Growing up, I always pretended that I was a witch or vampire princess. Yes, with a castle, sparkly black dresses with fluffy skirts, and legions of minions and flying monkeys that would do my bidding.

My friends and I used to run around school all day pretending we were mermaids. Good times.

My friends and I used to run around school all day pretending we were mermaids.

There is something wrong with this sentence.

Maybe they were the kind with the upper-body of a fish.

There's only so long you can sit around with your ankles crossed pretending it's a tail. Eventually you have to hoof it if you want to move.

Did you walk like every step was like a thousand knives?

I never played at princess, wise woman or mermaid. I mostly played spaceship captain or Doctor Who's assistant.

But the relationship between you and your advisor has grown too toxic for you to keep working in it. So go around him.

I did this with my supervisor (=advisor) for my MA dissertation. She's nice enough, but we had serious clashes of both personality and academic interest. I ended up asking the head of my course to be my second supervisor. I only saw the course head a couple of times, but it was enough to help. Hil, can you do something similar?

Also, Hil, I'd be happy to look at your teaching statement. I've mostly taught at the high school level, but I have a small amount of college-level teaching experience. And I've written many a teaching statement. Profile addy works.

In other academic news, I was awake half the night in a panic about whether I can finish my research and writing up in the four weeks that I have. It's only this morning that I've remembered some 'cheats' that will help a lot, including recycling other papers to some extent. What is it about night-time and these things? Weirdness.

Hil, I would strongly advise you to find another professor that you can work with on your writing, even if you don't officially switch advisors. But the relationship between you and your advisor has grown too toxic for you to keep working in it. So go around him.

An idea occurred to me last night - what if you got that article that you wanted to post all polished up without waiting on the advisor, then sent him an email that says, "Here it is. I know you are busy and do not always have time to reply, so I'm going to post it on ___ day. If you have any suggestions, etc. please get back to me before then." Then just forge blithely ahead without him. When he complains that he did not want you to post it without his approval, you say, 'oh but you did approve - after all, if there were a real problem, you would have gotten back to me before I posted it, as per the email dated the ____."

Of course, I thought that up just before my fever broke last night, so take it for what you will.

Nora, I'm sorry about your aunt. And I hope the cancer is a type and stage that can be dealt with quickly and without too much trauma.

Okay, woke up with this in my head and I have to get it out there.

It's a filk.

I KNOW, right?

Anyway...

Elric the pasty emo
Had white skin and crimson eyes
And if you ever met him
You would see how much he cries
All of the other Imrryr
Used to laugh and call him names
They never let poor Elric
Join in any Imrryr games

Then one bloody, mis'rable day
Arioch came to say
"Elric with your skin so white
Won't! You be my slave tonight?"

Now all the other Imrryr
Are burnt to ash and smold'ring coals
'Cause Elric the pasty emo
Has a sword that feasts on souls!

Sorry. Had to be done.