status/1096025012757254149?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Valentine's day is best spent with friends. Sneaking in a coffee date before lab. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PhDLife?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PhDLife</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PharmFam?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PharmFam</a> <a href="https://t.co/VOZcNzfY2h">pic.twitter.com/VOZcNzfY2h</a></div>
— Caitlyn Cardetti (@CaitlynCardetti) <a href="https://twitter.com/CaitlynCardetti/status/1228337494447591425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876559832811745437.post-58579693592575720262020-02-08T17:58:00.000-08:002020-02-08T18:02:56.558-08:00Why & How to Curate a #RoCurDon't know what a #RoCur is? Check out my previous post: <a href="https://wickedwitchofthewb.blogspot.com/2020/01/what-is-rocur.html" target="_blank">What is a #RoCur</a><br />
<br />
I recently curated both @RealScientists and @IAmSciComm (see recaps <a href="https://wickedwitchofthewb.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-week-on-realscientists.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://wickedwitchofthewb.blogspot.com/2020/02/my-week-on-iamscicomm.html" target="_blank">here</a>). I didn't mean to book them back to back and I also more or less signed up for them later in the spring but they asked me to curate earlier and I was a sucker for not saying no. Curating isn't exactly an easy job, it does take some time and effort but it's well worth it.<br />
<br />
<b>Reasons to curate a RoCur:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>It's a short commitment, typically only one week</li>
<li>Opportunity to reach a wider audience</li>
<ul>
<li>Follower counts for <a href="http://www.twitter.com/RealScientists" target="_blank">@RealScientists</a>: 83.4K followers</li>
<li>Follower counts for <a href="http://www.twitter.com/IAmSciComm" target="_blank">@IAmSciComm</a>: 25.1K followers</li>
<li>Follower counts for <a href="http://www.twitter.com/biotweeps" target="_blank">@Biotweeps</a>: 20.4K followers</li>
<li>Follower counts for <a href="http://www.twitter.com/neurotweeps" target="_blank">@Neurotweeps</a>: 3153 (oh geez, why is this so low?!)</li>
</ul>
<li>It's a great way to practice your scicomm skills </li>
<li>Get feedback from a different audience</li>
<li>Increase followers on your personal account</li>
</ul>
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<b>How to curate a RoCur:</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Get over thinking you're not "good enough" to curate because you are - that's just impostor syndrome talking.</li>
<li>Sign up to curate! Commit! Commit! Commit!</li>
<li>Promote your curation on your own personal twitter account.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
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Okay all, I'm signing off my personal account for the week to curate for <a href="https://twitter.com/realscientists?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realscientists</a>. Come follow me on over there to learn about mitochondria and whatever else I end up rambling about. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SciComm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SciComm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoCur?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoCur</a> <a href="https://t.co/wopd3gGvlS">pic.twitter.com/wopd3gGvlS</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
— Caitlyn Cardetti (@CaitlynCardetti) <a href="https://twitter.com/CaitlynCardetti/status/1218778069961465856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2020</a></div>
</blockquote>
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<div>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
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<ul>
<li>Change the profile photo to you and other details to you (varies depending on the rocur).</li>
<li>Introduce yourself! Who are you? What do you do? How did you get to your current position?What are you working on? Do you have other hobbies? What does a day in your life look like?</li>
<li>Share! Do you have relevant links or articles to share? Share links your publications, blog posts, etc.</li>
<li>Use photos, memes and gifs. Tweets with media have been shown to get 3x as much interaction!</li>
<li>Use hashtags. Hashtags increase exposure and potential for interaction. Many events and discussions have associated hashtags. Use trending hashtags like #scicomm #PhDChat</li>
<li>Interact! Respond to people's responses. RT people's responses.</li>
<li>Ask the audience questions. Try a poll!</li>
</ul>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Right now for my blog (& my twitter) I'm leaning towards of mix of both mitochondrial biology (the field I study) & my experiences as a PhD student <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PhDLife?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PhDLife</a> This leads me to the question: Do you think <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SciComm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SciComm</a> should be only science or also showcase scientists as regular people?</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
— I Am SciComm - Dr. Alexis Willett (@iamscicomm) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamscicomm/status/1223724198289465344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2020</a></div>
</blockquote>
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</div>
<div>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</div>
<ul>
<li>You don't have to tweet 24/7 but being present on the account is best for interaction. But you can also schedule using <a href="https://tweetdeck.twitter.com/" target="_blank">TweetDeck</a>.</li>
<li>When it's time to sign off thank them for a great time & redirect them to your personal account if they want more.</li>
</ul>
<div>
P.S. You can be simultaneously signed in to multiple Twitter accounts now both on the app and on a desktop.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb19CZ6liPAGV64siOigngtCCMlQzyECcc0AbVKpqek0uqAGTjqnQPSss118aQ-fi1lZHRwnPbBmZjCJ6GPexgQC3GzXOW9XzNRjOeJL_kixrVHroJTGF8lKGUe7B70lRSeWboT-6dE01_/s1600/nt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="746" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb19CZ6liPAGV64siOigngtCCMlQzyECcc0AbVKpqek0uqAGTjqnQPSss118aQ-fi1lZHRwnPbBmZjCJ6GPexgQC3GzXOW9XzNRjOeJL_kixrVHroJTGF8lKGUe7B70lRSeWboT-6dE01_/s400/nt.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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P.P.S. Please sign up for <a href="http://www.twitter.com/neurotweeps" target="_blank">@Neurotweeps</a> if you're in neuro because that's the RoCur I run and getting curators is super difficult! To sign up email neurotweeps (at) gmail (dot) com</div>
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That's Dr. Witch to you!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01518856527049696370noreply@blogger.com0