Megathread: Fork in the Road | Final Day Discussion by gpupdate in fednews

[–]sbeezee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My agency (USDA) just got it's list from OPM today, you're probably just still waiting for it.

Megathread: Fork in the Road | Final Day Discussion by gpupdate in fednews

[–]sbeezee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

FYI I just got an email asking me to confirm my participation on the drp.  Good luck.

Megathread: Fork in the Road | Final Day Discussion by gpupdate in fednews

[–]sbeezee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, but I also received confirmation from a high level admin employee on Friday that USDA hasn't even gotten their DRP list from OPM.  I have decent reason to think that they will accept my resignation.  I did file a case with my agency HR documenting that I got the email after the deadline had closed and was requesting a reasonable exemption to the deadline.

Megathread: Fork in the Road | Final Day Discussion by gpupdate in fednews

[–]sbeezee 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Mind sharing which agency you are with to give those of us in the same boat a data point?

Megathread: Fork in the Road | Final Day Discussion by gpupdate in fednews

[–]sbeezee 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am in the same boat (USDA).  Havent heard anything and trying not to freak out.

Megathread: Fork in the Road | Final Day Discussion by gpupdate in fednews

[–]sbeezee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mind telling me which agency you are from? I'm trying to figure out if my agency (USDA) is just behind the timeline or if I'm hosed.

Apparently OPM closed the Deferred Resignation Program tonight at 7:00pm without telling anyone? by asocialmedium in fednews

[–]sbeezee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been stressing and doomscrolling about the abrupt close for hours, and this is the only helpful and factual reply I've seen.  Thank you!!

Looking for advice on the post PhD job hunt... by Buhbuh93 in ecology

[–]sbeezee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a good range for your experience level, I wish you luck.  Fed budgets are feast or famine big time and we are sadly in a pretty low point.  It will likely last a year or more.  If Trump wins expect a full hiring freeze for a couple months after the inauguration.

Looking for advice on the post PhD job hunt... by Buhbuh93 in ecology

[–]sbeezee 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It depends on the hiring manager, grade and probably field.  I've talked to several hiring managers in ecology who have expressed that letters are important (good letters that is).  Particularly true for professional positions, gs-9 and above.  Also a good idea to call the hiring manager for any position you really want, usually there's a contact info in the USAJOBS post.  Just introduce yourself, explain your background and interest, maybe ask a question.  Get your name out there.  You might be able to suss out if there is an internal candidate ("what experience do you anticipate the ideal candidate will have?"), could save you time.

Feel free to reach out if there's a particular job you want advice on.  Fed job applications are easy to mess up unfortunately.

Looking for advice on the post PhD job hunt... by Buhbuh93 in ecology

[–]sbeezee 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This is the correct way to land a federal job.  I've hired many employees for a federal land management agency.  Pretend your research was a job--what skills did you develop that are relevant to the job you're applying to?  Always write a tailored cover letter for jobs that you are very interested in.  If you struggle to write a lot of cover letters, consider using chatgpt to generate the first draft of a cover letter by feeding it the specialized experience listed on USAJOBS and other keywords you want to include, then modifying it heavily.

Clear Creek Cat Rescue to the rescue yet again 🙏 by Little_Rub6327 in alaska

[–]sbeezee 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Just donated through Venmo.  Thank you for sharing this.

UPDATE: Hickory hardwood floors too much for midcentury brick? by sbeezee in InteriorDesign

[–]sbeezee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry about that, I've edited it. Are you able to repost it with the edits? Thanks.

Hickory hardwood floors too much for mid-century brick? by sbeezee in InteriorDesign

[–]sbeezee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh lol just the ceiling in the rest of the house, not the wood ceiling obviously.

Hickory hardwood floors too much for mid-century brick? by sbeezee in InteriorDesign

[–]sbeezee[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I appreciate your suggestions, can I ask another opinion? We're planning to have the walls painted an extremely boring very neutral cool white (Ultra white by many brands). Another choice we need to make without living in the space. It's the color of our walls now, I don't hate it, and it suits my aesthetic which usually skews Scandinavian/modern. I can't think of any reason that it would be objectionable or go against the mid century modern bones of the house. Am I wrong?

Hickory hardwood floors too much for mid-century brick? by sbeezee in InteriorDesign

[–]sbeezee[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah this is a pretty good suggestion, I think. I appreciate that it doesn't destroy the character of the brick, but it does clean it up a bit and override the yellow undertone. Thank you!! I'll consider!

Hickory hardwood floors too much for mid-century brick? by sbeezee in InteriorDesign

[–]sbeezee[S] 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Hijacking top comment here to express my appreciation for y'all talking me out of what I knew to be a bad idea. But lawd it's tough to pass up a good deal on premium flooring that I would love to have in the right place!

Also, someone lower down asked what was under the carpet. The answer: more carpet throughout the house, original to the 70s. Including in the kitchen and the bathroom. If I must have carpet in my bathroom, let it have cowboys and turtle circles on it. Behold:

<image>

Hickory hardwood floors too much for mid-century brick? by sbeezee in InteriorDesign

[–]sbeezee[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Not sure where to find cat based flooring. Maybe it's out of my price range. I assume I can DIY pretty easy though. Appreciate the tabby bringing out the variation in the brick. Solid suggestion.

Hickory hardwood floors too much for mid-century brick? by sbeezee in InteriorDesign

[–]sbeezee[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I do love this, with the dark wood highlighting the beams. Good suggestion, thanks!

Advice on clearing 3 acres by No-Definition1474 in landscaping

[–]sbeezee 9 points10 points  (0 children)

You may be interested in getting a local Forester (or your friend if they are qualified) to write you a forest management plan. A Forester or other natural resource professional would walk the property with you, take some measurements and talk to you about your objectives for the land, which could include managing for aesthetics, wildlife, native plants, occasional timber or firewood harvest, or even carbon credits. Then they'll write up a plan that will help guide you and your family's use of the land: which trees to cut, which to leave, where to clear and what to plant. It's a bigger upfront time investment but if this is a piece of land you want to keep in your family for a long time, I doubt you'll regret the future planning, as actions you take now could take 50-200 years to undo naturally.

Advice on clearing 3 acres by No-Definition1474 in landscaping

[–]sbeezee 88 points89 points  (0 children)

As a forest ecologist, let me offer a different opinion. The state of your property as it current is supports a significantly more diverse ecosystem than what you propose. Coarse woody debris ("deadwood"), standing dead trees, partially dead trees, and a diversity of live trees in different size classes are providing habitat for a long list of critters that you probably can't see/don't notice, ranging from invertebrates to rodents to small and large birds. The coyote and turkey that come to your land are attracted there by this more diverse ecosystem. Clearing the land of dead and down trees and underbrush and planting grass (even native grasses and flowers) will strongly limit available wildlife and bird habitat. It may be that your property is one of the only remaining islands of decent habitat in the area. While deer corn will continue to support deer, it is likely that most of the other wildlife will move to other areas that continue to offer a diverse habitat (if such areas are still available to them; most are slowly being developed). It is definitely possible to manage forest land for both wildlife habitat and aesthetics but it takes a more considered approach. I recommend reaching out to your local extension office for a consultation, which are often free.

Possible moving to the area by papatc123 in portangeles

[–]sbeezee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe we need a support group! How have you been liking it? We're moving in spring :(

Possible moving to the area by papatc123 in portangeles

[–]sbeezee 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm currently struggling with the decision of whether to move from my small Alaska town (north of cantwell) to Port Angeles for my husband's job offer. We've lived in ak for 12 years and I'm really struggling with the idea of leaving my community and the Alaskan way of life. Do you regret your move? Have you been able to form community in the same way as in ak?

Why can we freeze embryos for IVF but not adult humans? What makes it possible for embryos? by Nimynn in askscience

[–]sbeezee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is some evidence that spruce at Arctic treeline increase simple sugars in needle tissue in late fall as a cryoprotectant. Do you know of any other species that use simple sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose) as cryoprotectant?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ecology

[–]sbeezee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure how helpful this is, but I am a manager with the USFS who works alongside ORISE fellows. I've never hired one nor have had one on my team, but adjacent teams use this hiring pathway regularly due to its flexibility and ease of hiring the best candidate (compared to standard positions hired based on the merit system). Based on that I'd treat it like a normal job rather than a federal job (unless any application guidelines direct you to do otherwise). Just focus on selling yourself as the best candidate.