docoflove1974

There's putting the "God Consul" in his place! ROFL!

Tomorrow, after Easter brunch with 4/5 of the immediate family, we'll all meet up at my great aunt's apartment and have Easter dinner...preceded by the traditional sit-down at the local wine bar!

Happy birthday, Virgil! Enjoy your day!

A bit of both, as I understand it, that it was the right place and right time for a change in culture and perspective on life. Plus, the term "Dark Ages" is pretty specific to Western and Central Europe; Eastern Europe had been 'lost' by the Empire earlier, various parts of Asia were still thriving in civilization (India, China, just to name a couple), and the Middle East carried on the learning traditions (plus their own) of the Classical Greek and Roman empires. What can be said is this: with the 'fall' of the Roman empire, there was less centralized 'Roman' influence, so that the infrastructure of life--the roads, trade, the army--was in disrepair, or not nearly in the same shape as they were in the 'glory days' of the Empire. I've always heard the term "Dark Ages" to refer to the closed societies, little literacy, little trade from 'outsiders'. It's pretty biased, true, but the 'Re-Birth' that comes in the 1300-1400 range comes from the 're-introduction' of learning and culture, the opening of societies to more distant trade, and a change in culture, really.

Here in Baghdad-By-The-Bay, it was a typical spring day: in the 60s, high thin clouds, and a great day to go shopping and release tensions!

Yanno...had I thought of that first...sheesh, I shoulda known better. Thanks!

We'll have none of that in Britannia, thank you ... Well, there has to be some...do Brits multiply via Immaculate Conception?

Firefox 2.0...and I have it set to allow pop-ups for this site...so I'll try again, but like I said, it's no huge deal for me.

Thanks, all. I just finished the last edit, before I go to campus and print it out tomorrow, go to Kinko's and copy it, and ship it out. A friend asked if I'm now sleeping better...I never had a problem sleeping (exercise helps a lot), but I do feel lighter. It's not over, and I know that well, but at least there's a terminus that is tangible.

Actually, the friend list won't even pop up for me...but I'm not that worried about it. As long as I can read posts and peruse the gallery, I'm happy!

"Doc" works just fine...so does "hey you" Currently mine is ~150 pages, not counting the back material; if included, it's almost 200. I don't know that there's a 'requirement' for a page count...just that you get the work done. Although...when I did my masters' thesis, I wrote 35 pages...and was told that it had to be at least 50. Man, I've never stretched sentences, re-worded, and just played verbal shennanigans so much in my life! It's really not hard to come up with the pages, once you get your 'formula' down, all of your literature review in, and the other fun parts. In fact, I think I've cut a few pages out of mine.

Ummmmmm...I'm trying not to think about that...in my eyes, if the heads of my committee told me to go ahead and set up a date, then it must be good! Realistically, you can defend once more...but that's it. If you don't pass the second one, you're terminated. But that won't happen!

As someone who used to admin a site with over 1000 maniacs...um, yeah...30 well-behaved members is immensely better.

And if you're anywhere near Austin, TX...I'll buy you that drink! Well, assuming everything goes well!

2 May 2007. 12noon CDT. That'll be the judgement day. No, not the one with the pearly gates, and some Peter-man standing there with his list. Instead I speak of the day when my professors decide if I'm worthy enough to stand with them as a colleague. The 'final' draft will be sent out Tuesday; one month after that I will be in front of my academic setting, answering questions that I've prepared for, as well as others that I haven't. This is it! I'm geeked for this...I want this so bad, I can taste it. I've worked so hard, and I really hope that everything goes as planned, and that I'm accepted. So, wish me luck!

Florida over UCLA, too, but I think Georgetown's got it going on, and will triumph over OSU. Oh, and Durant is AP's POY!!! HOOK 'EM!!

But what a view!

As a member of the delegate from Kah-lee-4-knee-ah... --McCain was ok, until he muttered some dribble about having to support the president, simply because he was elected by the people and for the people, and therefore he is our representative. Um, bull-pucky...I didn't vote for the putz even for governor (yes, I was living in Austin at his last election), let alone for president. --Hillary...nope, she scares me. Actually, the thought of Bill around impressionable interns scares me. And Hillary's politics. --Obama...not sure about him yet. I personally think he's too green...but that might be what gets him elected, that he isn't as 'tainted' as the others. Overall...I say we start all over again...cuz what we have ain't exactly impressive.

Oooooooooooooh...thanks, Ludovicus! Another one to add to the wish list!

I use FF 2.0 on both my laptop (XP) and desktop (Win2k)...nary a problem here.

First...happy birthday, GPM! Enjoy it! Second...speaking of enjoying a birthday...what a helluva present! I hope you aptly reward your wife!

You really must lay off the extra Pertimaxii...they're rotting every soft tissue you have!

I just realized that, after being here over a year, I've yet to 'officially' introduce myself, outside of state where I'm from! How horrible of me...please forgive my ill manners! Doc, here...well, not quite a doc yet...but just finishing my PhD in Romance Linguistics from the University of Texas (defense date is set for May, unless my professors decide to change it on me!). My main academic interests lie in historical Romance linguistics, focusing on lexical gender specifically, as well as gender and other nominal inflections generally. A secondary, but by no means less important or less studied, area of academic work deals with theories of language change. In fact, my dissertation deals with discussions of lexical gender in the history of the Romance languages. BUT...the history of the Roman empire intrigues me, in particular as they are conquering the whole of their territory, and how they fused the 'Roman way of life' with that of the local cultures. I've only scratched the surface on that area, which is why my many questions often deal with those themes. Also, since many of my professors are Indo-Europeanists, the histories of the ancients (Hellenic groups and eras, the Anatolian area, etc.) fascinates me. When not reading, writing, and editing, I teach Spanish at a couple of local community colleges. With luck, I'll eventually find a full-time, tenure-track teaching position. Oh, and I like .

First...great essay, Augusta. Very informative and well-written...I enjoyed it thoroughly! Second...and, please, forgive the ignorance...but I was under the impression that Cicero supported Octavian's advancement as the Caesar in control (so to speak). If he was so contrary to the proposition of a monarchy (which, for all intents and purposes, describes Empirial Rome), why did he support Octavian/Augustus? Is it merely to save his own neck? Was he playing his political cards in such a way as to garner a Royal Flush, and thus making the other pretenders fold? (Sorry, couldn't resist the poker analogy.) How off am I on this? That would imply humility...which no one in that administration seems to posses nor comprehend!

Watch it, else Minerva will ask Father Jove to hurl lightning bolts at your head!