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[lenulus]

Um, an update, since it's been an unusually long time.  I just got done with the written portion of my comprehensive exams (150-200 articles/books to read over a month, and then 72 hours to write 4 ten-page essays on various difficult topics).  It was not fun, but not entirely horrible, and now all I have to do to become ABD is orally defend my

Comments

[nightswatch]

Hey, congrats on doing like, real work. And getting in giant debates that most people can't understand is what makes being an academic awesome. Just remember that ad hominem attacks work better than scientific defense of your findings.

Sounds like good work all around

[chlorinegoddess]

Congrats on finishing your comps! I'm trying very, very hard not to think about such things as I pick a PhD program.

It's a bit strange, isn't it, to start thinking of yourself as an active part of your academic community of choice, rather than just a passive recipient.

Re: Sounds like good work all around

[lenulus]

Where are you looking at for your PhD? I didn't realize you were thinking about leaving MN, I guess.

And yeah, you nailed the description of my existential angst.

Also, non sequitor--have you seen the newest Mummy? I haven't yet, due to the aforementioned exams, but I thought I'd check in with my fellow mummy fan first.

Re: Sounds like good work all around

[chlorinegoddess]

Well, I can't do a PhD here since my advisor is the only archaeologist and she basically isn't accepting PhD students because she doesn't feel it's fair to them to only have one person, and very little available coursework, to work with. I knew this coming in, so it's no big shocker, and I feel very well set up and positioned to get into a very strong PhD program now - all the ones I got rejected from a year and a half ago. The first choice at this point is still Michigan, for a variety of reasons, followed by Chapel Hill. The final list is still a work in progress, but UPenn will probably be on it. But, man, winters aside, I'm really dreading leaving Minnesota (the state, not the school).

I haven't seen any movies since I got back because I'm a big failure - don't worry, it's on the list.

Hey, I heard a rumor that you and M might be coming for the C&E wedding. Come, come!!! It'd be so great to see you guys!

[userj]

ZOMG! Big Kudos on the Quals and also on publication! I understand how that can be... I'll be having my Oral quals sometime inn - not looking forward to it...

Your research does look really interesting too. /cheer

You should use me as a control for "no memory ability" in your next study.

[lenulus]

haha, thanks. Yeah, I find it funny that my first publication comes in memory research, when I have a hard time remembering the study (I worked on it while at Mac, so it's been a while).

So, Alex mentioned that you were struck by the "plague." Are you ok? "Plague" sounds serious, with the MRIs and whatnot... I do hope that you start to feel better soon.

I don't understand this part

[kitkatlj]

Nativist psycholinguistic claims?

Congratulations, anyway! Sounds like lots of hard work.

Re: I don't understand this part

[lenulus]

Sorry, a bit jargonistic. All it means is that I like to study linguistic stuff (how we acquire languages) using the experimental method and actual objective data, so I use a psycholinguistic approach. Chomsky doesn't like this, since he relies on just casual observations of English grammar (I say casual because if you point to an observed utterance that doesn't conform to his theory, he says it's a difference between competence and performance, whatever that means). I also don't believe that language is innate (that's the "nativist" claim), whereas Chomsky does.

So the data I will be presenting in Boston (Chomsky's stompin' grounds)will be from psycholinguistic methods and will challenge Chomsky's nativist theories. Thus, I'm looking forward to getting yelled at. Actually, I'm not really a big enough fish for anyone to really care what I say, so I doubt anyone will argue with me.

Wonderful news!

[elsabeta]

I'm so pleased that you have made it through the first part of comps, and I'm sure you'll get through that other part (you? your talents at presenting? of course you will). And a publication! And I'm glad that you and M. are in what I hope will be an even better place--are you in the same area as before?

And you aren't going to be using that third bedroom as a nursery quite yet, right? ;) (Oh, don't you hate those questions?)

Re: Wonderful news!

[lenulus]

Thanks! Marissa and I actually moved over to where you used to live, as we're now basically on the corner of Stratford and Blue Course. It's weird to be on the South Side (which I say mockingly, given that the size of S.C. doesn't warrant multiple "sides"). And no, no need for a nursery anytime in the near (or distant) future. Funny, I was showing the place to Joe and he insinuated the same thing.

Hey, how are things out in the Wild Wild West? Everyone sort of slipped off without proper farewells (You and J., Jared, Brie, Rajal). It's going to be very weird around Moore building this fall, that's for sure, and you will be sorely missed--who else can I roll my eyes at when certain IST members make asses of themselves?