Nine
February 8, 2016
Nine years.
Nine years ago my dismay at the way certain Ecstasy and pot enthusiasts conducted misinformation campaigns online, and dismay over certain realities of the scientific career arc reached a threshold.
I had been reading science blogs and, particularly, several ScienceBlogs, so the outlet immediately presented itself.
Much spleen has been vented and my sanity kept near the critical line.
I’ve read comments from people that I would have never known, still don’t beyond the confines of this blog in many cases* and learned a great deal as a consequence.
I’ve gotten to know people in my field that I would have known only at a handshake level. I’ve gotten to know some fantastic people in other fields or walks of life that I would have never run across.
In short, it has been a lot of fun writing this blog over the past nine years.
I can quit anytime I want.
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*as recently as the last few months I’ve had a long term blog commenter out self to me and I was shocked to discover it wasn’t a woman like I thought.
February 8, 2016 at 11:17 am
Please don’t quit! There’s no blog like DM’s blog. Lunch would be a darker experience without this blog to read while munching a sandwich.
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February 8, 2016 at 11:21 am
Happy anniversary DM!
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February 8, 2016 at 11:25 am
Awesome! Please keep going! It is a great resource.
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February 8, 2016 at 11:28 am
That was an addiction joke, Grumble.
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February 8, 2016 at 11:46 am
Blink of an eye. Whoa.
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February 8, 2016 at 11:50 am
Happy blogversary!
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February 8, 2016 at 12:25 pm
Congrats! I just missed my own 7th.
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February 8, 2016 at 12:45 pm
DM – your blog has seen me through job searches, growing pains of establishing my lab, many grant failures and a handful of successes, and (as of last week) tenure. Many thanks!
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February 8, 2016 at 1:10 pm
Congrats! Nine and still going strong.
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February 8, 2016 at 1:50 pm
I owe the transition from postdoc to PI in part to you and physioprof, so you’re on the hook to keep going for another 6 so I get tenure.
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February 8, 2016 at 2:09 pm
Delurking to say thanks. My research is in NSF-grantland and you are my major source of understanding the NIH process. Plus lots of entertainment – thanks too to the great commenters.
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February 8, 2016 at 2:15 pm
I find it amazing that you could take this post from 9 years ago, post it today unchanged, and it would be just as relevant.
https://drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2007/02/23/peer-review-opinions-from-our-elders/
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February 8, 2016 at 3:07 pm
well serialmentor, it is all about venting spleen, not necessarily about changing the world, sadly. but yeah, some things in science are perennial issues. all we can do is nudge around the edges.
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February 8, 2016 at 4:27 pm
I’ll second DJMH – you have contributed greatly to my transition from postdoc to PI, my receiving my 1st R01, receiving tenure (Board votes March 2!!!), and hopefully my first R01 renewal (writing that thing now.)
Thanks for everything. Don’t even stop.
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February 8, 2016 at 6:19 pm
I can say personally this blog has been incredibly important for preparing me for the rough and tumble world outside of the ILAFs and BSD labs. I don’t know yet if I’ll survive it, but at least I’ll know what I’m getting into, and I’ll know to hit the ground sprinting.
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February 8, 2016 at 8:15 pm
Your blog is one of the biggest reasons why I decided to choose industry rather than a postdoc, and I say that with much gratitude. I’d still like to work in academia some day, so long as the situation improves. I’ve learned so much reading your blog, hopefully enough to keep a pulse on academia. I’ll keep reading, of course!
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February 8, 2016 at 10:47 pm
Happy anniversary, Ted. You aren’t the woman I thought either.
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February 9, 2016 at 8:01 am
Happy Anniversary, El Jefe. Keep on, keepin’ on, dude.
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February 9, 2016 at 2:57 pm
“That was an addiction joke, Grumble.”
Oh no, now do we have to worry that we are co-dependent enablers?
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February 9, 2016 at 9:27 pm
Happy Anniversary, DM. Don’t quit yet.
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February 10, 2016 at 3:25 pm
Congrats on the blogaversary! It has kept me sane during some rough times in my career and I am a savvier person because of it.
If I ever get around to starting my blog/tumblr/snapchat account “10 Things I Hate About Marble Burying”, it will be partially your fault.
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February 11, 2016 at 6:50 am
This blog has kept me going from grad school – postdoc – PI. Thanks a lot and please keep going..
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February 11, 2016 at 11:01 am
I am an asshole and don’t like taking advice off the internet. But I have been a visitor since the very earliest days and through all those years have consistently found entertainment and professional value here. Thank you.
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February 11, 2016 at 12:59 pm
congratulations! been great years and so many golden nuggets – both in posts and in comments!
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