dextrite's Journal

10:25pm: I haven't updated because I have been dividing my time between two other pursuits.  The first has been a brief switch from Egyptian literature to language.  I have made my way through the first 4 chapters of James E. Hoch's Middle Egyptian Grammar and read a little bit farther in Simpson's Egyptian Literature.  I have also been studying my Latin.  Instead of just memorizing the paradigms (which I have done many times and never seem to really remember) I have been working on the reconstructed paradigms and trying to understand (and thereby remember) why they ended up the way they did.  I spent about 3 hours yesterday working on the first declension or long 'a' stems and feel like I have a decent understanding of them. 

10:40pm: "The best laid plans..."
So the plan has changed, or at least, it may.  I have spent a busy night planing my first semester at B.C. which I will be attending this fall!

11:43pm: Why do this?
I hope to both follow through with my before mentioned plan for a myriad of reasons.  I want to make up for my lack of knowledge of literature and history and also think that this will be an oppurtunity to review some languages and maybe increase my linguistics knowledge.  Another reason is to take a look at these languages and cultures and try to make my own impression about the literature and what they were trying to say.  I can practice reading critically and see what motifs and patterns emerge and maybe come to my own conclusions about the history of language and the stories that we tell and listen to.  The last reason is that it will give me both a place to record these studies (let's face it, I don't have the best memory) and a chance to practice my writing skills, if I dare even call that meager facility a 'skill'.  

So, perhaps tomorrow, when I have more time I will relate the first few chapters of Egyptian literature to my faithful readers.  Keep in mind, however, that this blog is not really for you and thus you will probably be bored. HA!  

I also ran about 3 miles today for those of you keeping track. 

10:58pm: Reading:
I am currently reading:

Literature of Ancient Egypt An Anthology of Stories, Instructions, Stelae, Autobiographies, and Poetry
Edited by William Kelly Simpson (Yale University Press, 2003) 


I have decided to make up for my lack of knowledge of literature, history and linguistics by setting a goal for myself of reading, from the very beginning of literature everything that I can (in the most sensible order that I can decide on).  I am starting in Egypt with this particular work and will also read a book on Egyptian history afterwards (or perhaps during).  Additionally I will review my Middle Egyptian, through my old notes and current books, in order to as many gaps in my knowledge as I can. 

Following that set of books (assuing that I both stick with the plan and don't get sidetracked chasing down something interesting from the reading or bibliography) I will move onto the literature of the ancient Near East, probably Gilgamesh.  Along with Gilgamesh I will read other early stories like "The Flood", some of the early creation stories and whatever else I can get my hands on, like The Evolution of Gilgamesh by Tigay and one or two history books that might be relevant.  Like with the egyptian literature I hope to follow up this set of ancient Near East materials with some study of the relevant languages (i.e. Sumerian using Hayes, Thompson and Otto something or other, Akkadian and Babylonian with some Huenguard and Mercer).

Next I think that I will begin looking at both the Rig Veda (and therefor Vedic Sanskrit) and some early Hittite texts (and thus Hittite either through photocopies of German grammars that I have or maybe with the help of the University of Texas' Indo-European studies webpage), though I don't know what they will be(Maybe during this I will have a brief foray into Hurrian or Hattic also, though I think that there may only be few wordlists).  

From there I will need to make more decisions about my route to knowledge.  I would like to start with the Avestas and Avestan but will also read the Iliad and the Odyssey.  

After that I am not sure, probably some Old Latin, Old Persian, and some early Celtic.  Oh, and the Bible.  Before I begin the Rig Veda.  That should keep me busy.  It is my intention of posting some of this here, on my journal.  Notes and a list of what I am reading mostly. I would like to keep as detailed notes as possible for future reference to to keep me actively paying attention as opposed to skimming thousands of pages of material.  Any suggetions concering the books or topics?  I am aiming, right now, at mostly works completed before about 500 B.C.  Though if I include the Bible as early as I might read it I may need to diverge from that plan a little.  Suggestions?

10:26pm: I am back!
"Do not be haughty because of your knowledge,
But take counsel / with the unlearned man aw well as with the learned,
For no one has ever attained perfection of competence,
And there is no craftsman who has acquired (full) mastery.
Good advice is rarer than emeralds,
But yet it may be found even among women at the grindstones."

Ptahhotep -- from sometime between the sixth dynasty of the Kingdom and the Middle Kingdom

3:35pm: If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of
fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison, fourth US president
(1751-1836)

11:05am: Good word
toxophilite (tok-SOF-uh-lyt) noun

One who is fond of or expert at archery.

[Coined by Roger Ascham (1515-1568), scholar and writer, as a proper
name and
the title of his book Toxophilus, from Greek toxon (bow) + -philos
(loving).]

1:08am: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/74862/david_bell_urban_ninja/

12:56am: http://www.flabber.nl/archief/015522.php

ttp://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7521044027821122670

http://neppyman.irulethe.net/dndwho/

10:20pm: Collective Terms
Here is an interesting website put out by Oxford dictionaries concerning collective terms for animals.

11:06pm: Exorcism
Medieval exorcism formula from Wikopedia.



The Latin text says:

Crux sancta sit mihi lux / Non draco sit mihi dux
Vade retro satana / Nunquam suade mihi vana
Sunt mala quae libas / Ipse venena bibas

In approximate translation:

"May the Holy Cross be my light / Let not the dragon lead me
Step back Satan / Never tempt me with vain things
What you offer me is evil / Drink the poison yourself."

12:05am: I guess that the gist of it was that one may need to pursue a profession and a passion secondarily, as opposed to pursuing a passion and either getting nowhere or starving.

11:33am: Herb made an interesting point about one's passion verse one's profession. Good job, Herb.

10:10pm: Secret posts
I just made a list of 2006 goals. If you are interested in seeing them I will post them.

1:17am: January first!
Happy New Year, everyone. I hope everyone had a good holiday and that their new year is better than their last. If you are lucky you may just get another update concerning all of my goals for the next year, the first of which is to actually include an update after this one.

9:52pm: Taken from Colleen's blog, before she deleted it:


I, like Emilie, (and I like Emilie) am usually amazed at how reflective you are. It is a rare and impressive trait.

Zing!

Hey folks, I added a little zing at the end there to make Colleen happy. Before I just added the zing and not the explanation but Colleen thought that you (pl.) would not get it. She thinks that you are stupid and I am undecided, so I went with the explanation.

9:30pm: Bible and Abortion
Here is an interesting article from the New York Times.

11:35pm: Beware
"In September 1675 John Allyn advised Fizt-John Winthrop, "beware of haveing any linguist in your company, least he so hide himselfe as that you leave him behind you!"" --The Name of War, by Jill Lepore

9:34pm: Quote
When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious faiths
or
any other kind of dogmas or goals, it's always because these dogmas or
goals are in doubt. -Robert T. Pirsig, author and philosopher (1928- )

8:26pm: Interesting
An interesting set of articles about language and communication that runs the gamit from video games to the Arecibo broadcast.  Here.

1:05pm: Burrito
Today's burrito:

Messiest burrito ever? Maybe.
Tastiest burrito ever? Quite possibly.
Most challenging burrito ever because I was simultaneously driving, removing the salsa and applying copious amounts of lime? Definitely.

9:54am: Funny comment

Look at the second comment on this blog. Scroll up to see the entry though, the link puts you too far down on the page.

Here

10:05pm: Triathlons
Though it is only October and the season does not start up for about 9 months it will soon be time to start planning next years events. That is, it is time to decide what my plans will be for next year and what I need to do to get me there.

I have been thinking about doing a half-Ironman. That is about a 1.5 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile run. These are pretty big distances and I could never finish one now but 9 months should be more than enough time to do so if I decide that I want to. In order to do so it will take some careful planning concerning my workouts and such over the next few months.

However, for now I still have one more race this year and than some time off for recovery. First things first...

5:14pm: Cry-babies!

Fools...I wonder why I don't just take over the world and tell people that I always ruled it. 

4:06pm: I have found you! You have been lurking in cyber-space too long my friend. Now I have caught you and will cover you with nonsense!