The Plight of the Post-Doc

7.27.2010

Contest time!

My parents are the ultimate science/art yin and yang--Mom's a crazy smart biomed researcher, while Dad could probably recite the entire Pantone catalogue. You'd think, then, that their offspring would have been these well-rounded überkind, Renaissance Children destined for world domination. Instead, they got one of each of themselves--my sister: arty, musically inclined, naturally perfect pitch, handy with a paintbrush--and me: nerdy, science-leaning, on the math team. I can't carry a tune, nor could I re-create the simplest of drawings. But why am I telling you all of this?

It's because I need your help.

While I'm totally loving my new digs over at LabSpaces, I'm looking around my blog page and, well, the walls are a little bare. When I was setting things up I noticed that I could upload a banner, and I'd be lying if I told you I immediately knew what that meant. But now that I 
do know what a banner is, I totally want one! I feel like it could really tie the room together.

And here's where you come in! If you design a banner for me, I will love you forever. Just follow these simple rules:

1. NO COMIC SANS
2. Must say "Fumbling towards tenure track" somewhere.
3. Must look good next to my Dumbo bum avatar.
4. Must be 620px x 100 px (or thereabouts)
5. Must be emailed to dr.becca.phd [at] gmail by noon (EST) Friday, July 30.

Presuming I get more than one entry, I will pick a winner! The winning banner will become my actual banner (I may even put it up here, too), and "Banner designed by [your name or pseudonym here]" will be displayed prominently on my main blog page. Fame 
and fortune will be yours!

Thank you thank you thank you in advance, talented arty readers!

11 comments:

tideliar said...

I made my own banner for Some Lies and I think it used up all the "artistic" talent I inherited from my father. I have barely been able to even draw my paycheck since then.

*boom boom*

Good luck :)

Dr. No said...

I rather enjoy such tasks- but I have no idea how to make a banner that anyone except myself would like.

Becca said...

Thanks, tideliar :)

Dr No--As far as I can tell, I very much enjoy your aesthetic sensibilities (esp if you love Mad Men!), and I imagine that if you made me a banner that you would like, I'd probably like it, too. (NO PRESSURE)

Cortig said...

Seriously, I wouldn’t change a thing!
There is nothing wrong with not having banners and flash animations everywhere. 99% of the time they are a distraction/annoying. It always reminds me of the people sending -emails with Comic Sans/Zaft Dingbat text at 32 pt, with a crazy yellow and pink wall paper and bouncing pigs in the signature (don‘t tell me you don’t know at least one person sending e-mails like that).
I’ve played with blog styles several times myself and always regretted the more cluttered ones.

The Theme you chose for this blog works quite nicely for me. Nothing to complain about :-)
Call it purist, call it Zen, call it whatever you want: it works just fine…

JayZ said...

Are you really that egotistical to think people will make you a banner just because you have a "contest"?
Also, why would anyone do that when the quality and content of this blog is seriously lacking? I have been reading it for a few months but found nothing to hold on to. "OMG you can't find a job" like all the other postdoc bloggers. There is no conflict or central theme and you're trying to be an independent scientist and can't even judge the quality of your own work. Did you ever think that maybe famous guy wants you to be independent, as a postdoc should, and that is why he didn't comment on your manuscript?

Genomic Repairman said...

H to the Izzo,
how dare you sir. I challenge you to a thai boxing match with Tidelair! The gauntlet has been thrown biotch. And by the way Tidelair, did you get the tat filled in with color yet?

Kanye said...

JayZ, this is Kanye. Imma let you finish, but no one rips a blog like PhysioProf. You an amateur, man.

cortig said...

JayZ I don’t understand. If you found nothing you liked in the blog, why are you still reading?

Becca said...

Ah, cortig, you've hit on the age-old question asked of many a troll. Apparently my blog is the proverbial train wreck JayZ can't look away from.

JayZ, all I have to say to you is this: if the idea of doing something nice for another person simply because it's FUN is a concept so foreign to you that you felt compelled to say something, well, I'm a little sad for you.

Anonymous said...

In spite of the fact that the contest was, oh, so egotistical of you ;), I absolutely love the new banner. Great job Doctor Zen, and congrats on the move to LabSpaces Dr. Becca!

tideliar said...

Shitfuckdamn my troll baiting comment didn't make it!

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