Arrival!

Friday afternoon and after ca 36 hours of flying and waiting we are back on Rapa Nui. I've got my old room ... 22, purportedly where Heyerdahl slept back in 1986. No ghosts though. The weather is superb...warm with light breezes, soft air. I can hear the rollers down in the harbor and see the cargo ship in the bay. Right now I'm sitting outside my room. Terry and marc have gone off to find wine...

Location:Chile

NOVA II

It is the third day of shooting for the NOVA documentary that is being shot by Committee Films about The Statues that Walked.  So far so good.  Fortuitously, the several cop

ies of the book arrived! We got 3 advance copies that we are going to take to Rapa Nui (arriving Friday).  I am very happy for that as we can give a copy to Sergio, Francisco and others who have worked with us -- as well as donate a copy to the museum.  The last two days were spent filming in the LA area -- first at CSULB (in our archaeology lab) and then over in Culver City where Max Beach works.  Max Beach has been leading the animation efforts for demonstrating how the statues work.  His office (IDA design) kindly supported this work and our intrusive filming.  I spent a lot of time the first day providing "head shot" interview material.  Ben Awes (the Director) had a long list of great questions that I was asked to answer.  I have no idea how I did: I cobbled responses together as best I could.  We will see...

Right now we are in Miami waiting for the flight to Santiago, Chile.  It's an overnight flight so somewhat brutal. i hope to sleep through much of it.  Once we get to Santiago, its a simple 5 hour flight to Rapa Nui!

 

NOVA

The start date for the filming of the NOVA special on "The Statues That Walked" is approaching. The film crew will be heading to Long Beach during the week of commencement and filming some background footage at IIRMES on the Cal State University Long Beach Campus. We will then film over at IDA - the design firm that is helping us create the 3D animation for the statue movement and the data necessary to create Hoto Iti -- the 10 foot tall 5-ton statue recreation (right). We will ultimately attempt to move this statue in the way we propose in the book over 100 meter stretch and up a 3 degree slope - ropes, volunteers and the physics of statue walking.

Location:Orizaba Ave,Long Beach,United States

Full Professor

I am happy to report that the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and the Department of Anthropology RTP committee has recommended me for promotion to full Professor.  Though there were some vile shenanigans at the level of the college committee (and one Department member who was on this committee) but the Dean and Department have strongly supported my promotion.  The final, final word, of course, comes from the Provost who makes the actual decision (this won't be done until June 15).

So with any luck I will soon be wearing, on a daily basis, elaborate robes such as those that Cambridge professors sported in the early 19th century.