What's on your mind today?

[xSilverPhinx]

I don't think I'm going to be able to hand in my thesis on time. But I'm not going to lose my sanity over it. I'd rather ask for an extension and hand in a final draft I'm happy with than a half-finished version just so I can get one more month's worth of my grant.

[hermes2015]

I don't think I'm going to be able to hand in my thesis on time. But I'm not going to lose my sanity over it. I'd rather ask for an extension and hand in a final draft I'm happy with than a half-finished version just so I can get one more month's worth of my grant.

That sounds like a sensible strategy. Don't be sad.

[xSilverPhinx]

I don't think I'm going to be able to hand in my thesis on time. But I'm not going to lose my sanity over it. I'd rather ask for an extension and hand in a final draft I'm happy with than a half-finished version just so I can get one more month's worth of my grant.

That sounds like a sensible strategy. Don't be sad.

Just a little frustrated, but that's ok. I'm not disappointed with myself.

[xSilverPhinx]

I've...ahem...taken a slightly different approach to writing the introduction to my thesis. I've read a few from the program and they all strike me as...'boring' isn't quite the word, but 'dry'. Loads of information presented in a format that doesn't even try to be interesting. Does academic writing really have to be that way?

I'm taking a bit of a risk here, and perhaps the evaluators will either love it or hate it, but I don't know. I'd rather write something in a format I would find interesting if I were the reader.

I'm just spicing up the introduction though, which is generally the least interesting part (usually people skip straight to the results and discussion). Hopefully I won't regret my decision, heh. 

[Recusant]

Very cool. I'd think that as long as you accomplish the necessary task of presentation in your introduction, writing it in a more readable style should at least not detract from the evaluation. Probably depends on the personalities of the those who'll be reading it, but I admit I don't know a lot about the inside game of higher education. 

[billy rubin]

people can get picky. i wrote my ecology thesis in the active voice, and during the oral defense the visiting member from the forestry department commented that the passive voice was what he was used to.

the passive voice is a problem in englishbecause it doesn't distinguish whether the agent of an action is the author or someone else:

. . . Silenis bassleri was found in the upper strata of the mulde location . . .


style is an issue in some venues.

[xSilverPhinx]

Very cool. I'd think that as long as you accomplish the necessary task of presentation in your introduction, writing it in a more readable style should at least not detract from the evaluation. Probably depends on the personalities of the those who'll be reading it, but I admit I don't know a lot about the inside game of higher education. 

My thoughts exactly. There's still a lot of referenced information for the basis and justification of my own work so it's not like I've completely abandoned the long established way. I'd imagine unless the evaluators are purists it shouldn't be a problem. But you never know. Maybe they're not too fond of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass or the everyday examples I've used to explain a few concepts. Maybe anything that looks a little less 'academic' and a little more like public dissemination of science will get some to turn their noses up and disapprove. But I don't know. Time will tell.

But again, that's just the introduction. The manuscript sandwiched between the introduction and discussion is seriously dry and purely 'academic'.  I wouldn't dare submit anything other than that format to a peer-reviewed journal, I'm just an unknown. 

[xSilverPhinx]

people can get picky. i wrote my ecology thesis in the active voice, and during the oral defense the visiting member from the forestry department commented that the passive voice was what he was used to.

the passive voice is a problem in englishbecause it doesn't distinguish whether the agent of an action is the author or someone else:

. . . Silenis bassleri was found in the upper strata of the mulde location . . .


style is an issue in some venues.

Sure is. I used 'you' in the introduction of my end of course undergraduate work and one of the evaluators commented that was inadequate. But he still gave me high marks so it's all good.

I also took a more relaxed approach then which was otherwise well received by the evaluators and my supervisor. However, I am aware that a master's thesis is something a little more serious. So it's a bit of a risk.

Oh well, living dangerously I guess.

[Mr. B]

I just "fixed" my oldest daughters dvd/tv by blowing the breath of life into it. Now my youngest daughter believes I have magic.

I told my oldest daughter she just wasn't holding her mouth right when she tried to put the disk in. Anyway, she is now watching the first episode of Brooklyn 99. Long live Cpt. Holt!

[Magdalena]

I just "fixed" my oldest daughters dvd/tv by blowing the breath of life into it. Now my youngest daughter believes I have magic.
...

That's funny.

[Dark Lightning]

My MiL had a blood vessel break inside her brain last Tuesday.  She's now in hospice care. 92 YO, she had a pretty good run at life. The nice feature, if one wants to call such a thing "nice", is that as the bleeding continues she will lose awareness and won't feel any pain. I know I'd prefer something like that instead of suffering pain.

[Magdalena]

My MiL had a blood vessel break inside her brain last Tuesday.  She's now in hospice care. 92 YO, she had a pretty good run at life. The nice feature, if one wants to call such a thing "nice", is that as the bleeding continues she will lose awareness and won't feel any pain. I know I'd prefer something like that instead of suffering pain.

Awww. 
I'm sorry to hear this, Dark Lightning.

[billy rubin]

that's unfortunate, but 92 really is a good run.

i just buried a member of my meeting today. she was 96 and died so quick her son said he couldn't get the half mile to where she was living before she was gone, after he was called.

he built her a really nice walnut box to be buried in. after the ceremony in thegraveyard, everybody took off except me and the grave people. i'm on the graveyard committee, so i stuck around while they lowered her in to make sure his box fit inside the concrete vault the village makes us use. i suppose i would have had to jump up and down on it if it were a tight fit.

but it went in with about three inches on the sides and about an inch to spare on the top.

[Dark Lightning]

Thanks, folks! I really liked this gal. We all have to go sometime, and she's had a safe slide down with Alzheimer's and dementia, what with my wife being all over the care and caretakers. You don't want to screw up when my wife has an interest, she'll be all over you, too! Fortunately I'm about as anal-retentive as they come. Now, if she'd just pick her stuff up off the floor and put it away! 

[xSilverPhinx]

Sorry to hear that, DL