Useless Conversation

[Ironwood]

I'm thinking about applying for a faculty position at the University of Otago in New Zealand.  Is that nuts?

Nuts no.  Just be very thorough about the details, particularly if they expect a research program.

I know people there.  Seriously. 

[Xanthippe]

Comcast has it's own XFINITY TV app that has HBO On Demand.

Yes, but HBO On Demand is not HBO Go.

[Nebu]

Anything specific, Nebu?  I suppose I can always have you do a consult for me, right?  

My opinion costs nothing... which corresponds well to its value.  

If they have a research expectation, then you will need to clearly define your activities as clinical or laboratory.  When I was considering positions abroad, my biggest concern was in getting high quality reagents and consumables in a timely manner.  In a place like New Zealand, getting reagents, consumables, and instruments (and service) in a real-time manner can be a challenge.  Ex: alkylating agents would be shipped by ship and could take months to arrive.  This requires careful planning.   Also consider the quality of potential employees and undergrad/graduate students as well.  Getting results often requires long hours and dedication to the lab.  I'm also not sure how the research culture is in New Zealand.  Do they place a high emphasis on publications, impact factor, and the production of indirects through extramural funding?  

Then there's the teaching component.  Contact hours, course preps, preceptorship, training of residents, etc can all make for a crazy workload.  

Just learn as much as you can about the position from the other faculty there, particularly those early in their careers.  They will tell you about the collegiality, the direction of the administration, and the current status of the level of infrastructure.  Something as simple as having a good computer and access to common office supplies can tax an already meager salary.  

[Chimpy]

Anything specific, Nebu?  I suppose I can always have you do a consult for me, right?  

What they want me to apply for is "Senior Lecturer" level.  I don't know exactly what that is, but it sounds better than Assistant Professor.

And the wife is a pediatric dentist.  We're going to try and get her on the faculty at least part time as well.  

Lecturer almost always means you are not on a tenure track, assistant professor could be tenure track (varies from position to position in my experience).

Even if she doesn't teach, it is entirely possible that she could get a work visa for being in a healthcare profession.

[ghost]

Well, thanks for the advice guys.  I'm not sure that it's something I'll do, but applying costs nothing.  

Also, I wouldn't really be looking for a tenure position.  I don't think I'd want to stay forever.  I'm also applying to a couple of places in Australia.  

Another thing I just thought of, Chimpy-  remember that most of the rest of the English speaking world only uses Professor for heads of departments and those with funded chairs.  Senior Lecturer is apparently the equivalent of assistant professor or associate professor here, depending on what discipline you are in. 

[MuffinMan]

Got my blood test results back from my physical today and I destroyed the cholesterol limits. I'm not sure how I could eat any healthier than I do except for cutting down on red meat and cheese. I'm 5'8, 170lbs so I'm not overweight. I guess I just need to stop being so sedentary?

[ghost]

Got my blood test results back from my physical today and I destroyed the cholesterol limits. I'm not sure how I could eat any healthier than I do except for cutting down on red meat and cheese. I'm 5'8, 170lbs so I'm not overweight. I guess I just need to stop being so sedentary?

Don't do that.  They won't have a reason to put you on Lipitor otherwise. 

[Nebu]

Got my blood test results back from my physical today and I destroyed the cholesterol limits. I'm not sure how I could eat any healthier than I do except for cutting down on red meat and cheese. I'm 5'8, 170lbs so I'm not overweight. I guess I just need to stop being so sedentary?

I have the same issue.  Perhaps you have familial hypercholesterolemia.  See what your MD has to say. 

I have been able to manage my diet, but I am VERY restrictive on what I eat.  It's not fun, but it has allowed me to live longer than many of my male relatives. 

[Hammond]

So Ghost why are  you looking to go into teaching?  Are you sick of working in people's mouths or something :)  I understand looking overseas because of the chance to mix travel and work.

[ghost]

I would be teaching what I do to residents and students.

[MuffinMan]

He wants to host the New Zealand F13 Meet-Up.

[Hammond]

No I understand the idea behind teaching  I am more curious about why the change of professional track.  You have your own practice right? Couple kids (1 on the way congrats) etc.

Plus I am waaaay bored at work today troubleshooting printers is like watching paint dry.

[Nebu]

I figured that ghost was going to NZ to play a hobbit dentist in part two of the Hobbit movie.

[ghost]

I've always had a fairly strong desire to be involved in academics.  The university where I live isn't hiring and won't be for a while, and many of the places that I could go to aren't exactly in desirable locations.  I figure if I'm going to have to move to do it, why not go somewhere interesting for a bit? 

[Zetor]

Got my blood test results back from my physical today and I destroyed the cholesterol limits. I'm not sure how I could eat any healthier than I do except for cutting down on red meat and cheese. I'm 5'8, 170lbs so I'm not overweight. I guess I just need to stop being so sedentary?

I have the same issue.  Perhaps you have familial hypercholesterolemia.  See what your MD has to say. 

I have been able to manage my diet, but I am VERY restrictive on what I eat.  It's not fun, but it has allowed me to live longer than many of my male relatives. 

+1, it runs in my family too. My father (who also has it) is a cardiologist, so I get to listen to his lecturing about cardiovascular risk factors every time I visit.

Aside from meds (rosuvastatin? I think), important things are a change in diet and regular exercise. I try to walk/bike everywhere I can, which helps (I hope).

[Hammond]

No doubt,

From the bit I have read New Zealand is much easier to move to compared to Australia as long as you have a job lined up or work in a profession that is in need of workers.  I have a few co-workers from there and we have talked a bit.  They go back at least once a year to visit family.  Their biggest complaints?  The country is not that big and travel to and from is VERY expensive and long.  Also pay is pretty low compared to the US.   

[Salamok]

I've always had a fairly strong desire to be involved in academics.  The university where I live isn't hiring and won't be for a while, and many of the places that I could go to aren't exactly in desirable locations.  I figure if I'm going to have to move to do it, why not go somewhere interesting for a bit? 

I surely hope you are planning to scope the country out in person before packing up and moving.  I have my own move to Australia fantasy but to be honest it isn't an environment where I would want to raise my daughter.

[HaemishM]

How long have you been married?  Communicating with your spouse shouldn't be this hard.

I'll let you in on a little secret. There's two kinds of English in this world. Men English and Women English. While it's possible for the speakers of each respective language to understand each other's gibberish on occasion, no amount of immersion therapy will ever make that understanding consistent.

[Ingmar]

Man, I know you guys aren't dumb, and yet here you all are parroting that traditional men/women bullshit. I don't get it.

[ghost]

I surely hope you are planning to scope the country out in person before packing up and moving.  I have my own move to Australia fantasy but to be honest it isn't an environment where I would want to raise my daughter.

Why not?

[HaemishM]

I'm not parroting, I'm merely speaking from my own personal experience. YMMV.

[Rasix]

Two small children and one on the way and you're even considering this kind of move?  Braver man than I.  We turned down an Italian job opportunity when it came back around last year.  My wife had applied for it 3 years previous but it went no where.  But now? Small child and we've got a good support structure.  Wasn't a difficult decision. 

[Merusk]

So since it's Friday, have a drink.

http://coolmaterial.com/home/100000-scovilles-naga-chilli-vodka/

[Salamok]

I surely hope you are planning to scope the country out in person before packing up and moving.  I have my own move to Australia fantasy but to be honest it isn't an environment where I would want to raise my daughter.

Why not?

#1 - Australian men are pretty aggresive, the entire culture is stuck at this frat house level of maturity and self control (or lack of).

#2 - They are pretty friggen racist.

[Ingmar]

I assumed you meant because of the actual environment (giant poisonous everythings.)

[Hammond]

I thought it was a given you would want to visit a different country before you moved there to live for a extended period?  If anything a excuse to go "research the area" would be enough right? :) 

As far as the racist and fratboy comment about Australians you can really get that anywhere.   Look at all the racist crap we have in the US.

Although to be fair most of the Australians I have met have been rather boisterous and tend to be hard drinkers. We got a whole crew that come here once a year and they are quite the party crowd. 

[ghost]

I surely hope you are planning to scope the country out in person before packing up and moving.  I have my own move to Australia fantasy but to be honest it isn't an environment where I would want to raise my daughter.

Why not?

#1 - Australian men are pretty aggresive, the entire culture is stuck at this frat house level of maturity and self control (or lack of).

#2 - They are pretty friggen racist.

Ah.  I live in Texas, so it's basically like moving to San Francisco.

[Salamok]

Ah.  I live in Texas, so it's basically like moving to San Francisco.

No, according to my Australian wife Texas is as close as you can get to the Australian experience in the US.

As far as the racist and fratboy comment about Australians you can really get that anywhere.   Look at all the racist crap we have in the US.

More like the US in the 50's and the fratboy comment is a tame version of saying that physical assault is a pickup routine in Australian bars and if the girl doesn't knee you in the nuts or something then it is considered a successful pickup line.  I'm not saying every single encounter begins that way but just that it is common enough to effect the way women and men interact with each other.  For example if you walk up to a woman in a bar in Australia and initiate a conversation and you can tell she is thinking what move is this fucker about to make and how can I get rid of him before he makes it.  Furthermore said woman could actually be someone you know and are on friendly terms with outside of the bar.

edit: I'm not in any way saying Australians are bad people I just think their culture is a bit too tolerant of bad behavior.

[Chimpy]

Pretty much every Australian woman I have met (outside of the ones in Australia who did not mention it) lamented at some point how Australian men are "all assholes".

Which kinda fits with the comments a few women I know from Texas have made about their male counterparts from the land of the Lone Star.

[MuffinMan]

Pretty much every Australian woman I have met (outside of the ones in Australia who did not mention it) lamented at some point how Australian men are "all assholes".

[Salamok]

Pretty much every Australian woman I have met (outside of the ones in Australia who did not mention it) lamented at some point how Australian men are "all assholes".

Are you Australian?  Cause then your edits make perfect sense ;)

protip: If you are not Australian marry one because they have a definition of asshole that is easier to avoid.  This is pretty much how I cope with being an asshole w/o feeling like an asshole.

[ghost]

Ah.  I live in Texas, so it's basically like moving to San Francisco.

No, according to my Australian wife Texas is as close as you can get to the Australian experience in the US.

Really?  I would have figured it to be more progressive than Tejas. 

[Salamok]

Really?  I would have figured it to be more progressive than Tejas.  

To Texans being Texan is the single greatest achievement any Texan will ever accomplish and Aussies pretty much have that same level of pride in being Australian.  As far as I can tell that single characteristic so ingrained down to the core of your being is the thing that makes them simpatico.  The comparison between the 2 wasn't being made on the points I raised but on this similarity of spirit.

[Ingmar]

There are a lot of historical parallels (well, more between the US and Australia than Texas specifically and Australia.) White Europeans of similar background move into colonies, displace the natives into shitty parts of the country, have lots of history of racial tension, face a giant wave of immigration from non-white poorer neighbor countries, etc etc.

[naum]

This thread needs some Adam West singing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ji5OigDTfg4