Re: "stupid" questions

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From:"Karen D. Larison" <LARISONK@UONEURO.uoregon.edu>
To:histonet@Pathology.swmed.edu
Reply-To:
Date:Wed, 09 Jun 1999 09:53:08 -0800
Content-Type:

I inherited this lab from a woman who started out as a fairly decent histologist 
but as time progressed, failed to ask "stupid questions", and instead isolated 
herself as the expert.  As a consequence, walking into this lab is like walking 
into a lab circa 1980.  I have a cryostat that was obsolete when it was purchased, 
no disposable blades or microtomes that will accomodate them, an old jerryrigged 
rotor for handprocessing, etc., etc.  I am infinitely grateful for the knowledge 
I've gleaned in the past year from tuning into the histonet.  It has been 
invaluable to me.  If I had known more, I would had taken one look at this lab and 
run the other way. -Karen in Oregon



Date:          Wed, 09 Jun 1999 08:19:35 -0500
From:          Barry Rittman <brittman@mail.db.uth.tmc.edu>
Subject:       Re: "stupid" questions
To:            histonet@pathology.swmed.edu

Bob,
        really.  You have extensive experience in many areas and should realize 
that
some users of the histonet have very limited or even no histology experience. If 
someone
asks what may appear to some to be a stupid question, its probably because they 
don't
know where to start to look for the answer. Other question could on the surface be
solved using "common sense". The question is "what is common sense". In many cases
common sense is really previous experience.
A lot of what I see I also regard as basic questions that could be easily answered 
by
looking in the appropriate text. However say you are a beginner and have no idea 
of what
the appropriate text is and no one in your workplace to ask.
Sometimes very basic questions go to the heart of the  matter and may be 
questioning
things which we have accepted because of common practice.
If you have a question, even a really basic one,  please ask it, you may be 
helping
others.
Barry

rschoonh@sph.unc.edu wrote:

> The only "STUPID QUESTION" is the one that wasn't asked, then that question 
causes
> mistakes.  Ask away folks and if you're afraid the question is to "basic" for 
the
> Histonet feel free to ask me directly, I may not be able to answer right away 
but I
> will reply and I will certainly not put anyone down for asking any kind of 
question.
>
> -- Begin original message --
>
> > From: Erwin Haas <agoura@jps.net>
> > Date: Tue, 08 Jun 1999 19:45:27 -0700
> > Subject: Re: cassettes
> >
> > I do not understand what is going on. Every week some stupid question: 
pencils.
> > water bath ,blades etc. Most of you are lab Mgr. can you make a educated 
decision
> > on your own or you always have somebody make it for you? Get the #2,3, or any
> > pencil which works for you  clean the blades with any solvent  which removes 
the
> > oil, get any water bath which will do the job. Please make a decision and  get 
on
> > with it.
> > Erwin
> -- End original message --
>
> best regards,
> Bob
> Robert Schoonhoven
> Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis and Mutagenesis
> Dept. of Environmental Sciences and Engineering
> University of North Carolina
> CB#7400
> Chapel Hill, NC 27599
> Phone
> office 919-966-6343
>    Lab 919-966-6140
>    Fax 919-966-6123
>
> **Suppose you were an idiot... And suppose you were a member of Congress ...
> But I repeat myself.-Mark Twain**






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