Done but not quite dusted

It's been a while.  Last post I complained a lot about the thesis, but shortly afterward I submitted it (August 26th to be exact) and twiddled my thumbs... for a couple of weeks before getting a job.  A proper(ish) job.  A plant-related job with more than a modicum of respectability.  Only I had to leave town in quite a rush to start the new job.

Nowadays I get to re-learn all the stuff that got me so excited about plants and drew me into a profession where I could study them all day.  Yeah, I'm a lecturer and I have the task of making people enjoy learning about photosynthesis and soil micro-organisms.  I never thought I would hear the words 'photosynthesis' and 'NADPH' in a rap song...  check this out

There's more.  So much more, and it's great fun.  Just how to get the students to 'be' plant cell organelles...?

The 'not quite dusted' bit means I have yet to get through the viva and publish my research, so I'm not quite ready to change the salutation on my credit card to 'Dr.'  Watch this space.

I hate my thesis

I have a crap introduction. I really hate my thesis and just want to get rid of it (think 'ring of power and Frodo Baggins on the side of Mount Doom').  Less than 3 weeks and lots of corrections to work on, but no motivation or interest.  I can't remember anything about the papers I've cited, even though I've read them so many times I should be able to quote the best parts of each one in my sleep... and I feel like a complete fraud.  It's been such a long time since I did any regular exercise, but all I want to do is eat chocolate and stare out of the window.

I keep hearing about PhD graduates who immediately join the priesthood after completing their theses, and I can totally empathise, but that would involve more study and right now, it's the last thing I need.

Perhaps when all this is over, and I'm pumping iron in the gym, I'll look back with fondness on my student days... or shudder and thank the merciful Lord that it's all over as I return to my parish duties.

Women's ordination - an alternative perspective

Whilst pondering the issues of ordination, I came to the realization that it's something I've been involved in professionally, for long time.  In fact I have an ordination of my very own:

For the uninitiated, this is known as a Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), and is a common method of analyzing ecological datasets.  And it's mine, all mine.  My ordination!  And, as the name would suggest, it's 'canonical'.  I'm also a woman.

It isn't the only one I have either... mwah hah hah!

Still causing a stir after all these years: women and their role in the church

Also known as Women's Ordination (WO for short).  A lot of people feel very strongly about this one - just do a quick internet search and you'll see what I mean.

For the uninitiated, most Christian groups do not like the idea of women taking on leadership positions or being ordained for professional ministry because of a few texts in the Bible: 

• 1 Corinthians 11:3
• 1 Corinthians 11:7-9
• 1 Timothy 2:11-15 
• 1 Corinthians 14:34-35

So, to summarize.  Women are:

• Not to speak in church
• More prone to deception than men
• Not to have authority over a male in any capacity

Why, then, are the majority of children in church groups taught by women?

Is it acceptable for children to potentially be deceived by the teaching of women?

At what age does a woman teaching males become inappropriate?  Who decides?  What criteria are applied to assess this?

If women are not to speak in church, why have them teaching anyone, including other women?

When are the men going to assert their authority and take over teaching the children?

It isn't difficult - the Plymouth Brethren have been doing it for years.

'Eve was the one deceived' appears to be sufficient basis to ban all women from leadership.  However Adam was not deceived - he knew full well what he was doing in light of the command given by God.  Therefore he was wilfully disobedient, rash, and one could argue, impetuous enough to ignore God's instructions. To top it all off, Paul, in Romans, puts the blame for the curse of humanity squarely on Adam. 

Are these manly traits desirable for leadership?  No, no and no.  However, I am well aware there are plenty of men who are not like that at all - quite the opposite - but Adam's wilful disobedience is not sufficient to prevent any man from leadership; Eve being deceived certainly appears to be more than enough to keep women in the kitchen serving up the potluck and mopping the floor.  In silence.

Some consistency in the application of scripture would be nice.

Oh, and yes, the 'eleven' mentioned in Mark 16:15 were all men.  They were also Jews from Palestine, so all non-Jewish men in church leadership need to step down or head to the mikveh.

Pakistan - Minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti assassinated

India Reloaded TV report and interview.

Quote from Mr Bhatti: "As a Christian, I believe Jesus is my strength. He has given me a power and wisdom and motivation to serve suffering humanity. I follow the principles of my conscience, and I am ready to die and sacrifice my life for the principles I believe."

A sad day, not only for Pakistan, but for the world.

Something constructive

Finishing a PhD programme (or beginning to finish via writing the thesis) can be a multi-level roller coaster ride.  If working 'like stink' for three years in a range of challenging field and lab situations isn't enough, sitting down at the end and trying to put it all into the context of a thesis to be examined on, is enough to make grown men weep in a corner (and the rest of us).

Procrastination is the bane of finishing for most people.  What I want to know is: why is this so?  Surely if you want to be free, 'get your life back', as it were, why not just get the thing written and get rid of it?  To use a cliche, it's a lot easier said than done.

If anyone out there is reading this post, I recommend 'Advising the Struggling Dissertation Student' - it's a helpful article written by a graduate supervisor, Leonard Cassuto, who really has a 'bead' on thesis issues.  He's obviously very experienced in working through the various problems that can manifest in the life of a graduate dissertation.
Particularly enlightening is the comments sections; comment 24 really hit home:

'I coach ABD students to finish their dissertations, and the most common challenge they face is that 1> they are trained as sprinters, to write 20 page papers in a weekend, where a dissertation is a marathon; 2> making progress in an unfamiliar process proves difficult; 3> they feel fear and/or shame as a result of their self-perceived "failure" and turn to procrastination to manage these difficult feelings, which exacerbates the problems.

Thre are two solutions to this: 1> learn new skills and habits that work for you, like time management, pacing, planning, and creating a work schedule and environment that feels right; and 2> accept that you feel fear and/or shame, fight the temptation to procrastinate or read one more article, and start writing. Can be hard at first, but seeing progress creates momentum that keeps you going.'

These first three points raised certainly hit home for me, and I know for many of my peers who are in the same situation.  Of the solutions, point 2 is definitely the best advice I've heard in a long time.  Ultimately I hope this is some kind of consolation, and motivation, to anyone out there struggling with a PhD thesis.

A publication in the works

Exciting news for today: one of the supervisors has suggested contributing a paper for an upcoming special issue of Proceedings of the Royal Society B, which will be dealing with the topic of community genetics.

It means a bit more work to deal with, alongside the thesis, but it should pay dividends in the future (unless I give up altogether and fill supermarket shelves for a living).  Nevertheless, it's something to go onto the CV.