Terry

And the news from the funding body is...

Wed, 20 May 2009 10:07:52 GMT

That there is no funding for me again this year. Not from the AHRC, and not from the university. But apparently, "the standard of my application was very high". This is no consolation whatsoever, because the time I spent writing it, I could have spent earning money to buy frivolous stuff like food.

So, another year of trying to live off of 3.5K awaits.

Happy Birthday, Cats!

Tue, 19 May 2009 09:03:35 GMT

Happy Birthday, Cats! Hope you have a fantastic one.

?

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:41:27 GMT

What is this with LJ? I just tried to post a comment on Sel's journal without being logged in, and it asked me to 'confirm that I am human'. I BEG your pardon? That's a bit biased!

Fuming at the 'LJ' people.

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:28:14 GMT

On the 2nd of April, I saw a 'joke' post about changes to the LJ layout. It being the 2nd April, and us regularly getting such posts, I lodged a complaint about how this would make LJ more like Facebook.

I've since had two comments, about how I'm an idiot. Apparently from LJ staff.

Now, where I come from, so called 'April Fools' are carried out by children, and have to be done by midday on April the first. To my mind, a company run by adults wouldn't post such mindless drivel, when they know they have people that a) don't read posts every day b) live in different time zones c) frequently don't have time to sift through lots of crap.

I really, really object to these so-called staff mocking me. I'm fuming. It's crazy. Some people in some parts of the world, probably spent time they don't have, trying to translate this into their own language, to see how their journal was going to change. They might not know about this shit tradition. Personally, reading and commenting on this took up maybe 20% of my free time, for yesterday: just after midnight, when I finally settled in to catch up on stuff. Yes, all of ten minutes. I've been using this bloody software for years, and I really do object to being treated like my custom counts for fuck all. Particularly when I paid for this service for some of that time.

I know it's petty, but I'm tempted to ditch the whole f*ing thing.

Erf.

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:43:19 GMT

You know, somehow I don't think I'm going to get through the remaining 967 of the 1265 inscriptions that I was asked to look at the other week by Wednesday afternoon.

I've only skimmed the last hundred or so, and I've not analysed these ones at all. That's no fecking good.

Bugger.

Still, pancakes.

outnorthwest - RTD

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:41:49 GMT

outnorthwest has an interview with Russell T Davies. Starts on Page 23.

http://www.lgf.org.uk/news/outnorthwest/

panel meeting

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:22:43 GMT

Five second freakout. Aaaargghhh! Panel Meeting! 29th January!

Where the hell am I going to find a brain by then?

photos

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 20:43:24 GMT

I had a day trip today! I took the local train up two stops (to probably only six miles from the house), and walked from there up to Dove Stones Reservoir. It was beautiful, and the weather was glorious. For anyone that's interested, and who can get to them, there's photos of today's walk, and also graduation photos on Facebook. I can't post pictures here any more since I went over to free LJ.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 20:53:45 GMT

Hope you're all having a lovely day, whatever you're doing, and wherever you are.

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/visitors/events/graduation/archivedec08/index.htm?id=10372609_hi

To see the whole thing, fast-forward to 15:10, otherwise you have to sit through the organ recital.

If you want to miss the speech about how great it was that you, as family and friends, were always there for us, go to round about 21:00, where there's a shot of me and my class. We're the guys in the row behind the red robes (PhD students). Round about 27:40, you can see me getting very bored with this speech.

33:40 - the awards actually start.

35:50 - about half-way through - my class graduate. I'm up first.

60:56 - we start to process out. This is where we're allowed to put our hats on. I doubt you'll see me in this bit - the camera moves away at that point.

Apparently, as a university, we are now third in the UK for research, after Oxford and Cambridge.

I now have a new lodger. He's called Dennis, and he's a taxi-driver. He moved in two days ago.

I have everything I wanted for Christmas this year - in other words, not being alone in this house.

Thank you for the cards, presents, and well-wishes. I'm still feeling pretty low, but I'm thankful for what I've got, which is much more than I had this time last year.

graduation

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:37:45 GMT

Looks like Miriam and I were both given the wrong day for graduation. It's actually Thursday 18th December at 14:30 instead! (Darn us Athens and Attica pathway people.) So, I've spent a while this morning sorting that one out.

paper (rock, scissors)

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:47:31 GMT

I have submitted an abstract to give a paper at AMPAH, the Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Ancient History, which will be held at Reading University next March. Yup. That guy? Standing on stage and not knowing his facts? Yup, that could be me next March. I'll find out in a couple of weeks. Not sure the abstract will get through, since I wrote it in a rush after getting back from the pub.

Now I have to start thinking what to talk to the MA students about at the start of next semester. Oh, and work. The other jobs....

Yeah, I know...

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:01:19 GMT

Not angry any more.

Just had an email from Super No.2, regarding a Major Historical Bigwig coming up to talk to us on Wednesday evening. Reads something along the lines of: 'Dear T, RO will be kicking cans in the street on Wednesday afternoon... might be a good idea if you discussed your research with him. The plan is then to take him to the Ducie (pub on campus frequented by historians and archaeologists) before he gives his talk.'

Fell over laughing at the idea of this guy kicking cans in the street. Just the change of mood I needed.

Oh, shit, now I have to think of something intelligent. That'd be twice this millenia. Should probably start by checking to see if he's written anything specifically in my field. One of his other books has been at my elbow for the last couple of weeks.

Happy Birthday, Nicci

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:20:14 GMT

Happy birthday, nicci_mac! May it be a fine day full of nice things.

GIN

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:36:18 GMT

Dear Diary. Was working. Said FUCK IT BIG STYLE. Went home. Did three hours paid work. Drunk prodigious amounts of gin. Listened to disco while still wearing the corduroy jacket. Damn, I am sex on a stick right now. Went on AIM with Teresa. Spoke to Miriam and cancelled Friday's date, since we can't get tickets. But I still have at least one book to read before tomorrow morning. When I will be fabulously erudite. Yes ERUDITE.

Kath, Teresa says hi.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:10:09 GMT

Happy Birthday, selenay936!

May you have the best birthday ever.

Hope the road got cleared for you, and that you're having a lovely time with your aunt.

Huh.

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:11:39 GMT

Turns out, the telly isn't broken. Having tried plugging the TV into several different sockets, I can be forgiven for thinking it was.

Turns out, it's the power to all the electrical sockets in the living room and dining room. But the lights still work, so it's not a simple fuse problem.

'Course, I didn't find this out until after I'd bought a replacement telly.

Unconfirmed sources...

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:35:31 GMT

I caught a sneak preview of my MA results yesterday, and it seems that, unless the exam board pooh-pooh my external examiner, I have been awarded a Merit. (That's one up from a Pass, one down from 'Distinction - let me have your babies', etc, etc.)

Graduation is on Wednesday 17th December, at 12:15, after which I will retire to the Ducie pub on campus for a couple of sherberts, and from there, quite possibly off to Rusholme for Chilli Paneer. Not expecting anyone to be able to make it, but just in case, I have two guest tickets, for anyone that cares to watch me doing my Harry Potter impersonation again, only this time with a hat. Think - HAT, people. SURELY that's got to be worth a few hundred miles round trip? :-).

Oh, hey, other stuff!

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:30:09 GMT

Before you all think my life is an endless loop of complaints...

Nicci, sweetheart - SO many positive comments on that picture you took of me with Daniel. Everyone thinks he's fabulous!

Xim - do you have a handy bit of software for typing special characters in Word, without going through Insert > Symbol? Setting up the keyboard for one single, other language won't work. I've got this great add-on for Greek, but I find that at the moment, I'm also having to include a lot of French and German (and sometimes other languages) together with Greek in one document.

Anyone else - a while back, I posted a couple of paragraphs of an original story that came to me in a dream. I've not really done much more to it, but that said, it is now 17 pages or so long. Does anyone want to see it? Reason I'm asking is, I'd like to do some fun writing over Christmas, and I'd like a festive cattle-prod, please.

University wise, things are bloody tough, actually. And I still don't know what result I got in my MA. And I'm supposed to be graduating from that some time in the next five weeks. How am I supposed to prepare to be Master of the Universe, is what I want to know!

Okay, right. Better get on with some work for a bit.

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:26:47 GMT

Colour Quiz

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:44:04 GMT

Borrowed from Dale. Filled in while waiting for that damn music from the next street to stop.

RED
1. Closest red thing to you? My pencil case. I bought this just before my A-Levels, because my previous one had broken, and this one was cheap. I just wanted something to last me a couple of weeks, so I wasn't too worried about what was on it. Needless to say, it's now lasted 19 years. It has Jerry from Tom & Jerry on it :->.

2. Last thing to make you angry? I don't remember. It's a few weeks since I was last angry.

3. Do you have a temper? Not often. But when I see red, I'm frightening.

4. Are you a fan of romance? Yes, in some ways.

ORANGE
1. Closest orange thing to you? My pencil sharpener.

2. Do you like to burn things? Yes, I find it therapeutic.

3. Dress up for Halloween? Not for years. I won a prize for my mummy costume when I was a kid though.

4. Are you usually a warm-hearted person? Probably not, in the grand scheme of things.

5. Are you usually full of energy? No.

YELLOW
1. Closest yellow thing to you? A yellow, horizontal stripe on the pot I keep pens in.

2. The happiest time[s] of your life? The happiest times, that were consistently happy and lasted the longest, were when I used to stay at the Kings' house, and their sofa became known as my bedroom.

3. Favourite holiday? Christmas.

4. Are you a coward? No.

5. Do you burn or tan? A bit of both.

GREEN
1. Closest green thing to you? My new cactus.

2. Do you care about the environment? Of course.

3. Are you jealous of anyone right now? No. I find it a pointless emotion.

4. Are you a lucky person? I'm probably more lucky than I think I am. But I work bloody hard for it.

5. Do you always want what you can't have? No.

6. Do you like being outdoors? Yes. I get antsy if I don't get outside on a nice day.

7. Are you Irish? Partly, and far more than I was lead to believe as a child.

BLUE
1. Closest blue thing to you? The little card that will let me sign in and fill in my tax return online, when I get my finger out.

2. Are you good at calming people down? No, because I apparently don't understand them.

3. Do you like the sea? Definitely. Watching any large body of water is good for stress relief.

4. What was the last thing that made you cry? Don't know.

5. Are you a logical thinker? I can be.

6. Can you sleep easily? No. I rarely sleep through an entire night.

PURPLE
1. Closest purple thing to you? Manchester University biro I found.

2. Like being treated to expensive things? Not particularly. I'd much rather have something the giver thought appropriate or spent time on.

3. Do you like mysterious things? No. I don't handle surprises well.

4. Favourite type of chocolate? I have just rediscovered Star Bars. I had no idea they still made them!

5. Ever met anyone from livejournal? Many of my best friends are LJ-friends.

6. Are you creative? I can be.

PINK
1. Closest pink thing to you? A post-it note with Greek revision notes on it.

2. Do you like sweet things? I prefer savoury, but yes, I like sweet things too.

3. Like play-fighting? Sometimes.

4. Are you sensitive? No.

5.Do you like punk music? Yes.

WHITE
1. Closest white thing to you? Paperwork from the bank.

2. Would you say you're innocent? No.

3. Always try to keep the peace? No. Sometimes you need to get a bit of friction going for other people to come out with their most creative ideas. It helps you see how passionate can be, and what they care about. Actually, I can be really bad at reading people, and this sadly does help me.

4. How do you imagine your wedding? Like a cross between 'Leaving Las Vegas' and the episode of CSI with the intergalactic/Elvis wedding chapel in it.

5. Do you like to play in the snow? Sometimes. As long as there's somewhere to get warm and dry after.

6. Are you afraid of going to the doctor or the dentist? No, and I used to actively enjoy going to the dentist.

BLACK
1. Closest black thing to you? My hippo clock that stopped working the day before I had my operation, and is now working again, only sometimes it goes backwards.

2. Ever enjoy hurting people? No.

3. Are you sophisticated or silly? Silly.

4. Would you like to go to space? Any time. I've been waiting for it a long while.

5. Do you have a lot of secrets? Not many, but the ones I have are huge ones.

6. What is your favourite colour? Orange.

7. Does the colour you wear affect your mood? No, the opposite. I choose what colour to wear depending on mood.

Nope, music still going.

Oh, me too!

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:49:39 GMT

Post a picture in my comments of what you think describes me when you think about what/who I am.

Give no written explanation though. Just an image.

Copy and paste into your own journal and see what others think about you in pictures!

And I will try to find some time tonight to post a picture in all of your journals, I promise.

Test thingy from Dale

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:37:07 GMT

Your result for The Quick & Painless ENNEAGRAM Test...

1- the Perfectionist

you chose CZ - your Enneagram type is ONE (aka "The Reformer").

"I do everything the right way"

Perfectionists are realistic, conscientious, and principled. They strive
to live up to their high ideals.

How to Get Along with Me

Take your share of the responsibility so I don't end up with all the
work.

Acknowledge my achievements.

I'm hard on myself. Reassure me that I'm fine the way I am.

Tell me that you value my advice.

Be fair and considerate, as I am.

Apologize if you have been unthoughtful. It will help me to forgive.

Gently encourage me to lighten up and to laugh at myself when I get
uptight, but hear my worries first.

What I Like About Being a ONE

being self-disciplined and able to accomplish a great deal

working hard to make the world a better place

having high standards and ethics; not compromising myself

being reasonable, responsible, and dedicated in everything I do

being able to put facts together, coming to good understandings, and
figuring out wise solutions

being the best I can be and bringing out the best in other people

What's Hard About Being a ONE

being disappointed with myself or others when my expectations are not met

feeling burdened by too much responsibility

thinking that what I do is never good enough

not being appreciated for what I do for people

being upset because others aren't trying as hard as I am

obsessing about what I did or what I should do

being tense, anxious, and taking things too seriously

ONEs as Children Often

criticize themselves in anticipation of criticism from others

refrain from doing things that they think might not come out perfect

focus on living up to the expectations of their parents and teachers

are very responsible; may assume the role of parent

hold back negative emotions ("good children aren't angry")

ONEs as Parents

teach their children responsibility and strong moral values

are consistent and fair

discipline firmly

Take The Quick & Painless ENNEAGRAM Test at Hello Quizzy

See you later

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:57:07 GMT

I'm off in an hour. All good things to you. Hopefully you'll hear from me again by Thursday night.

Annoying, funny, and mind-boggling

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:50:25 GMT

I'm trying to do some research for two of my chapters. I've come across a series of letters written on lead in the 5-4C BC, and they're JUST what I need. I've spent the evening cooing, drooling and fawning over them, basically.

The problem occurs when I try and chase them up on the internet. You see, the guy that I need to find is Dr David Jordan. And 99% of the references I find are for Stargate.

AAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!

I'm back - and slightly wetter than I was ten minutes ago!

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:04:10 GMT

Hi, folks!

I am now home, 26 hours after leaving Birsay :-). I will post more tomorrow, once I've had some sleep.

I am *not* glad to be home. I did my usual things when I came through the door, of course - checked the house, sorted the mail, did the washing and generally caught up, and everything was fine. It wasn't until I went to get a clean bath towel out, that I found that I've had a leak. Something has leaked from somewhere, down inside the airing cupboard. It's not doing it now, so I've no idea where it came from. I can only wait and see what happens next. I can't get someone out to fix it if I have no idea what *it* is.

The upshot is that all the bed linen on one side of one shelf in the airing cupboard was soaked through, but not the stuff to the right, and not the stuff on the shelf below it. So it's not the tank, which is under this lot. Nothing above it is wet *now* either. The shelf is soaked through. Water had then dripped on to the carpet underlay, which extended further into the airing cupboard than the carpet did. So, the carpet itself was dry on top, which is why I didn't spot it earlier. However, I have nice luxuriant underlay in that room, and it acted like a wick, and soaked up all the water and let it seep into the floorboards, which have now warped a little. So with both underlay and carpet down, the bathroom door is currently not closing properly. Thank god it has not gone through *under* the floorboards and into the kitchen.

So, what have I done tonight, instead of settling down to a nice chill out evening, and an early night? Yes, I've taken the carpet and underlay up, and now smell of all that instead. And I can't shower again, because I'd just washed all the towels that weren't affected in the leak. I'm warming and airing the house, and keeping my fingers crossed. I can't even see anything amiss from the outside, dammit. I'll have to have another look tomorrow, when I can see straight.