Bearing In Mind That I Have A Wicked Cold, How Would You Rate ME?

[DistressedAmerican]

Poll question: Bearing In Mind That I Have A Wicked Cold, How Would You Rate ME?

On A Scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate ME?

Use the criteria of your own choosing...

Here I am:

[tjdee]

1. You can't really see you,

What I'm seein' ain't bad, LOL, but you're under a hat and behind eyeglass glare so my professional rating skills are a bit hindered.

You look like a guy I used to like a lot.

[DistressedAmerican]

4. This Should Be A Bit Better...

[hickman1937]

2. Rate you for what?

What part of Detroit is that behind you?

[Ellen Forradalom]

3. Good taste in historical sites

always enhances a man's appearance.

[shesemsmom]

5. I can't tell you have a cold

[DistressedAmerican]

6. I Wouldn't Recommend Using My Keyboard Right Now!

Note: Photo Does Not Reflect My Current Location Or State Of Health!

[6000eliot]

7. You're a cutie pie

Is that Machu Picchu behind you?

[DistressedAmerican]

8. Thanks. No, It Is The Maya Site I Work At. It Is Called Mayapan.

The name translates as "The Standard Of The Maya". Dates from about 1100-1450 AD.

I'm finishing my doctoral dissertation based on several years of work at the site.

It is located in the northen Yucatan In Mexico, about 40 km Southeast of the modern city of Merica. Here's A Map (made for an article I'm writing):

[6000eliot]

9. Looks incredible

Is it a restricted site? Or can a traveler visit? What is the area like? And finally, the question most doctoral students dread (I know I did), when do you plan on finishing?

[DistressedAmerican]

13. Wide Open To The Public. Not Heavly Visited.

It was just recently restored to the condition in the pics. Not many people visit it even though it is quite easy as an afternoong from Merida.

It is surface of the sun hot. I work not in this nice open clear part. It is just the very site center. I hack through the stuff you see on the edges of the site center (which looks ok in the photos but is really a twisted mass of spines, thornes and plants that make poison Ivy seem like it would be good toilet paper.) It has been extremely brutal in general. I was swarmed by wasps, hornets and Killer bees in the first three weeks of the work alone. Killer bees sincerely do SUCK. Don't even ask about the snakes. Quite pleasant in the center though.

As to finishing. I think I have about a year of writing, editing and revising ahead of me. I am seriously considering a permanent move down to a small rural village near the site. Land and construction labor are cheap.

[barackmyworld]

11. Maya pride!

My name is Maya and I had so much fun in Playa Del Carmen taking pics of stuff with Maya in the name...my fave was "Pollo Maya"

[DistressedAmerican]

14. Playa Rocks. I Usually Spend A Week Or Two There At The End Of My Field

seasons recuperating, doing some diving, getting a tequila buzz on, etc.

[progmom]

10. you look cute and smart

very nice!

:bounce:

[lildreamer316]

12. Damn! Too bad I'm married..

'cuz I wanna be THERE! (always wanted to be an archaeologist, became a stripper instead; gee..oops)

[Maddy McCall]

15. Alright!

A fellow archaeologist! I rate you high just on that. I do SE archaeology. My last project was lithics analysis on a mound site in the Pearl River basin. Found out some really cool things about spatial organization and temporal occupation.

So, what's the gist of your work? What's your specialty. Mine's lithics. I like digging ok, but it's the labwork, especially analysis, that I love.

[DistressedAmerican]

16. I An An Old School Dirt Archaeologist.

I currently finishing a HUGE survey project outside of the site's city walls. Covers an area roughly half of what is contained within the walls. Mapped about 350 structures.

Extremely brutal survey conditions. Really just about the worst I can imagine. I'd love the SW. Hello reduced vegetation!

Here's a large scal map to give you an idea. The blank area withing the oval (wall) has over 4,000 mapped structures! Amazingly dense especially for the maya. They had big power in their day.

[Maddy McCall]

18. What kind of structures do you think you're finding?

What are you guys guessing, as far as residential patterns?

[DistressedAmerican]

19. Clustered Near The Wall It Is Mostly Residential To The North and East

Forther out, It is field outbuildings and granaries.

To the south west there are many water sources (cenotes) so the redidential settlement is very dense out there. but the transect along the west just north of that pocket lacks good water and is virtually devoid of structures.

There is a small pocket of settlement about 75o meters south of the wall that hav several large public structures including a rarely identified marketplace. Pretty neat really. Good diss fodder.

[Maddy McCall]

20. Any burials with grave goods?

Or indicators of status?

This just intrigues the hell out of me. :D

I've done some digs in the SE. And I just did a survey of mound sites near my home...you wouldn't believe the mound sites I found.

Sometime, we'll talk through PM. Some of my informants have told me some REALLY interesting stuff, and I'm headed to the woods again soon. I've got info on a cave burial site with remains in it. And some awesome associated grave goods.

[DistressedAmerican]

23. Tons from the excavations in the site center. My periphery work

did some test pitting but looking for trrash deposits rather than burials which typically occure under benched in the structures themselves. A bit invasive for this study since Mexico has very strict ruls on reconsolodation of structures. Any excavation and the entire GROOUP must be fully restored. great for tourism. Hard on those of us that would like to see some early phase architecture.

The site was destroyed in internal revolt and evidence of the burning and sacking of the site are everywhere. I dug a deposit that was nothing but smashed and burned bunes from about 6 individuals mixed with fragments of their broken idols (we are talking about a 2 x 2 unit. The deposit continued in all directions. VERY VIOLENT end to the site. Created a lot of great instu artifact finds though. People grabbed what they could and ran like hell in many cases or were totally wiped out belongings them ransacked, idols smashed etc.

Also lots of human sacrifice at the site. Several temples in the center have grave shaftes filled with bodies that were sacrificed and tossed in. Two years ago I excavated two infant sacrifices ine with the bone tool still shoved into its neck.

Our Osteologist has his hands VERY full!

[Maddy McCall]

25. Wow. Very interesting.

Grave goods will be the focus of my diss.

I'm writing on the Natchez.

Seriously, keep in touch when you have time. It's great to have another academician to discuss arch with.

:toast:

[DistressedAmerican]

35. You Too!

[Lilith Velkor]

17. ooOOoo yummy

I'd invite you over but you have a wicked cold. Guess that's why you warned me, eh?

[DistressedAmerican]

21. Actually Have A Kick Ass Wife And A Brand New Baby.

Mainly added the info on the cold because I hoped if people understood I was sick and fragile, they'd give me a more sympathetic response.

That Is why I sit here at this hour. Can't sleep. Can't Breathe...

Thanks For The "Yummy".

DA

Here's the munchkin on easter. Just about 4 months now. Sonia is her name-o...

[Lilith Velkor]

22. Awww, what a cutie patootie.

I'll stop now before I start typing googoo. Undignified, y'know.

[DistressedAmerican]

24. I Don't Even Know How To Spell The Sounds I Have To Make To

keep her entertained all day long...

[orleans]

28. (lilith...try not to act *too* interested)

play a little hard to get...

:popcorn:

[Lilith Velkor]

36. What's with the "hard to get" shit anyway?

I never understood the appeal. I've seen my buddies waste years (a decade in one case) on women who weren't interested in them.

I'm impossible to get if the guy's married, anyway. But cheering one up when he's sick ain't no thing.

[R. A. Fuqua]

26. dude--I like the ladies.

But--for being brave enough to post your pic on the internet--I would give you a base of at least 5 just for having some guts.

I hope if you are looking for a lady that one will be attracted to your pic--cold or no.

[R. A. Fuqua]

27. I know you have a wife---but

a guy always enjoys a little interest from the ladies right?

no offense meant to your wife....

[DistressedAmerican]

29. General Rating On Criteria Of Your Choosing...

Attention is just icing on the cake.:bounce:

[DistressedAmerican]

30. I Do Have Plenty Of Things Other Than My Picture To Recommend Me...

On top of being a new daddy, and an archaeologist:

I make very nice pottery.

(For Example This Tree Trunk Vase)

I am a great dancer,

I work tirelessly against Bush, producing satirical phototoons, running a website and any other way I can think of.


(For Example, Here's My Latest)
( see my website for more: http://www.seedsofdoubt.com/distressedamerican/main.htm ).


AND I'm tall (6'4" to be exact).

Now how would you rate me?
===================================================================
Rate me in the next ten minutes and I will throw in a free set of steak knives!

[SarahB]

31. Turn around so I can see your tush.

:P

[DistressedAmerican]

32. Don't Have A Pic Handy. But, I'd Personally Give It a C+ or B-.

If that helps any...

[DistressedAmerican]

33. Kick!

[DistressedAmerican]

34. Kicking...

[Mutley]

you can post your pic at

www.hotornot.com and get reviews there too..

[DistressedAmerican]

38. That Is Pretty Funny! Will They Treat Me Like A Piece Of Meat?

I Just don't get enough of that here at DU!

[Heidi]

37. "Contagious" was not an option, so . . .

I would have chosen "really brainy-cute" if I'd been offered that option. Since neither "contagious" nor "really brainy cute" were poll options, I'll go with "nice wrists."