Thursday, June 24, 2010
13.1 miles
For the past few months, Kaddi has been training for the Utah Valley half-marathon, which she ran two weeks ago. She finished the 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 25 minutes. We couldn't be more proud of her.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Wayne America
Last week I accepted a tenure track offer from Wayne State College in Nebraska. I'll be the non-western historian in a department of four historians, four political scientists, and two geographers.
A few weeks ago I traveled out to Wayne to interview. Here's a few pictures from the trip.
On the drive from Omaha to Wayne, a scenic spot overlooking the Missouri River Valley.
One of the red-brick streets near the college.
The social sciences building where my office would be located - I hope I have an office.
The administration building at the entrance to Wayne State College.
A few weeks ago I traveled out to Wayne to interview. Here's a few pictures from the trip.
On the drive from Omaha to Wayne, a scenic spot overlooking the Missouri River Valley.
One of the red-brick streets near the college.
The social sciences building where my office would be located - I hope I have an office.
The administration building at the entrance to Wayne State College.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
ESL
This morning I received the following email. It's from a foreign language student who's concerned about the material on the 'review sheet.' At least, that what I'm hoping he was trying to write.
Dear Professor,
Hey I am sorry to bother you. I lost my review shit and I do not remember how much of the new information and old information is coming in the test. If I am correct I need to study everything. Is that correct?
And once again I'm reminded of my experience in Thailand, wondering how many time I said similarly offensive things and people were too embarassed to point them out to me. When you're a cultural outsider you can get away with a lot.
Dear Professor,
Hey I am sorry to bother you. I lost my review shit and I do not remember how much of the new information and old information is coming in the test. If I am correct I need to study everything. Is that correct?
And once again I'm reminded of my experience in Thailand, wondering how many time I said similarly offensive things and people were too embarassed to point them out to me. When you're a cultural outsider you can get away with a lot.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Retro Photo
Today my dad emailed me a few photos from years gone past. Angela's hair might be even better than mine.
Jake on the boat at St. Mary's reservoir, Summer 1999.
Angela and I getting ready to climb Chief Mountain, 1988?
The Griswold family vacation at the Grand Canyon, summer 1986.
Jake on the boat at St. Mary's reservoir, Summer 1999.
Angela and I getting ready to climb Chief Mountain, 1988? 
The Griswold family vacation at the Grand Canyon, summer 1986.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Kaddi's Shoes
These are my shoes. They are my running shoes, at least that is how they were labeled at the runner's store. Yes, they have been running shoes, but they have also been walking shoes, jogging shoes, and tennis shoes. Sadly, none of these quite describe what they have been in the past several months: space shoes. This means that their only current purpose is to take up "space" in my closet. I have felt quite guilty about this for some time now, especially since I belong to a gym and our winter was not the only excuse for my laziness.
Although this guilt has been building and festering, it hasn't been enough to get me up and out of my bed at 5:30 am. Yes - 5:30 AM is the only time I can exercise. Last year when I joined the gym I did quite well at getting up this early. Mainly due to Shane's taunting if I didn't get up. If the alarm went off and I failed to rise he would make some comment like, "what happened, did the power go out and the alarm not go off?" To make the sarcasm cease I got up. (Unfortunatey this did not make Shane end his sacrasm in every other area of our lives, I'm still working on that one.) Once I stopped working out the sarcastic comments returned but they've had no affect on a sleeping Kaddi. I was as lazy as the days of summer. Yada, Yada, Yada fall came I got busy, Yada, Yada, Yada, here we are.
Here comes the point of my tale. Everyday I pick Jake up from elementary and take him to the Middle School for math and on my way for the past two weeks I see this banner. It's for the Utah Valley Marathon/half marathon. For those of you who do not know I have wanted to run a marathon for some time now and have yet to even come close. So, I've decided to split the difference and run a half marathon. Maybe if I can finish it then I can move on to the "real thing". So, I registered for the 13.1 miles of pain. I can't wait.
The purpose of this post is to hopefully give me the jump start I need to train. I figured that if I put my goal out there, into the cosmos where family and friends know then maybe I will feel more of an urgency to train, even if it has to be at the crack of dawn. If I fail and lay in bed day after day hitting the snooze button it can only be due to the lack of support and encouragement from those I care about. Seriously, I reasoned that if others knew my goal then that would give me the incentive I needed to train and finish my goal.
If there are any friends or family out there who will be in provo June 12th, run with me. It's "Pain YOU ENJOY."
Sunday, January 24, 2010
One Weekend
We had quite a weekend here.
The YM leaders in our ward have been encouraging the boys to memorize the duties of Aaronic Priesthood holders. Every week someone brings a cake as a reward to the person who can recite the entire mantra. A few weeks ago, it was Jake who successfully completed the task. Consumate showman that he is, he did it while drinking a glass of water and riding a unicycle.
Kaddi and Meg spent their Saturday building an igloo using small bucket sized snow-bricks. As you can see, their project was only half completed before the zoning commission came by and shut us down because we didn't have the right permits for an eskimo-dwelling on the property. I think someone in the local homeowner's association ratted us out.
And what was I doing during all of this? I really can't remember...
The YM leaders in our ward have been encouraging the boys to memorize the duties of Aaronic Priesthood holders. Every week someone brings a cake as a reward to the person who can recite the entire mantra. A few weeks ago, it was Jake who successfully completed the task. Consumate showman that he is, he did it while drinking a glass of water and riding a unicycle.
Kaddi and Meg spent their Saturday building an igloo using small bucket sized snow-bricks. As you can see, their project was only half completed before the zoning commission came by and shut us down because we didn't have the right permits for an eskimo-dwelling on the property. I think someone in the local homeowner's association ratted us out.
And what was I doing during all of this? I really can't remember...
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Timber Lakes
This Thanksgiving we spent time with friends from California up in a cabin west of Heber City. There was much fun to be had.
Luke and Madison
Kaddi and an unidentified woman in a puffy coat.
Jake tears up the mud.
Brownies
Meggie and her snowman.
Kaddi and an unidentified woman in a puffy coat.
Jake tears up the mud.
Brownies
Meggie and her snowman.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
The Lecture
Here's the internet feed for the International Studies Center lecture that I gave yesterday.
The Trauma of Lost Territory
After watching it I realized that the lights were set for someone shorter, casting a shadow on my face that makes me look like Nosferatu.
After the lecture was over, a kindly old lady came up and told me she really liked my sweater.
The Trauma of Lost Territory
After watching it I realized that the lights were set for someone shorter, casting a shadow on my face that makes me look like Nosferatu.
After the lecture was over, a kindly old lady came up and told me she really liked my sweater.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
On the market
The Ph.D. is finished, but in many ways it was a hollow victory. The real prize is the tenure-track job that would allow me to begin paying back all the money I've borrowed to get this far.
Last year I sent out six applications, and had one interview. With my degree complete, the total for this year is now twenty-six applications and counting. On Wednesday I had a videoconference interview with Zayed University, which went well despite the technical difficulties.
Below is a list of the universities where I've applied already (and a nifty map). Here's hoping the job market is kinder this year.
1) Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia.
2) Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, New York.
3) Crichton College in Memphis, Tennessee.
4) Wayneburg State University in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.
5) Zayed University in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
6) Salem State College in Salem, Massachusetts.
7) University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio.
8) Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts.
9) University of Wisconsin-Lacross in Lacrosse, Wisconsin.
10) Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas
11) West Virginia State University in Institute, West Virginia.
12) Monash University in Clayton, Australia.
13) University of Alaska-Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska.
14) University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie in Allendale, South Carolina.
15) Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey.
16) Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.
17) St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, New York.
18) Berkeley College in New York City, New York.
19) Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
20) California State University at Long Beach in Long Beach, California.
Applications to be sent:
21) University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware.
22) Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah
23) Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario.
24) University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menominee, Wisconsin.
25) Rice University in Houston, Texas (post-doc).
26) Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana (post-doc).
Last year I sent out six applications, and had one interview. With my degree complete, the total for this year is now twenty-six applications and counting. On Wednesday I had a videoconference interview with Zayed University, which went well despite the technical difficulties.
Below is a list of the universities where I've applied already (and a nifty map). Here's hoping the job market is kinder this year.
1) Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia.
2) Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, New York.
3) Crichton College in Memphis, Tennessee.
4) Wayneburg State University in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.
5) Zayed University in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
6) Salem State College in Salem, Massachusetts.
7) University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio.
8) Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts.
9) University of Wisconsin-Lacross in Lacrosse, Wisconsin.
10) Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas
11) West Virginia State University in Institute, West Virginia.
12) Monash University in Clayton, Australia.
13) University of Alaska-Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska.
14) University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie in Allendale, South Carolina.
15) Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey.
16) Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.
17) St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, New York.
18) Berkeley College in New York City, New York.
19) Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
20) California State University at Long Beach in Long Beach, California.
Applications to be sent:
21) University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware.
22) Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah
23) Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario.
24) University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menominee, Wisconsin.
25) Rice University in Houston, Texas (post-doc).
26) Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana (post-doc).
Monday, November 09, 2009
Scene and Heard
A few days ago the following conversation took place at our home:
Kaddi: Jake's Scoutmaster just called. They need to meet at the church on Friday at 4 PM because they're going on an overnight campout.
ME: Super!
Kaddi: He's supposed to take a 'tin-foil dinner' with him. So, I need you to get on the internet and found out what that is.
ME: I don't need to get on the internet. I already know what's in a tin-foil dinner.
Kaddi: What's in it?
ME: It's just hamburger meat and potatoes and carrots wrapped up in tinfoil. Sometimes people put in onions for flavor. You stick it on the coals and let it cook.
Kaddi: That doesn't sound right. Will you just look it up, please?
ME: Kaddi, I've been on lots of these campouts. I've eaten plenty of tin-foil dinners. That's exactly what it is.
Kaddi: Well, he doesn't like any of those things. So use the internet to find a different kind of tin-foil dinner.
ME: (after checking several websites) Look, here's several recipes for tin-foil dinners and they are all some variation of the formula I already told you.
Kaddi: Why would anyone want to eat that? That doesn't make any sense. He's already going to be sleeping on the ground. It's going to be cold out there. And then he has to eat tin-foil hamburger? That's not any fun.
ME: (Knowing I should just keep silent but foolishly deciding to speak) No, it's not fun. It's camping.
Post-script: Jake did go to the campout with a tin foil package containing sirloin steak and some carrots. He did eat it. He did sleep on the ground in the cold. And he did have fun.
Kaddi: Jake's Scoutmaster just called. They need to meet at the church on Friday at 4 PM because they're going on an overnight campout.
ME: Super!
Kaddi: He's supposed to take a 'tin-foil dinner' with him. So, I need you to get on the internet and found out what that is.
ME: I don't need to get on the internet. I already know what's in a tin-foil dinner.
Kaddi: What's in it?
ME: It's just hamburger meat and potatoes and carrots wrapped up in tinfoil. Sometimes people put in onions for flavor. You stick it on the coals and let it cook.
Kaddi: That doesn't sound right. Will you just look it up, please?
ME: Kaddi, I've been on lots of these campouts. I've eaten plenty of tin-foil dinners. That's exactly what it is.
Kaddi: Well, he doesn't like any of those things. So use the internet to find a different kind of tin-foil dinner.
ME: (after checking several websites) Look, here's several recipes for tin-foil dinners and they are all some variation of the formula I already told you.
Kaddi: Why would anyone want to eat that? That doesn't make any sense. He's already going to be sleeping on the ground. It's going to be cold out there. And then he has to eat tin-foil hamburger? That's not any fun.
ME: (Knowing I should just keep silent but foolishly deciding to speak) No, it's not fun. It's camping.
Post-script: Jake did go to the campout with a tin foil package containing sirloin steak and some carrots. He did eat it. He did sleep on the ground in the cold. And he did have fun.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Jake's Baptism
(Jake with my parents)
(Jake with the Kaddi's sister Traci and her family)
(Jake with Kaddi's parents)
(Us) Monday, October 19, 2009
Interception
Jake's has found his new favorite sport this fall while playing flag-football. Given his height advantage the coaches generally try to use him as a wide-receiver, since he can reach up and catch the ball over the other kids. The only problem is that no one else on his team can throw it accurately.
This means that half of Jake's catches this year have been interceptions.
This means that half of Jake's catches this year have been interceptions.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
"I like can I touch"
Here's some highlight clips from our family vacation in Whitefish, Montana. Most of the footage comes from a day at Tally Lake.
The vacation was not without controversy. The third clip of me throwing a football into the lake APPEARS to show my dad making an impressive catch. He holds the ball out of the water before he re-surfaces in order to sell it to the referees. However, when you stop the tape, you can clearly see the ball resting for a brief moment on the surface of the water.
I don't want to accuse anyone of Ratchmistruck-ing a pass and then pretending he caught it, but the footage doesn't lie.
I'll let you decide.
The vacation was not without controversy. The third clip of me throwing a football into the lake APPEARS to show my dad making an impressive catch. He holds the ball out of the water before he re-surfaces in order to sell it to the referees. However, when you stop the tape, you can clearly see the ball resting for a brief moment on the surface of the water.
I don't want to accuse anyone of Ratchmistruck-ing a pass and then pretending he caught it, but the footage doesn't lie.
I'll let you decide.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The internet is our campus
Summer semester is finally over and now the grading begins. I went to lunch with a friend from the department who told me a great story.
Last semester in his World History course he assigned a final paper analyzing the novel 'Gulliver's Travels' as a historical source. When he began grading the papers, he noticed that three separate students submitted the exact same paper, word for word.
So he goes into class the next day and announces, without providing any specific details, that he has caught several students cheating. He offers a amnesty period for any student who comes to his office and confesses their crimes. They will still be penalized, but can avoid failing the course or being referred to the Ministry of Character Development.
Two interesting things happened...
First, instead of three students, he had over a dozen people (from a class of 150) come to his office to talk about their papers. This included people who admitted plagiarism, other worried they hadn't properly cited their work, and a variety of other concerns.
Second, the Gang of Three did put in an appearance. My friend interrogated each of them, certain that one person had actually written the paper and then shared it with his two buddies.
He was surprised to learn that the three students had not collaborated with each other. In fact, they had never met before.
But they did have one thing in common - they each decided individually to purchase a paper on Gulliver's Travels from the internet.
Gulliver's Travels is a very common book for this type of assignment, and there are probably hundreds of papers you can buy from various websites. These three bobbleheads just typed the title into google, then bought their paper from the very first website that popped up.
Let this be a lesson to all of you. If you're going to cheat on a term paper, at least take the time to re-type it using your own words.
Last semester in his World History course he assigned a final paper analyzing the novel 'Gulliver's Travels' as a historical source. When he began grading the papers, he noticed that three separate students submitted the exact same paper, word for word.
So he goes into class the next day and announces, without providing any specific details, that he has caught several students cheating. He offers a amnesty period for any student who comes to his office and confesses their crimes. They will still be penalized, but can avoid failing the course or being referred to the Ministry of Character Development.
Two interesting things happened...
First, instead of three students, he had over a dozen people (from a class of 150) come to his office to talk about their papers. This included people who admitted plagiarism, other worried they hadn't properly cited their work, and a variety of other concerns.
Second, the Gang of Three did put in an appearance. My friend interrogated each of them, certain that one person had actually written the paper and then shared it with his two buddies.
He was surprised to learn that the three students had not collaborated with each other. In fact, they had never met before.
But they did have one thing in common - they each decided individually to purchase a paper on Gulliver's Travels from the internet.
Gulliver's Travels is a very common book for this type of assignment, and there are probably hundreds of papers you can buy from various websites. These three bobbleheads just typed the title into google, then bought their paper from the very first website that popped up.
Let this be a lesson to all of you. If you're going to cheat on a term paper, at least take the time to re-type it using your own words.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
You can't spell vacation without CA
This summer Kaddi spent three weeks out in California visiting her family. Since I was locked into teaching Summer term I spent my days at the office and my nights alone, curled up in the fetal position chanting "Find a Happy Place, Find a Happy Place..."
Apparently all I missed was a lot of sitting on the stairs.
"Uh, did I say you could sit next to me?"
Apparently all I missed was a lot of sitting on the stairs.
"Uh, did I say you could sit next to me?"
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Is that in the syllabus?
When I was first hired as a professor, the department told me to plan on teaching a 2-2-1 schedule. Two classes in fall, two in winter, and one during the spring/summer terms. I planned out my year accordingly.
Then towards the middle of winter semester, the dept. secretary told me they'd made a mistake, and that I was required to teach an extra course during spring/summer, making it a 2-2-2. Panic-stricken, I looked through my graduate school notes and tried to figure out how to invent a new course in a few weeks.
One of my fields for the preliminary exams at Wisconsin was 'Authoritarianism in Southeast Asia." So, I took many of those reading selections and slammed them into a seminar style course. Hoping to boost enrollment I even gave it what I thought to be a sexy title, "Dictatorship and Genocide in Southeast Asia." Six students found the morbid topic interesting enough to sign up, and this was more than enough to carry the class.
Because I didn't have the time or the knowledge to write thirty-five hours worth of lectures, I made the course discussion-based. As part of their grade, each of the students are responsible for presenting one set of readings and leading the discussion. We explore theoretical conceptions of power in Asia, the vulnerabilities of democracy, US foreign policy, and the natures of genocide, among other topics. For Friday's class we were exploring the book, "To Destroy You is No Loss," a fascinating first-person account of life under the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.
Unfortunately, the student leading the discussion did not have the strongest presentation skills. He's uncomfortable in group situations, doesn't articulate well, and hates to have attention focused solely on himself. It's a lot like having Piglet in class. Everytime I ask him a direct question he begins with..."Oh, d-d-d-dear me...." He's so awkward it's almost charming.
As part of his introduction I asked him to generate a discussion explaining the difference between authoritarianism and totalitarianism. The students were using the terms interchangeably, even though they're quite different. Even though I had prepped him the day before, poor Piglet still managed to botch it.
He went up to the white board in front of the class, shaking like a young sapling on a blustery day, and drew two interlocking circles. I can only guess he meant to show how the two systems of government were similar, yet distinct simultaneously. Then he proceeded to label them, but because he was so nervous he didn't want to risk spelling one or both terms wrong. So, he abbreviated, writing only the first word for each system above the circles.
The he turned to the class with his voice quivering and stammered, "Okay...let's begin today by talking about T&A...."
Then towards the middle of winter semester, the dept. secretary told me they'd made a mistake, and that I was required to teach an extra course during spring/summer, making it a 2-2-2. Panic-stricken, I looked through my graduate school notes and tried to figure out how to invent a new course in a few weeks.
One of my fields for the preliminary exams at Wisconsin was 'Authoritarianism in Southeast Asia." So, I took many of those reading selections and slammed them into a seminar style course. Hoping to boost enrollment I even gave it what I thought to be a sexy title, "Dictatorship and Genocide in Southeast Asia." Six students found the morbid topic interesting enough to sign up, and this was more than enough to carry the class.
Because I didn't have the time or the knowledge to write thirty-five hours worth of lectures, I made the course discussion-based. As part of their grade, each of the students are responsible for presenting one set of readings and leading the discussion. We explore theoretical conceptions of power in Asia, the vulnerabilities of democracy, US foreign policy, and the natures of genocide, among other topics. For Friday's class we were exploring the book, "To Destroy You is No Loss," a fascinating first-person account of life under the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.
Unfortunately, the student leading the discussion did not have the strongest presentation skills. He's uncomfortable in group situations, doesn't articulate well, and hates to have attention focused solely on himself. It's a lot like having Piglet in class. Everytime I ask him a direct question he begins with..."Oh, d-d-d-dear me...." He's so awkward it's almost charming.
As part of his introduction I asked him to generate a discussion explaining the difference between authoritarianism and totalitarianism. The students were using the terms interchangeably, even though they're quite different. Even though I had prepped him the day before, poor Piglet still managed to botch it.
He went up to the white board in front of the class, shaking like a young sapling on a blustery day, and drew two interlocking circles. I can only guess he meant to show how the two systems of government were similar, yet distinct simultaneously. Then he proceeded to label them, but because he was so nervous he didn't want to risk spelling one or both terms wrong. So, he abbreviated, writing only the first word for each system above the circles.
The he turned to the class with his voice quivering and stammered, "Okay...let's begin today by talking about T&A...."
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