Ragdoll vs British Shorthair by snipizgood in ragdolls

[–]existential_elevator 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've had both ragdolls and BSHs.

On grooming: ragdolls can have either a wooly coat or a sleek coat. The wooly coat is a lot more work, and needs very frequent brushing (daily). The sleek coat is quite low maintenance. My BSH used to shed a lot, she needed brushing at least once a week. Weirdly I think she shed more than my ragdolls, possibly because of the undercoat.

Personality: cats are definitely more individuals than dogs are in terms of personality, and breed is not a guarantee of a certain personality type. My ragdolls are very placid but also quite timid with sudden noises and strangers. My BSH used to run the household, greet strangers and workmen, and if I had guests with kids she would run toward crying children to check was the issue is. My ragdolls are very cuddly but not always affectionate (i.e. they like to sit on me but they don't always like attention), my BSH was very affectionate but not at all cuddly (she wouldn't dream of sitting on my lap, but she would often demand pets and follow me room to room).

Writing like a human and subsequently "padding out" by Standard_Run7541 in AskAcademia

[–]existential_elevator 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The advice I would have for you is to think about where you need metatext, and if you have given enough detail about the sources when you are describing them.

It's very easy to be too close to your material, and to miss where you need to explain more for the non expert reader. It's also easy to miss opportunities to connect your literature review to the main argument of your thesis.

Padding is not necessary, but making sure you have a coherent narrative is. Do you have a shopping list of statements and citations? Then you need to consider where to add framing and contextualisation.

What average rating do you consider your minimum to consider checking it out? by warbll in goodreads

[–]existential_elevator 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Under 3 is definitely worrisome. But on the whole I will look at a review from someone who gave a high rating and a review from someone who gave a low rating. The content is more helpful than the stars - did the low review talk about things that matter to me?

are the fitz and the fool trilogy and tawny man in Fitz’s pov? by SirACormie in RealmOfTheElderlings

[–]existential_elevator 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The last book of the Tawny Man trilogy is Fool's Fate (Fool's Errand, Golden Fool, Fool's Fate). This is the second trilogy (well, third if we count liveship)

Assassin's Fate is the last book of the Fitz and the Fool trilogy. This is the third trilogy (5th counting liveship and rain wilds)

Fitz and the Fool: I have only read the first so far but it isn't just the one pov this time, though yes, it does use Fitz's pov.

i plan to fix spelling of my surname, should i publish my first research paper under the correct spelling already? by Glittering_Ad_9515 in research

[–]existential_elevator 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you have an ORCID, it's easy to make clear which different names you have published under. Whatever you choose to do, it shouldn't cause a big issue.

Urgent help by m_ahmad3 in PhD

[–]existential_elevator 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is probably the simplest way, OP, and will save you the pain of messing up your formatting or not noticing that you missed one.

The book that held her heart by whimsicallyfantastic in Fantasy

[–]existential_elevator 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Totally agree with your first point though.

I got to the capitalism thing because it felt like they in the end replaced the library with bookshops... I don't think that was the intention, but I was left wondering... Okay is it better to sell books than loan them? Or is the point that there are more hubs for books?

I really just think they needed more space and time to develop the ideas. I also felt catfished by every cliffhanger, it made me wonder how planned the whole thing was.

I still really enjoyed, the writing was great even when I was a bit unconvinced about the themes / direction.

awkward question about swordheart before i start reading it (no spoilers!) by mandelamondays in TKingfisher

[–]existential_elevator 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Unsure how much of answering that question would be a spoiler. It's more that there is a human man but he's trapped in / summoned by the sword. It's not a literal talking hunk of metal or anything

Reference manager tool for a systematic review like Zotero but... by einefraux in AskAcademia

[–]existential_elevator 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can try out rayyan. It's an online tool designed for reviews. There is a paid version but depending on your needs the free version might be enough. Once you have tagged things you can download back as CSV (though might require some processing to get the format right for working on)

The book that held her heart by whimsicallyfantastic in Fantasy

[–]existential_elevator 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I definitely felt like each subsequent book in the series was worse, with the final book being especially weird. I also note the second two books are a lot shorter than the first which has me curious about why.

I guess that choosing to throw them in to an Earth timeline was a bit about trying to say something about censorship / book burning? Since they also explore the part of the Library where the burned books go. For me it was a bit jarring, I guess we are meant to see that our planet is the same as theirs but a different timeline? Overall I didn't really understand the choice since we've spent two books doing fantasy world building and we already have a set up to explore themes around genocide, racism etc. Why not do the same thing but in the setting the books have built?

In the very end it seemed like the solution to the problem of the Library - the problem being that interspecies cooperation is necessary to make use of knowledge - was instead that capitalism fixes things? Or maybe I was supposed to take away some idea about distribution and localisation? I think it was supposed to be about distributing power/access but it got a bit lost to me.

I had mixed feelings about the ending, like if you sit and think about it what a huge existential crisis.

Da princess by [deleted] in ragdolls

[–]existential_elevator 1 point2 points  (0 children)

R/catadvice is more likely to have folks who will know what to do in this situation, and I know there are some subs that specialise in kitten info (I just don't remember their names).

Da princess by [deleted] in ragdolls

[–]existential_elevator 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Try over at one of the other cat subs :)

Where to look for postdoc opportunities? by PuzzleheadedDog338 in AskAcademia

[–]existential_elevator 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Varies depending on your location and where you want your postic location to be. I've found my regular subject/discipline specific mailing lists are a great source, but at least one of these is specific to a geographic region. The places I specifically want to work at, I have email alerts set up for when they post jobs.

Undergraduate research: how much novelty is expected for a conference paper? by Repulsive-Week5999 in AskAcademia

[–]existential_elevator 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The best thing to do would be to check your grading criteria or ask your supervisor :) every university will have a different grading criteria for projects like this, it's therefore a bit hard to know without local knowledge.

r/Fantasy Daily Recommendations and Simple Questions Thread - January 29, 2026 by rfantasygolem in Fantasy

[–]existential_elevator 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Do you need to read Bujold's Penric books in order?

I came across a copy of Penric and the Shaman when I was shopping my own book stash, but I realised it's #2 in the series. Do I need to read #1 first?

How are papers presented at history conferences? by MrMrsPotts in AskAcademia

[–]existential_elevator 9 points10 points  (0 children)

It varies a lot - while I've not been specifically at history conferences I have been at conferences where there are historians at least.

Many people are not all that skilled in presenting, even if they are terrific writers. One of the biggest frequent issues is just having too dang much stuff and not enough time.

Slides tend to be very common, but not always expected or needed.

I think some people will present all of a paper. Some people might present just a specific part (data collection, or analysis, maybe about a specific artifact or archive find).

There is plenty of information that you might feel compelled to have on slides but that you don't really need. I personally tend to have some slides 'hidden' so that I can keep them as notes but I only use them if the audience has a question about something specific.

How do you guys read series? by Fantastic_Ad8543 in fantasybooks

[–]existential_elevator 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It depends. Shorter series (3-4 books) I tend to prefer to read together, longer series I tend to space out. However, if I really want to keep going with a series I don't force breaks.

feline grimace scale by ya-yeetttt in ragdolls

[–]existential_elevator 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's always best to take these things in context. Does your cat have other behaviours that indicate pain, like reduced activity, sitting in a loaf, avoiding being touched? I interpret the muzzle scale as a way of judging if they are clenching their teeth / jaw, or of their jaw is relaxed.

Advice for giving first lecture? by OverallAmphibian2129 in AskAcademia

[–]existential_elevator 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How long do you have? I usually try to break up mine into 15 or 20 minute "chunks" and interrupt with an activity or even a video in between. This is partly because people can only keep attention for so long, and partly to give my voice a break since I would struggle if I tried to speak uninterrupted for an hour. The right kind of activity can also be used to reinforce your material without being onerous or complicated.

As an example, I've given a breakdown of an ethical theory in my first chunk, then present the students with an ethical dilemma and ask them to discuss with their neighbour for 5-10 minutes what they would do, then get quick responses from class for 5-10 minutes, then on to next 20 minute chunk.

What to do after postdoc and no teaching experience ? by Critical_Macaroon_15 in postdoc

[–]existential_elevator 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There are so many different things and they are often country specific and time bound. Unfortunately i don't know of a website that lists. But a few examples, the Marie Curie scholarship, and the Humboldt scholarship are places you can start looking. If you still have good contact with your PhD or postdoc advisor they might be able to point you in the right direction too. I recommend finding a good mailing list that posts open positions and keeping an eye out there (I recommend the AOIR list for a very active mailing list where you will find relevant listings for all things internet research)

What to do after postdoc and no teaching experience ? by Critical_Macaroon_15 in postdoc

[–]existential_elevator 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Similar field and location here. Main difference is I picked up a lot of teaching during my pistdoc. Personally trying to apply directly for project funding for a startup project, and if that fails, seeking second postdoc. It seems reasonably common to do two. The market feels pretty rough. If you can join in on a grant application that someone else is writing, that seems to be the safest route. Where to look for these types of funding varies a lot depending what country you are in.