e2-gestug2 d-nisaba-ke4

Update

2009-03-25T00:54:59Z

A summary of the last three months:

January: Epic internet issues! Frantic application to Oxford! Join new morris side and fret at them (they are sympathetic, and also silly. I love morris dancers).
February: Fret. Internet issues continue. Carry on with publication. Discover Deep Space Nine. Rapidly become ~~obsessed~~ interested to a not insignificant degree.
March: Invited to interview at very short notice. Struggle to find cover, with no help from boss. Finally make it, having pissed Oxford off. Interview. Unofficial advice on my publication given and gratefully received. Joy at OULES friends! Panicky realisation that publication due in really really soon! Write faster.

And since I'm so rubbish at updating, here's the forecast for the next three months:

April (tbc): PANIC! Fret over Oxford application (when will they let me know?!)
May (tbc): Submit publication. Start frantically applying for scholarship. See above.
June (tbc): Submit scholarship application. RELAX.

I've been very busy. I've seen mr_coomber for all of 7 hours in the last month. The morris side is joyous - I've joined Chinewrde, a fabulous local North West side, most of whom knew me from the Gogs. Publication is turning up interesting facts. The interview was...well, it was an interview. I express no opinion on these things. Thanks everso to half_of_monty for letting me sit in her office beforehand, and I cannot express my joy at seeing her, Duncan and ktroo85 afterwards. I have missed likeminded people. When I am less busy, I'll start visiting people again. In the meantime, come and see me! I have a perfectly good floor...

scribeofnisaba @ 2008-10-31T18:20:00

2008-10-31T18:28:09Z

Last year at Hallowe'en I was dressed up as Inana getting merrily drunk with a load of other assyriologists.

This year I'm hiding in my room with the lights off, trying to keep out of sight of the little ~~fuckers~~ ~~brats~~ ~~vicious terrors~~ children trick-or-treating down my road.

I think I preferred last year.

scribeofnisaba @ 2008-06-05T12:48:00

2008-06-05T11:51:24Z

Exams are bearable. Nearly finished. 2 to go.

In other news, I'm older than I've ever been, so I'll be at the Granta after 10 and until about 10.45 (before that I'll be revising, after that I'll be sleeping as I have another bloody final tomorrow) to celebrate - come along if you're around - you don't even have to buy me a drink because I'm off the sodding alcohol until Monday!

scribeofnisaba @ 2008-05-20T15:10:00

2008-05-20T14:14:57Z

I've just been brought a cup of tea! How lovely.

scribeofnisaba @ 2008-05-17T19:47:00

2008-05-17T19:12:23Z

I rather liked Dr Who tonight, especially counting the cunningly-inserted-book-titles.

I was, however, slightly disappointed that it was early Agatha Christie and thus was set before she met and married the great Max Mallowan, the celebrated Assyriologist and excavator of Nimrud and other exciting Assyrian sites.

Not that I'm partisan or anything.

In deference to Max Mallowan, I'm using my Neo-Babylonian icon, which is not quite Assyrian but close enough in time. Sort of.

scribeofnisaba @ 2008-04-25T12:12:00

2008-04-25T11:15:41Z

Two posts in one day! Good lord!

But YESSSS I have found justification for an argument! Oppenheim, as well! Just HAD to celebrate...

multiple languages

2008-04-25T11:13:47Z

I'm reading a book about dream interpretation in the Ancient Near East, and someone has written a note in the margin. In Hebrew.

Things like this make me so happy. Not so much the writing notes in other languages as the confident expectation that everyone working in this area will understand. Or at least know someone else who does.

Very boring post, I know, but then I am maniacally writing up my dissertation, rammed full of new work and exciting things that only me and Eleanor (Robson) know about! And may parents, but they don't quite understand the significance and just smile encouragingly when I rabbit on about it all.

All done by Monday, though, then I shall post a rant about my pet peeve in the world of Assyriology. Bet you can't wait...

scribeofnisaba @ 2008-04-16T20:15:00

2008-04-16T19:24:00Z

Words fail me

I've got an email address for the big cheese at Tesco and even a draft of what could be written, if anyone else feels sufficiently moved to protest about this. Honestly, there are many things that get my blood up but this is just...

Off for a calming cup of tea.

Please repost this on your own blogs (if you like...)

Address: terry dot leahy @ tesco dot com

Suggested text:

I am deeply concerned that your store is currently selling a 'padded bra' for 7year olds.

This seems to be a wholly misguided and completely irresponsible attempt to encourage girls who will still be a few years away from puberty to imitate the appearance of mature women. Girls of this age are not equipped to deal with the responses of older boys and men who may have inappropriate sexual feelings towards them, nor are they mature enough to cope with feelings of inadequacy that such an emphasis on their physical appearance may generate.

Such an early sexualisation of young children is entirely inappropriate. I think it is highly irresponsible of your store to sell such a product, and request that you withdraw it from sale.

I shall not be making any purchase from your stores until you assure me that you have done so,

Yours,
name

Teehee!

2008-04-11T14:59:10Z

Spotted on this jewellery website:

"This type of jewelry reached a zenith when Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Phillip, died."

Thassorl.

On a non-Sumerological note...

2008-04-11T00:01:33Z

Saturday night (12th), London Barndance, C# House in Camden.

Any takers?

Ban the cluster bomb

2008-03-14T13:43:03Z

It's not often that I use this page as my own personal soapbox, but I feel that this is important enough.

In May this year we have the chance to ban cluster bombs. Forever. Details here

Please take a moment and sign the petition, write to your MP, or just repost the link on your own blog.

Cheers,
scribeofnisaba

gech!

2008-02-12T21:13:34Z

Tea with sugar tastes vile.

Energy, come on, where are you? I have fed you with sugar and caffeine! At this rate I'm going to need a nap...pah!

(Incidentally, a nappah is a smith. In the construct form. A nappah parzilli is a blacksmith. Isn't that interesting?)

postgraduate ponderings

2008-02-12T16:43:50Z

It seems that I may be (depending on funding and applications) shimmying my way to Oxford in a couple of years. My current supervisor has offered to supervise me for an Mst - and she doesn't even teach at Oxford any more, so I'm a "special case" (shut it).
I'm quite excited. It would involve a lot of early scripts, possibly even some Proto-Elamite (only place in the country one can study it!) and best of all, not a taught masters, so I can do what the hell I like :D well, within reason, but...

So, I just need to go about finding funding.

How can I convince someone that they want to pay for me to study an even more obscure language than I'm already studying??

:D

Cheerful dub-sar!

Academia

2008-02-06T20:40:08Z

Today I bumped into Graham Cunningham (eminent Sumerologist) by the photocopier and we had a chat about how annoying machines are.
I have a lot of twinging in my lumbar region, my ruptured shoulder is playing up and my neck won't straighten without a fair amount of pain.

Ahh academia...

In better news, my friend CB bought me a present - the old OLD myths about Lugalbanda (father of the more famous Gilgamesh) written up into a children's book - such a beautiful story AND they got the iconography right!!! Lions and turtles in the right places, proper horned hats and huge eyes on all the figures, and the Anzud bird is superb! It's utterly and entirely fabulous.

Books!

2008-01-14T12:23:35Z

So this morning I waited 40 minutes for a bus and was forced in the end to go home, change, get my bike and cycle through the strong wind and a bit of rain to get to the faculty, which incurred cursing and general ill-will sent in the direction of Stagecoach. Cussed bastards.
Then, as I hopped off my bike to purchase a consolatory doughnut, I realised that in my mad rush of fetching my bike, I'd left my keys on the armchair.
More cursings.
It did, however, give me the chance to buy the long chain bikelock I've been wanting to get for ages. But still. It's all Stagecoach's fault - if I hadn't been in a hurry I wouldn't have forgotten!

On arrival in the faculty, I remember that today is the day that we Assyriologists are to shift books belonging to the BSAI into the basement. So I join in, have a bit of a laugh with the other chaps, meet Graham Cunningham(!) which made me very pleased :D and then - get this - we get paid! In books! Five of them! Two unpublished, two books of texts and a copy of Nimrud which is beautiful! I've got a pile of new books! About £100 worth, maybe more! Wahey! Books!

Bit of a down and up day today! Although I'm never going to get all these books home on the bike...

ahhh, NOW it makes sense!

2008-01-10T18:19:35Z

I've found out what a mid-range context is.

Project update: 1175/4000 words. Not bad.

This, btw, is what I'm writing about. The lapis lazuli cylinder seal of "Pu-Abi nin", or "Lady(?) Pu-Abi". If you want to know about lapis lazuli, the mining thereof, the trade thereof, trade routes into Mesopotamia from the East, the carving of seals, the designs on seals, the designs specifically on Early Dynastic cylinder seals, the contents of Royal Grave 800 at the Royal Cemetery in Ur, the use in its modern context and, indeed, its mid-range context, then you can bugger off and read Collon's "First Impressions", because I can't be bothered to go over it again.

Merriment

2008-01-08T20:16:07Z

Finally!

After two years of not understanding all those geeky t-shirts with computing-related slogans, I get my own back!

I love my understanding family, who have made me very happy indeed.

It was a geeky Christmas. Not only the hoodie but also two books on Sumerian literature I've been hankering after for ages. I have them on my shelf. If I feel sad, I get them out and stroke them. AND I wrote an exciting slide show about the Middle Assyrians.
Chris (the Assyriologist) suggested that the way I responded to the Mesopotamia-based gifts (OOH SHINY!!!) compared with my reaction to pretty things I was given (oh, make up. What is it you do with this stuff, again?) says something quite profound about me, but I disagree. What it says is, "Make-up is boring. Sumerian is fun!" and what's incorrect about that?

I am also having to stop myself singing "Agadoo" whenever I pick up my copy of the Cursing of Agade(-de-de, push pineap...shut the fuck up!) but it's impossible to stop once you've started! Help me, please. I must not rewrite Agadoo to fit the destruction of an Akkadian city. I've already helped rewrite The Twelve Days of Christmas and The Lord's Prayer to fit light entertainment, god help me if I move onto a subject even fewer people understand!

Currently writing a project on cylinder seals, which is a mixture of entertaining (ooh look, the shiny pictures!) and dull (so, how specialised was the merchant that procured this lapis lazuli? What gap did the creation of the seal fill? What is the mid-range context? (wtf? I didn't know there was such thing as a mid-range context! WTF is a mid-range context? Argh! *implode*)). So, just like any other project, then. OTOH, I'm actually referencing this one as I go, which will make a refreshing change when it comes to tying up ~~ooh, kinky~~ all the loose ends. I look forward to my future self actually being pleased with my past self, for once!

In short, I'm back, I'm busy, my hair is greying even more than I thought possible and I'm even more of a geek than I realised. Happy New Year!

With a fol de rol de diddle

2007-12-08T08:49:02Z

I've been loaned a book called "Bawdy British Folk Songs".
Alarmingly, I already know half of them.

In kind with the rest of LJ, I too have been putting up my decorations. No middle class yuppie or colour-coordinated schemes for me - oh no! :-P Although I DID invest in some fairy lights.
But no, my budget this year stretches to some paper chains which keep falling down and I've got my scissors out and made loads of paper snowflakes. I started to make a cardboard angel but realised that it would be a bit too religious for my tastes, so I gave it a headband of stars and a girdle of "lapis lazuli" (blue beads) and presently I shall manufacture a measuring rod and rope (and a head, since all she has at the moment is her divine symbol sellotaped to her neck) and it shall be Holy Inana, one of my favourite goddesses. (Photos if you want them)

Ooh, I could perform the mis pî ritual on it and have my own mini-Inana...or maybe not. She's rather touchy, after all.

Oh, there goes another paper chain...

doh...

2007-11-30T15:13:51Z

Aware that it is the sleepy part of the day, I bought myself a big coffee, drank it, and promptly proceeded to fall asleep over my notes.

WHY AM I THE WRONG WAY ROUND??!!

you've been on my mind...

2007-11-29T23:22:41Z

There's been something bothering me about Keith Allen, the Sheriff of Nottingham.
think I've finally worked out what it is.

Can anyone else see a likeness between him and him?

They aren't good pictures, but it's the little curl on the forehead that makes the resemblance, in my eyes!

edit: it isn't just me! mr_coomber can see it too. I'm not weird.

a situation that may arise shortly

2007-11-29T19:55:21Z

Supervisor: "So, how would you define art?"

scribeofnisaba: "Fuck off, I'm a philologist, not an art historian."

Supervisor: o.O

scribeofnisaba: "No likes. Do not want. Pls to make go away now kthxbi."

***

RIP Peter Lipton, my dissertation supervisor's boss. I didn't know him but I could see from her face how much he meant to her and the HPS faculty. That he died so suddenly and so young is a great tragedy.

Rudeness

2007-11-21T00:55:40Z

So having been shown this a colleague and I were debating how we Assyriology undergrads would be described in a negative manner at the bottom of a leaflet. This led on to short rude names for each other. We have:

the pisswit
the swisswit
the fuckup
the fuck-off

This is not of interest to anyone in particular - I just don't want to forget.

Busy bees

2007-11-20T15:37:37Z

So, stress. That interesting little bugger.

But I'm pleased to say that I'm managing quite well. Yesterday was spent full of melancholy and gloom, but instead of dwelling on why I was so miserable I forced myself through the day, ate a proper meal, pushed myself to dancing and the pub afterwards, had a shower so hot I was dancing, and allowed myself a good almost 9 hours sleep. I had also decided in advance that today was going to be much better, and thus it was. Just need to KOBO until the end of term, then I'll have some time to finish off the enormous mountain of crap I haven't sorted yet.

I'm writing up some work on two words, shimtu and parsu (can someone tell me how to put accents/special characters into LJ entries please?) which is interesting from both a comparative-philological and a historical perspective, but does require a lot of reading. As does everything else I have to do this week. In a short while I shall get round to writing it up on here, if only to clarify my mind a little, but for now I'd better get back to reading. Or indeed to my Assyriology-tea-and-chocolate break! Hurrah!

At last, a use for us!

2007-11-16T18:55:49Z

Read all about it! British Museum Assyriologists in crime-busting extravaganza!

scribeofnisaba @ 2007-11-15T14:02:00

2007-11-15T16:02:01Z

French is the most irritating language for someone to be whispering in in a library. Well, in my experience anyway (includes German, Arabic, English, Japanese and Turkish. Can anyone guess where I work? :p).

Right, got that off my chest. I shall post properly about things in a short while but I'm completely covered in ~~bees~~ work at the moment, and when I'm not working I'm eating or too tired...This weekend will be busy as well, but not in a work way (hurrah!).