More Dissertation Fun

So, I have been writing, editing, formatting, etc. my dissertation. So I downloaded the formats for the front matter, and started thinking about acknowledgments, writing an abstract, and I was curious how people I know who have written dissertations did theirs. So I downloaded a few, then I decided to get Mike(Palmer)'s as well. So I now have a pdf of Mike's dissertation, if anyone wants a copy. Probably too big an attachment for e-mail, so skype me. As I think I'd heard from mom, it is dedicated to his advisor, which is pretty classic. Perhaps, Pam's contribution's went without saying. Also, just randomly, I took a short break on Saturday, after working for 6 hours in the morning and we drove to Freeport to check out a coastal state park (I would say beach park, but there wasn't really any beach). It was pretty cool though. There were some tiny islands offshore with houses on them. Seriously, the islands were just big enough for a small house and maybe thirty trees. Then on the way home in Freeport we stopped inside the Northface and Patagonia stores and realized they were outlets. There were some pretty good deals, 60-70% off, but the kids were sort of at the end of their leash (they were tackling each other in the aisles), so we just got a few small things. Anyway, so there is another reason to come visit us in Maine, if that's what you're into.

Hawaii Rocks

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/17/health/policy/17hawaii.html?ref=health

More evidence that providing everyone insurance lowers costs.

Open call for dissertation readers

So, a number of people have expressed interest in reading my dissertation, and have complained that I have never sent them a copy. The main reason I haven't is that there is always some part of it I am working on, so it never feels done. I think "I'll just finish --- first, and then send it out." Anyway, I am getting to the point where most of that is finished, though not all, and I'm going to have to turn it in one way or another soon, so I might as well get as much feedback as possible. So, if you want a chance to read it before the general public (consider it a sneak peak at the much anticipated, by at least one person I can think of, work) then leave a comment for me with your preferred e-mail address, and I will send it to you sometime over the next couple weeks (I really need to polish up the introduction first). As an added bonus, if you give me lots of useful feedback, I will include your name in the acknowledgments section (a very heady thought, I know.) Think of it like a fun online drawing, for extra work, which everyone wins. Let the fun begin.

Chairs and bookshelves

So we've been looking for chairs, and we finally found some groovy old chairs at an antique store. The chair Gwyn is sitting on folds into the one next to Gwyn. Perfect for our nomadic lifestyle.
That was on labor day, on our way home from the beach. Another post by Bekah perhaps. Anyway, so Saturday I made a bookshelf, which we've also been needing. It took about 2-3 hours to make, and 10 minutes to fill. So we need another one now I guess. I was kind of experimenting with building it without nails or glue or anything, so it comes apart as well (just in case.) I also started working on a kitchen stand, but I was trying something more involved, so I had to set it aside for now.

My two cents on health care reform

So one of the many pluses of moving to Maine is that my senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins are both moderate, independent Republicans who may have an influential role in creating an American health care system we can be proud of. So, I finally buckled down and put some of my basic feelings about health care reform on paper and sent it to them. Here they are. I would encourage you to do the same.

Dear Senator Snowe,
I recently moved to Maine for a job at Bates College and for the first time in our married life (8 years), we all have health care. I have been in graduate school the last seven years and during that entire time the only time my wife was insured was while we were living and studying in Japan and Taiwan. The care we received in both countries was affordable, accessible, and high quality. My youngest daughter was actually born in Taiwan. It baffles me that we have not yet been able to accomplish that here. It is also a shame that foreign countries take care of American citizens better than America does. We are the richest nation in the world, I think we should be able to afford health care for all of our citizens. Access to quality care should be a universal right, like we have decided education is. I also believe the universal coverage, greater access to preventive care and screening services, and better regulation will bring costs down for everyone. We are all paying the price for a system that no longer works for most of its participants.
Even though I was covered with an expensive college plan at a university with a reputation for medical research, every time I had to use my insurance I spent hours on the phone with insurance representatives trying to figure out why they were trying to bil me for the entire amount. I remember feeling sick when I got a bill for $57,000 after an ACL reconstruction surgery. I would talk to someone on the phone and they would tell me it was cleared up and then a few weeks later I would get another bill. I would call again and the process would be repeated. I can't remember how many times I had to do this before it was resolved. Later a friend told me he had the same surgery in Oregon and entire bill was under $5,000. I was shocked there was such a huge difference, but the system is such that I never heard a price, or even had the opportunity to ask. Even if I had, based on previous experiences, I doubt the doctor could have told me, since he doesn't know what insurance I have. This is in contrast to our experiences in Taiwan and Japan where were given choices and told the price of services upfront, including the total and what we would be responsible for. Since everyone knew what the health insurance covered and at what rates it was easy to make wise decisions based on the necessity of certain services. I never felt like I was compromising my families health in anyway, but we could reduce our expenses by sacrificing some small amenities. Again, this is in contrast with my experiences in America, where each visit is so fraught with uncertainty about costs, that even with quality health insurance, as a graduate student with a very limited budget, I would often delay or avoid going to the doctor because I never knew what it was going to end up costing me. I tried to study it out, but every year it changed and I had a very busy life. This is another external cost of our extremely complicated and inefficient system.
We finally have health insurance, but it is expensive for me and for the university. I'm grateful for it, but I sympathize with all of the people who don't have anything and stay up at night worrying about their kids. We are all paying the price for a system that doesn't work. When someone you love gets hurt, you shouldn't have to wonder if you can afford to take them to the doctor. Doing nothing means being stuck with a system under which almost everyone suffers in some way.
I understand that your vote is extremely important in this coming Senate process. Please vote to help bring about universal care for all Americans. Like universal education, I believe that this is a basic part of our right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. In some ways this is a complicated issue, in other ways it is very simple. Although there are many businesses that profit from the present model, most people don't care about the details, they just want to know that if something happens that they can't fix themselves, they can get the help they need. (Hopefully without having to declare bankruptcy or fight their insurance company every step of the way, if they're lucky enough to have one.) The current system is failing. No system is perfect, but I think we can do better than this. Sincerely, Jesse Palmer

Epic Swell

So last weekend, there was a huge swell and I got the best surf I have ever had in California. I surfed Uppers Friday night. It was 3-5, occasional 6 ft. Hawaiian, and totally lining up. I caught a lot of smaller waves and a few really big outside sets. The biggest sets were breaking really far out and just rolling through washing everyone to the inside. When I came in I was so exhausted. Mostly I am out of shape, but also I paddled more that day than I do in several months of surfing Newport. The next day we checked a few other spots and even paddled out at Crystal Cove, but it was too big for the spot, with crazy exposed rocks on the inside. So we ended up back at Uppers again. At first, it wasn't quite lining up, but it got better as it got later and by the end I had a series of really nice waves. This picture is on the inside, so it was pretty small. Paddling over the shoulder is Dan, my hometeaching companion and surfing buddy.

Enjoying Socal

(This is last Sunday's post that was waiting for picts.) So this week I have been trying more consciously to exercise and enjoy Southern California before head to the frozen north. Fortunately, the waves has also been cooperating and I had several good days of surf. Friday morning was actually well overhead with lots of huge backside closeout barrels. Also body surfed Crystal cove wednesday evening while M and G played in the shorebreak. Miriam is getting to be a pretty good boogie boarder although she won't go further than 10 feet or so from shore. We went to the beach Sat. morning as well. Smaller, but still fun. I spent another 3 hours fixing my kayak. I had the fan on the whole time, so I felt a lot less whacked from the chemicals. Bekah and I went on a date and got sushi and walked around Corona del Mar. I have also made some progress on the dissertation, although not as much as I would like. I am reading Foucault and Bourdieu and I have found a bit that will be useful, but I am not sure how much I need to read to really use their ideas. The kids got a huge box and after two days of playing in the packing peanuts, we made a house out of it. They just finished swimming lesson and Gwyn is pretty good.

Last Week

So, a lot happened this last week, and the week before. The Waxman-Markey energy bill passed the House, the Senate is debating national health care, and Michael Jackson died (and Farrah Fawcett). Miriam's tooth, that has been loose for months, is on the verge of falling out. ("Can I see it?" I ask, "Seeing is not touching," she says as I reach for it. Different events have had different levels of significance for various members of our family. Meanwhile, I have been crazy busy with teaching Japanese, getting ready to teach in Maine, trying to keep the dissertation ball rolling. I get in usually by 7 or 7:30 and work till 5 or later, and then more at night. I haven't really figured out how to find time to exercise with the new schedule, so I need to work on that. Basically just frisbee once a week and surfing on the weekend, and I've been skating to school, which is good for my left leg. Miriam and Gwyn are getting really good at swimming and boogie boarding. It's been hot and summery.
On the fourth, we went to a pancake breakfast at church. Gwyn rode her bike in the parade, without training wheels, since I took them off the day before, and she is doing fine without them. Then we went sold our loft bed in the kids room, so I took it apart and helped the people who bought it reassemble it in their house. Then we went to the pool with our friends. Then in the afternoon we went to Chelsea's and hung out and ate and watched the fireworks at Huntington beach. It was very fun, although we didn't get back till pretty late, and then overslept, and were the latest I've ever been to church in a long time.

Super Reader

So, Miriam has been reading continuously (not continually) since summer break started. Today she started the first Harry Potter book and is almost finished. Several times I had to forcefully pry her away; to go to the beach (she brought her book), to eat lunch, to finish eating lunch (one hour later, "I'm hungry") to go the pool, (she wanted to bring her book and I wouldn't let her), to write in her journal. In her journal she writes, "I am raeding Hurry Pottar. I Do not like Harry Pottey. It is a Boy Book."
"So why are you reading it?" I ask.
"Because" she says, glaring at me, "it's the only book mom got from the library that I haven't finished already."

Summer days

So, yesterday was a pretty fun Saturday. Woke up at 7:30, everyone else was still asleep, so I went to school and worked for three hours on my dissertation. (Things are going pretty well, and I am starting to hope I will be able to wrap it up this summer. We'll see though.) Came back at 10:30 and took Gwyn and Miriam rock climbing at the climbing wall. Gwyn was just going to watch since she is too young, but the people behind the front desk said she could. They had a lot of fun, and did really well, and Gwyn got to the very top, 36 feet. They also liked climbing under the overhang, because when you fall you swing out away from the rock, but then they were falling on purpose... Then we came home and had a late lunch, and I went to play ultimate. Played a fun, low key game for an hour and a bit. Then went up to the Barretts to see them and the Williams, who are moving to Connecticut. Kids played outside. Martha is great with kids and has known Miriam since she was in her nursery class. Watched some soccer, America vs. Honduras, talked about Jeff's bonsai trees. Then I went night surfing at Trestles with my home teaching companion. (He'd already surfed for three hours that morning, but was game for more.) Anyway, there was a full moon, a 2-3 Hawaiian south swell, and I caught more good waves than I catch in several months at Newport. There were maybe 8 guys out at Sunset when we paddled out, then 4, then just the two of us taking turns. Anyway, I feel like my summer used to be like this. I don't have many days like this these days, but it's nice that they still happen occasionally.

a real job

So now, I guess I finally have a real job. (And a pretty cool shirt, thanks kt.) I have been working pretty hard for a while now, so I don't think it will be all that different. Still, I feel a little ambivalent about the whole thing, for a lot of reasons. I found a great article in the NY Times that expresses some of how I feel.


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html?ref=magazine

Basically, in the long academic tradition of skepticism, or self-doubt (call if what you will), I am not positive that what I am doing is what I REALLY want to do, or will be most beneficial to society. (I really want to do something that I feel is beneficial to soceity.) Or is even necessarily the best match for my talents, interests, proclivities. Of course, I think a healthy measure of skepticism about the value of academia is a good thing to have as an academic. You should be able to make a case for your relevance to society, and I can make that case in a dozen different ways, but that still doesn't really answer the other questions.

the Maine part of the trip

Was also lovely. Saw Israel and Cailin on Monday morning. (Thanks for coming into the city to see me, btw.) Went to Muji for Bekah, but they didn't have what she wanted. And since I took my chances and waited until they opened at 11, I barely made my flight. On the subway, I met a guy from Hawaii in NY for a conference on global warming and indigenous peoples. Got into Maine at 2 or so, rented a car and saw a little state park on the coast. Lots of little islands offshore, vary calm water. Prepared for my presentation, took a walk around campus, and got to bed at a decent hour and then didn't fall asleep until 3:30 am. Still, everything went well. My jobtalk, teaching demonstration, interviews. I really like the college, my colleagues, the town. Here is a pictures are of the college.

Here is one of of the falls and the mill, one of which is no longer running. While I was still in Utah, on my way home, I found out they were offering me the job. Everything so far has met or exceeded my expectations, and so I am pretty excited about the whole thing.

family house tour

So last week, I visited New York and had a fabulous time hanging out with enoch and amy. I was there on Sunday, so we went to church, went on a walk through the woods. Here's a picture of their house from across the pond.

We also went by the house they put an offer on. Here are a few pictures of it. It seems like it is in a really nice location, and is well laid out.


Then on the way home, I missed my flight, had to spend another 10 hours in the Maine airport. Then I made it to Utah and had to spend the night, but got to see Tony and Sienna. Sienna and I went hiking to Stewart Falls. She drove me by some houses they were looking at close by. It was fun to visit everyone in their new environments and hear about new plans.

Maine

So I am going to Maine on Tuesday to interview for another job. Everything I have heard about Maine makes me think I am really going to like it. The job and department seem ideal. I'll let you know how it goes. Btw, Bekah's birthday is tomorrow. Maybe I'll put up a birthday post tomorrow.

Kayaking Trip

So we finally made it on our camping trip. Adam came out. We did a test run Thursday morning from Crystal cove to a beach in Laguna. We saw three pods of dolphins, plus the seal lions at seal rock we very active, jumping on and off the rock, out of the water. Several raced under our boat.
Saturday morning we drove out to the Black Canyon. We got there around 12, an hour after I planned on meeting the rental guy. Eventually, I got in touch with their shop and realized he'd already left, but she called him and he came back. We set up our boat and packed everything into it. About 2, we started paddling. We stopped in a few canyons on the way, did a little exploring, but we wanted to camp at Arizona Beach, where the hot springs were. So we got there about 7.

We did go up one little canyon that had hot springs, but it wasn’t dammed anywhere and there wasn’t even really enough water. The campsite at Arizona beach was a little crowded, so we camped kind of near the water. The stove I brought was out of gas, but it was enough to cook the food that first night. The hotsprings were awesome. The water is crystal clear and not at all sulfury. They are in a narrow slot canyon.
So there are three or four pools of increasing warmth and various depths. There were a few other people there. Adam and I went back for a midnight soak after putting the kids to bed. The next morning, Sunday, we slept in. I was originally planning just to hang out close by and maybe hike up the canyon, but we decided to paddle upstream. We went just a mile and half up or so, but since there was a lot of water being let out of the dam it was pretty tiring. We explored Boy Scout canyon.

There were a couple nice hot spring pools and several nice little waterfalls. With the kids and taking pictures and lunch, we were up there a while and so we just decided to call it a day rather than go all the way up. Came back and hung out near camp. We moved our campsite to the little cove right next to the river. There was a boy scout troop near by and all of the leaders came by, one by one, to tell us that last year when they’d done this, it was flooded. Since it hadn’t flooded the previous nights, we figured we were okay and we were. We went back up to the hot springs. Our new spot had a fire ring, so we built a little fire and made the bean burritos and quesadillas for the kids. Also we had an Easter egg hunt with the eggs we brought to celebrate Easter. Monday, we got up early and decided to paddle all the way to the top. Since the flow was still pretty mellow, we made really good progress until we could see the new bridge above the dam. Then we took a break to look for the sauna cave and Adam checked his e-mail. While we were resting the water came up about a foot and was flowing a lot stronger. After forty minutes or so, we started again, checking various caves that looked like they might be the sauna cave. All looked promising, but none panned out. Also, since the flow was a lot stronger, it was pretty tough going now. Then after getting turned around, we were trying to hug really close the shore to catch eddies and I broke my paddle on a rock, so I didn’t really think that we were going to be able to paddle up the rapids. But it looked like it must be just around the corner, so Adam and I climbed up around the rocks to see what we could find. I didn’t see the sauna cave, but I did see a really nice, warm stream, which didn’t make a lot of sense, since it wasn’t on the map. Anyways, it took a while to climb all the way up to it, so I swam back, which was a lot faster, but freezing and kind of scary with the currents. Adam’s idea was just to take turns and paddle all the way up the rapids. My idea was to climb up with the rope and pull the kayaks up river. Anyway, we tried my idea and it was a fiasco. The first mistake was to fasten the two boats together and do them at once. After about ten feet, the nose of Adam’s boat which was in front got swept out, but the back was still attached to the other boat, so he was perpendicular to the current. So I pulled on the rope to pull him back around and the edge caught and the kayak flipped, spilling his camera gear, and Miriam into the river. Miriam kept her head, and had a life jacket, so she with a little coaching, after being swept fifty feet downstream, she doggy paddled to the side. The camera gear was all in waterproof housing or Adam’s bag, and luckily it all stayed with the bag. Still, it was pretty scary, and I felt like an idiot. So we decided to turn around. On the way down, we looked for goldstrike canyon, the other main hot spring canyon to explore. We found another tiny canyon with a hidden entrance and hot water, but no pools. We had lunch there and on the way out, met someone who said that goldstrike was upstream, right above where we’d turned around. I’d hiked up to it, but not known what it was. Our map, which we downloaded from online, was totally wrong and had goldstrike and the sauna caves in the completely wrong places. But we weren’t really up for paddling back upstream for them, especially with one paddle on our boat. We did stop by the one palm hot springs, which is right above a little waterfall overlooking the river and was very cool. If you didn’t know about it, it’d be hard to find. Then we headed back to camp. We were pretty hot springed out, but the kids wanted to go up to the one by camp, so we did. They were pretty fearless. To get to the pools at Arizona beach, you had to climb up a 20 ft metal ladder and they were doing that on their own on the first day. At Boy Scout canyon, the group from UCLA had actually skipped it, since the ropes were too hard they thought. But Miriam actually climbed up all of them on her own, except the last. Gwyn got most of the way up one, but Bekah made her come down, since it was pretty sketchy. So the final day we just packed up and headed out. A few hours in, the wind became crazy strong blowing upstream, so our leisurely coast home became a battle against strong wind and waves. Plus, we’d put a hole in the boat at some point, and so only constant bailing kept the water level inside the kayak level. Bekah went with Adam and Miriam was a pretty good sport about bailing. Oh, both seat backs on the kayak broke as well. They weren’t very comfortable, and I’ve thought of a better way to rig them, but it does kind of affect the resale value of the boat. So we finally made it back, stopping only to bail water and take some short breaks. Disassembled the boat, repacked the car, and came home. The wind was still super gusty and kind of crazy. We stopped and ate in Boulder City at a local burger joint that gives ginormous fries portions, even with the kid meals. But we polished them all off.

Chicago

So, last weekend I went to Chicago and got to hang out with Zach, Annie, and baby Sloan. It was awesome to see them after, what is it, four or five years. Everyone looks good, the same, except for baby Sloan, who is new. Chicago was cool, except when I got on the wrong train and got off in a bad neighborhood. It wasn't too far from the U of Chicago, but it was 10 pm. I asked directions from a cop at a gas station and ended up getting a ride to their neighborhood in the back of their paddy wagon. We went by the Obama's house, walked around the university, saw the Oriental Studies museum, etc. Spent hours and hours just talking. It was just fun to reconnect. I am kind of jealous that Zach's degree requires time lots of time in the mountains. The pictures of his dig sites in Peruvian highlands were very cool. They might be there next year, so maybe if I am unemployed . . . Also, there was an the Assoc. of Asian Studies meeting where I presented a paper on Buddhist chanting and tried to meet people.

Ouch!!

When I came home Miriam was crying, holding her tooth.
"What happened?"
Eventually, I figure out she was outside, playing on this bench I made, and throwing wood onto the arbor, and she thought it might fall on her, and turned away, and hit her teeth on the bench somehow? I have no idea.
Anyway, this is one of the teeth that just grew back from when she whacked them a couple months ago. They were purple for a few weeks.
(We just found the teeth marks on the top rung of the bunk bed ladder. A perfect half circle.)
"Can I take a picture."
"You're not going to put them on the blog are you."
Man, this kid has us figured out.
At least I wasn't laughing at her, like some people.

palmer asian art gallery

So, a few weeks ago, we finally hung up a bunch of things we got in Japan. Here are some picts.
The calligraphy scroll is like 8 feet tall. I have no idea what it says. Any suggestions?

Spring Break

So technically, this next week is finals week, and then Spring break, and then the next quarter starts. But, we've decided to postpone our kayak plans until mid April, the weekend of the 11-12, because now that I am not teaching next quarter, it is all the same for me. So instead we're going on Miriam's spring break. And Adam's coming. So I am just working now, to play later. Still, with daylight savings we've finally been to the beach after school on a weekday. Saturday, went hiking with the Elder's quorum, went to a service project, and then, since there was a tiny swell, surfed for the first time in a few weeks. Oh, by the way, I've also finished a rough draft of my last chapter of my dissertation, so now it's just about rewriting, and formatting, and editing. If anyone wants to volunteer to read a chapter and give me some feedback, let me know.

More time to write my dissertation

So, I just heard back from the second of the two schools where I had campus visits, that I did not get the job. So, it looks like we will be in Socal until Dec. at earliest and maybe longer. Then we will be looking for some other kind of gainful employment. I would love to move back to Hawaii for a bit, but we'll see. I might also be able to pick up some classes here and move off campus. At any rate, I will have some more time to write my dissertation, which is a good thing, although I am pretty ready to be finished.

Malibu Getty

So we've been wanting to check it out for a while. Our friends were planning a museum day so we suggested this and all went.

Miriam was not sure what to make of all the nudity at first, but she bored by it all pretty quick.







Here's a nice shot Gwyn took, when she wasn't running around.

Overall, it was a nice mix of museum and architecture, so the kids could run around a little, enjoy the fountains and courtyards in between the museum. Finally, we stopped at the beach on the way home and I wished I'd brought my surfboard.

Campus visits and job talk

So, I just heard back from a second school inviting me out to for a campus visit, Denison U. in Ohio. It is a small, liberal arts college in a tiny south eastern Ohio town. I am very excited, although this means that I will have to finish up my job talk a week earlier than I expected. It was already going to be tight, so this means the next few weeks will be busy. My other campus visit is at SUNY Binghamton on Feb. 9.