[edit] Kat finishing thesis, so kind-of online

[Tintenfisch]

Hi gang,
Just wanted to let you know that I'll be offline for about a month. I'll be at sea from tomorrow onwards, not setting foot on land again for four weeks, under circumstances that must remain mysterious for the moment. I trust :oshea: will make all known shortly, but we have to keep it under wraps until we go.
I will try to send updates from onboard, so hopefully a few images and stories will find their way to TONMO before I get back; otherwise I'll leave it to Steve to make it all up (and if he says a word about seasickness, it's all lies, I tell you, lies!!) :roll:

Til June...

:sink:

[Steve O'Shea]

.... and she's taking my entire Neil Diamond CD collection with her too, because she's finally seen the error in her ways and now truly appreciates this mans musical talents and genius.

[Tintenfisch]

So it begins... :headphon:

I pity the rest of the building, who will have to endure the noise until I get back.

[tonmo]

Cool!! A month at sea... Say hi to the ocean for us, and happy travels!

:boat:

[WhiteKiboko]

The sea is a perfect place to dispose of offending newspaper clippings....

Mu Ha HA Ha


:cthulhu:

[Phil]

Bon voyage, Kat.

Good luck in your hunting the Great White Squid! :sink:

See you when you dock.

Phil

[um...]

:goodbye:

(I hope that ends up being kinda inappropriate)

[WhiteKiboko]

I'm sure you'll be the first to welcome her back.....


:)

[cthulhu77]

Now Kat, shouldn't you take up the generous offer of Dr. SOS and remove his entire Neil D collection for your MONTH long SEA voyage ? Just think what might happen when you were "seasick"? Oh my, the whole case of cd's might actually fall overboard, or be attacked by rampant seagulls...who knows what dark fate the music (?) might fall to ?
hehe.
Cool runnings lady !
greg

[Tintenfisch]

Thanks, guys... wouldn't you know, we've been delayed a day, so I can lurk around here for another 24 hours, getting my 'gear' and any other 'offending objects' ready to 'go.' (Greg, I like the way you think. :twisted: Checked out my quarters today and it looks like someone, or several someones, had severe mal de mer and a serious grudge against the pillow, so I think I'll be taking my own... :yuck: )

[Jean]

Thanks, guys... wouldn't you know, we've been delayed a day, so I can lurk around here for another 24 hours, getting my 'gear' and any other 'offending objects' ready to 'go.' (Greg, I like the way you think. :twisted: Checked out my quarters today and it looks like someone, or several someones, had severe mal de mer and a serious grudge against the pillow, so I think I'll be taking my own... :yuck: )


A bucket is good too..............I remember a certain boat trip where a certain squid researcher spent most of it in a bunk wishing she could die.........(& for once it wasn't me!)


AS for those "offending objects"..............they make great bucket liners!


J

[Steve O'Shea]

.... guess what she's doing..... :heee:

http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/default.asp?id=39778

Wish them all the very best; I'll keep you informed of developments (although I would imagine that there would be international press coverage of their activities), and you can always check out:

http://weblog.greenpeace.org/deepsea

[Nancy]

What a surprise! Wish you well, Kat, and all the others on this important mission! :squid: :octopus:

Nancy

[Tintenfisch]

Hi gang,
I'll be less online than usual for a few months - got a job (full-time) down at Kelly Tarlton's (where we've been raising the baby Sepioteuthis) until the end of November. Fortunately they have an octopus (named Slime) so I'll be getting my ceph fix one way or another... :wink: Stories to follow when appropriate! (Or not :roll: ).

(Too many (((())))s. ) :bugout:

[cthulhu77]

Um must be chewing his nails off by now...hehe...
look forward to the juicy gossip from down under!!!

[um...]

Yeah. :cry:

I'm happy to hear that she's staving off abject poverty, though.

:goldfish:

[Tintenfisch]

It's quite a cool job... so far the highlight has been feeding the fish in the main big tank ('big' = 'moving walkway with tunnel goes under this tank') from a small raft. (Did you know sea turtles squirt jets of water out of their nostrils when they surface to breathe?) BUT I suspect that that highlight is about to be overshadowed... they kitted me out with new dive gear today and want me in the tank tomorrow. :mrgreen: First cleaning, then feeding the smaller (bony) fish, and then when I graduate from that - the sharks and rays. 8)

:snorkel:

Oh, and I had a member of the public accost me with some questions yesterday, most of which were fairly straightforward and intelligent, but finishing with 'Can you find out what gene it is in dolphins that makes them friendly toward people, isolate it, and inject some into George Bush and Tony Blair?'

Uh... yes sir, I'll get right on it. :bugout:

[love_newf]

Um must be chewing his nails off by now...hehe...

Poor Um...
Hmmm...now would be the perfect time for me to try to steal him away from Kat. :sly:
I might not be neurotic, but I have a suspicion that I am bipolar. Come to think of it, I may have a touch of OCD as well.

[um...]

Sounds tempting (especially that part about OCD). I don't suppose any type of, er, combative activities could be arranged between you two lovely ladies to determine who gets this last remaining little scrap of my heart, eh?

Had to ask.

:squidaut:

[Clem]

Kat,

Can you find out what gene it is in elasmobranchs that makes them not bipolar, and inject it into love_newf? And, when you're finished with that,
can you find out what gene it is in sea turtles that makes them eject water out of their noses when they breathe, and inject it into me?

Congrats on your new job, it does sound like fun.

Clem

[cthulhu77]

to quote our current leader:
"shock and awe" :shock:

[love_newf]

I don't suppose any type of, er, combative activities could be arranged between you two lovely ladies to determine who gets this last remaining little scrap of my heart, eh?


Yikes, are you suggesting a cat fight with Kat? :goofysca: I was thinking more along the lines of a puff pastry eating contest. Or maybe you could post a challenge - something like drinking a bristle worm milkshake. Kat and I could then write in and say either " I completed the challenge in less than three minutes!" or "Sorry, I choked." Then, the loser could get sprayed with water from Clem's nose.

[Jean]

Hi Kat,

Have fun at Kelly's

As for silly questions from the public......I was on duty yesterday and got asked if I thought it would be OK to get a seahorse as company for the goldfish (in the same tank!)...........................& I don't think they were joking!!!!! :shock: Cos the seahorses weresooooooo beautiful!

J

[Tintenfisch]

Hi guys,
Just coming up for a quick breath after catching up on everything... I am still around somewhere, sometimes, but am also rather beset with jobs (3) and visiting Americans (including me dear old Dad). But I do drop in and will try to do so more frequently! Will also try to get some good shots of Slime, our Octopus gibbsi. In the meantime, here's me feeding the ravening hordes in the fishtank.

:snorkel:

http://www.tonmo.com/phpBB/download.php?id=3239

[TPOTH]

In the meantime, here's me feeding the ravening hordes in the fishtank.

:snorkel:

Checking for missing fingers... very good ... always useful ;)

TPOTH

[tonmo]

Very cool pic. We look forward to a less hectic schedule for you... Say hi to Dad for us! :)

[cthulhu77]

Great pic, Kat...looks like you have found a bunch of friends!!

[Steve O'Shea]

Checking for missing fingers... very good ... always useful ;)

She's learning to subtract?

[um...]

And thus is born my "Chicks With Regulators" fetish. Beats mermaids any day.

Kat, I am so glad that you're finding at least one job enjoyable. It's gotta be worth losing a finger or two to not have to answer phones all day.

[TPOTH]

And thus is born my "Chicks With Regulators" fetish. Beats mermaids any day.
mmmm...dunno....

I see...i see pay-per-view.... i see Celebrity Deathmatch....
"Chick with regulator" vs "Mermaid" !!!
Forget Tyson vs "Tetraplegic Badger" !
Forget Neil Diamond vs Rammstein!

This IS the match of the century!!!
(this program hasn't be rated yet, discretion is advised)
(mudslingers welcome)


Kat, I am so glad that you're finding at least one job enjoyable. It's gotta be worth losing a finger or two to not have to answer phones all day.
and there is no way back...after losing a few fingers, it becomes really hard to answer the phone... unless you tape yr mobile to yr head....mmmm
*considering new career*

TPOTH

[WhiteKiboko]

i just pray :canada: doesnt share with us his dream of being fed by :twisted: .....

maybe kat photocopied him to death, then maybe it might be worth listneing to his dreams.......


:cthulhu: :heart: :beer:

[Tintenfisch]

Hi everybody,
You probably didn't think this was possible after the past few months, but... until early January I'll most likely be online even less. Finishing the job at Kelly's next week, and am headed off on Friday on a rather large trip to various corners of the earth... England (where I'll see Phil!), Norway, the U.S. and then a thaw-out in Tahiti over New Year's. :wink: But if I see any cephs along the way, I'll let everyone know, and when I get back to Auckland (and AUT, and my degree - all fingers, toes, tentacles and arms crossed!!!) I'll be back in full force.
Watch out, Steve. :twisted:

[cthulhu77]

Have a fun trip ! expect pics upon your return!!!!
greg

[Steve O'Shea]

.....I'll be back in full force.
Watch out, Steve. :twisted:

:goofysca:

May the Force be with you

[Melissa]

am headed off on Friday on a rather large trip to various corners of the earth... England (where I'll see Phil!), Norway, the U.S. and then a thaw-out in Tahiti over New Year's. :wink:

TTF, be sure to go to the Natural History Museum with Phil. I learned a lot that day and I'm still learning from the book he pointed me to (John Maisey's Discovering Fossil Fishes).

Enjoy yourself!

Melissa

[Tintenfisch]

[hauls self out of hiding under dark Auckland rock, peering cautiously at new format]
[logs on for the first time in about two months :oops: ]

:shock: Over 3000 new posts... and a new format... I guess I deserve that. It will be a busy few weeks for me... !!!

The trip was great, BMNH was amazing (and thanks to Phil for a great tour through the exhibits!) - photo attached as proof - and I saw the Mesonychoteuthis Holotype (will post photos of that soon too) and some other very interesting stuff!

So... I'm around again, will just need a few weeks to read up on everything that's been going on. Oh, happy 2005, everybody!

[cthulhu77]

Sooooo....THAT was post # 666...guess that was what the bible was talking about!!!!

[Tintenfisch]

Perhaps I should change this thread title to 'Kat online for the foreseeable future' ...

You see, I had a call from Immigration yesterday. They have been waiting for about four months on one piece of documentation needed to complete my (otherwise finished) application for NZ permanent residency. Apparently they have had several other cases like mine recently, where the apps are very solid except for this missing piece of documentation, and they have wanted to waive it but have been unable to. So they took my application to the Minister of Immigration as a test case - and he approved it! So, looks like I'm staying. 8-) It will take them a few weeks to get all the paperwork done, but after 15 months of waiting, I can stand it a little longer. Thereafter, I will be able to stay, live, work, travel in and out of NZ... and re-enroll to finish my PhD!!!!

:party:

[um...]

:roflmao: (Cartwheels--you'll just have to imagine the arms and legs.)

[ArchyNorth]

Yay!! Congratulations Kat. :smile:

[Jean]

Congrats Kat and welcome back to the ranks of the enslaved in dark foul smelling dungeons (PhD students in squid labs!!!!)


J

[Steve O'Shea]

:roflmao: (Cartwheels--you'll just have to imagine the arms and legs.)

... and all the middle bits

[um...]

Well, yeah... I guess those are the bits that make it fun, eh?

:kiwiflag:

[Melissa]

Congrats, Kat! Freedom of movement is really good.

Melissa

[Phil]

Congrats Kat, and well done! Very good news indeed. :glass:

(See, us Immigration chaps aren't all bad! :wink: )

[cthulhu77]

Well, yeah... I guess those are the bits that make it fun, eh?

:kiwiflag:

One track mind, you have...jeez, and here I love Kat for her stunning phraseology ! :)
Congrats on being able to stay where the trout fishing is sublime!!! Hope you can make it to the states in August though...wouldn't be the same without you!
g-fresh

[Tintenfisch]

I am hoping to be there! :smile:

[corw314]

Congrats!!!!! Bet that's a load off your mind!!!

Carol

[WhiteKiboko]

Congrats... tis good that Steve didnt succeed in deporting you for 'redecorating' his office......

:twisted:

[Clem]

That's great news, Kat. It's nice when things work out. Tension melting away...

[Tintenfisch]

Time to go gallivanting once again! Off to the States tomorrow on a hybrid vacation-research sojourn (the best kind :wink:) until late July, so I will be a reduced online presence til then. Hope to compensate when I get back with wild tales of travel and taxonomic adventure in the Smithsonian collections though...

[DHyslop]

What's on the itinerary other than Washtington?

Dan

[Tintenfisch]

Oooooh, let's see, Minnesota, Boston, quick stops in New York & Philadelphia, and then DC, North Carolina and Denver. Not that I'm excited... :mrgreen:

[sorseress]

Have fun and enjoy the lake!:grin:

[Phil]

Have a great trip Kat. I hope you have a humpback whale of a time!

[DHyslop]

That sounds like a load of fun!

[Tintenfisch]

Well, I'm back. And all caught up on the forums, I think... :shock: checked in a couple times while I was in the States but never got a chance to really read any of the threads.
Unfortunately my plans to meet several TONMOers on the East Coast fell through, so I'll just have to come back. :twisted: ... But I did get to visit main_board at home in :canada: , and so did a certain laminated someone else! :twisted: :twisted:
The Smithsonian was great. I am hopefully loaning some very interesting things I saw there, and am writing up the rest of the observations I made in the meantime. My final week got flooded out apart from one half-day, which was very frustrating, but all was not lost - I got to head over to an off-site facility to visit the big Moroteuthis robusta specimens instead!
Anyway, nice to be back. In 8 layers of clothing and clutching a cup of tea.

[sorseress]

Welcome back! Glad to see you and that certain someone!

[tonmo]

Welcome back! Yes, next time...

[bobwonderbuns]

Welcome back Kat! How are you adjusting to the climate changes of scorching here and freezing there?

[cuttlegirl]

Welcome back Kat!

[OB]

Hear hear!

[cthulhu77]

...thought the boards had a certain smell of ambergris. Glad to see you returned safe and sound from your traumatic journey to the northern tundra!

[main_board]

Northern tundra?!?! Humbug!

Glad that you made it home safe and sound, Kat. It was great to host you and all your, umm...company. Oh, just recently they cut that wheat field out back. Needless to say, lots and lots of fun now! :wink:

Cheers!

[Tintenfisch]

Once again I will be offline for a while - I leave on Friday for the first of two big research trips this year, and will be in South Africa (Cape Town) for two weeks, followed by six weeks in the US, returning around mid-July. Hopefully I will have good stories to tell when I get back! I imagine there will be a few interesting moments on the trip to Cape Town alone, since I am traveling with several small squid specimens and a box of dead weevils (returning them to the Museum for another NZ borrower). Stay tuned. :roll: In the meantime I'll check in when I can, but might be fairly quiet overall... I'll miss you guys though!

[monty]

keep an eye out for Tremoctopus!

And have a good trip, of course!

[sorseress]

Take care and have fun!

[Jean]

bye, enjoy!!!

J

[Steve O'Shea]

Take care and have fun!

But not too much fun!!

[Tintenfisch]

:twisted:

[cuttlegirl]

Is Neil joining you on this trip???

[Tintenfisch]

Come on, I don't want to be vomiting the whole time... :roll:
Besides, haven't seen him in years. :angel:

[OB]

Neil lives....

[Tintenfisch]

Well, I'm off again, for another two months. Museums in Europe and Japan this time. Will try to stop in when I can, but in the meantime, be good... :wink:
See you for sure in late November!

[Tintenfisch]

Back in NZ again! I saw lots of good stuff in the collections at the Museum Natural Histoire Naturelle (Paris), the British Museum of Natural History (London), the Zoological Museum of the Universitetet i Bergen, and the National Science Museum in Tokyo (and had a great visit with :drk:, who hadn't even seen his icon yet! But now he knows :smile:). Got lots of good data and now... well, now I just have to finish my thesis. :shock:

[Phil]

Welcome back Kat!

Glad you made it back in one piece, I hope your specimens survived the trip intact! It was great to see you, even if it was only briefly!

[Brock Fluharty]

Specimens you sayyy?!?!?

=)))

[Tintenfisch]

All specimens made it back intact - I had about 3 with me for most of the trip, then picked up about another 45 in Japan to take home... :roll: probably not worth thinking about the bill for shipping everything back next year. In the meantime, new specimens to play with!! And thousands and thousands of photos to log and copy collection data from... :bugout:

[Brock Fluharty]

Are we talking live specimens or preserved?

Any pics that you can show us? Or is it classified stuff?

=)

[Tintenfisch]

All preserved, so probably not that exciting to most people (of course, the TONMO community isn't 'most people' :roll:), but I can certainly post a few pics of pickled squid sprawled in lab trays if you want to see them.

[Brock Fluharty]

Oooh!

I love preserved organisms. Please post pics at your leisure!

[Tintenfisch]

Hi all,

Deep apologies for falling into a black hole lately. I'm looking at submitting my thesis in about 3 weeks (just before all the colossal stuff happens) so I'm likely to keep fairly quiet until early May, but I do have some articles and pics I'd like to post as soon as I get the chance.

:bonk:

[monty]

:fingerscrossed:

[sorseress]

Tentacles crossed.

[Jean]

Go Kat go!!! Best of luck

J

[Tintenfisch]

Thanks guys! So far so good :smile:

[Thales]

Go Kat Go!

[cuttlegirl]

The end is in sight! Good luck!