Feminist Pub XVIII, in which the Bluestocking greets the first signs of spring with a glass of something soothing

[PuffinsAreFictitious]

Just starting this one as the last is nearly full

I've got a couple of friends with PhDs who don't use Dr as their title outside work (use Ms or Mrs), or at all in the case of a friend who doesn't feel she should because she no longer works in education/academia. I don't think they care one way or the other about whether other people with PhDs want to use Dr or not though!

Thanks for the reassurance! Of course I need to finish the damn thing first...

I almost didn't go on to the PhD after my Master's. I had a "list of pros and cons" sheet and I must admit that "no longer being Mrs" featured as a (relatively insignificant compared to the others!) pro.

Colander for the eclipse - my impression was the same as Chopper, that you stand with your back to the sun, hold out the colander with a piece of paper behind it and watch the eclipse on the paper. I can't entirely wrap my head around how this works (definitely not doing a Physics PhD...) but will be finding out tomorrow as I was too disorganised to get a pair of glasses...

I'm mega pretentious, but also lazy about getting official ID changed.

I have, however, typed my own name into an email on my work account purely in order to see 'Dr Jeanne the Rabid Feminist' (obviously, not my actual name ...) come up on the autocomplete bit. That's pretty pathetic, but very satisfying.

Last eclipse I just poked lots of little pinholes in a piece of cardboard and held it over the ground. Voila! Lots of little eclipses.

Yes the others have explained the colander thing before me. We'll be holding colanders by our shoulders and watching the eclipse on paper in front of us. Apparently a colander is better than a pinhole viewer (hole in cardboard) because you get loads of eclipses on the paper.

I wish I was a Dr. I would definitely use it all the time.

I'm much more eloquent in writing than in person.

That's probably true of a lot of us here, and not coincidentally - I think certain personality traits are more likely to take to this sort of interaction that others.

I think I'm differently (in)eloquent in writing and in person.

But more and more, my written persona spills over into real life, which is nice. I have got a lot more confident on here.

I am concerned that I won't be allowed to use my title on work email in my new job. They probably would think it pretentious even though having a PhD is related, albeit indirectly, to the work. Humph. Perhaps once I'm higher up the food chain....

Oddly, I seem to be on about 3 different threads about titles at the moment. It's confusing.

There was some mail came round the other day asking us to list all our qualifications, because clearly someone's records have failed. They were mostly looking for techy certifications, but I did feel (given recent managerial crapness) a need to emphasise MSc Computer Science alongside Sun Solaris Certified Systems Administrator.

Don't think I even got an acknowledgement for returning the mail.

I use my title every time I post even though it's only from a tv slot that a fictional character played. So it's outside my area of expertise. I'm afraid. .

Sera I'd be surprised if you couldn't have in your email signature:

Ofelia Falfurrias, PhD

DH and I are both PhDs. He tends to use his Dr only in business contexts; I use it mostly if I'm likely to be dealing with people with whom I want a shorthand for 'cut the crap, I'm not an airhead'. Medical doctors and bank type things. Its sort of irrelevant at work because everyone (other than admin, IT and some of the commercial people) has one that I can think of.

Some of our professional services people and admin people who are not academics also have PhDs and they use the title. If you earned it use it, is what I say.

It is getting ever so slightly eerie now.

Well, I'm coming in as a complete junior, and my boss doesn't have a PhD, so even though they wouldn't stop me, I'm not sure how well it would go down. I shall sound out the situation and see what other people there wih PhDs do. I imaging when I move higher up and will need to convince authors/reviewers etc that I do know what I'm talking about, I may start to use it more.

I am Very Annoyed that we have total cloud cover here and are missing the eclipse. Yes, it's got all dark and shit (I was expecting a bit darker THB), but otherwise rather dull.

The cloud cover's handy here - enough to block the light but can still see a crescent sun through it. It's quite cool.

Not impressed with the weather. Every time we go outside with the colander the sun goes behind a cloud, so it's an odd mixture of eerie and comical here!

Total cloud cover here too. Got a bit twilighty. And bloody cold. So yeah, not so exciting either. But we were late for school on account of watching it on telly, so that's a bit exciting, having never been late.

If I had a PhD, I'd definitely call myself Dr. (Sometimes tempted to tick the Dr option anyway, as it's theonly gender neutral option, but never have, out of respect for all you clever, hard-working types who have earned it.)

I feel very let down by the weather this morning. No eclipse for me and I was SO looking forward to it

The light was odd, and the toddler and her cousin both got uncharacteristically cranky. I've just about got rid of the crescent sun imprinted on the inside of my eyelids.

There were a couple of breaks in the heavy layer of cloud which allowed an attenuated view of the crescent through another layer. Not dark enough to affect birdsong or anything. DD's school were going to have the live broadcast on (Brian and Dara) in 4 rooms, and the sixth formers were going to be allowed to view it - hope it was a little clearer for them but I doubt it. A local couple who'd lost a 10 year old who was keen on astronomy have given sets of viewers to the local schools - I hope someone was able to use them.

And now it's all sunny.

Hello everyone, I think I might have bagged myself a job during the eclipse today . We will see but I'm feeling optimistic!

I can help with CVs, having had to pimp mine for many different companies in the last few weeks.

Oooh, an eclipse job. That must be portentous, right? Good luck FibonacciSeries!

I am equally about the now being out, LordCopper

"sun" missing from above sentence, obviously.