Even the Romans Went Antiquing

Antinous as Osiris, wearing the nemes and the uraeus; the nose, mouth, left part of the face and major part of the bust are modern restorations. From the villa of Hadrian in Tivoli. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The villa's recreation of Canopus, a resort near Alexandria, as seen from the temple of Serapis (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Exhibit one - Hadrian's Villa.
(Actually, exhibit the only, because I'm exhausted and the stupid Topamax is making me stupider

Does anyone else find this Egyptian-style statue oddly posed? It's of Antinous, Hadrian's companion and probable lover.

Anyway, in addition to having Egyptian style stuff commissioned, Hadrian, one of the few Roman emperors to bother actually visiting Egypt, brought some stuff home with him.

This beautiful head of a female sphinx is said to have come from Hadrian's villa.

Head from a Female Sphinx. Found in Italy, said to have been in the ruins of Emperor Hadrian's villa at Tivoli, outside Rome; originally from Egypt, probably Heliopolis. Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12, reign of Amunemhat II, circa 1876–1842 B.C.E. Chlorite, 15 5/16 x 13 1/8 x 13 15/16 in. (38.9 x 33.3 x 35.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 56.85 http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/egypt_reborn/female_sphinx.php 

In addition to the lovely head of the sphinx, there is this impressive naophorous statue of the Late Period. Naophorous just means a statue holding a shrine - typically a shrine that has another statue in it. Very meta. These become fairly common in the Late Period.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Naophorous Block Statue of a Governor of Sais, Psamtik(seneb) 

Inappropriate LOL skeleton of the day

'Sup, man. Just chilling with my bro.  Been waiting, like, millennia for my Corona, dude.

Source: Photos: Human Sacrifices Found at Ancient China Complex

Thanks to Julie for pointing out this article which led me to the skeleton article.

Dear Pope Palpatine

new Pope Palpatine (Photo credit: Alx)

Warning: Probably more exruciatingly offensive than usual
Sister Simone Campbell: Vatican Reprimand 'Like A Sock In The Stomach' : The Two-Way : NPR

Dear Pope Palpatine:
That stupid shit right up there in the link is why you are currently hemorrhaging female members of the church faster than a botched back-alley abortion.
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you people? You have climbed into bed with some of the worst hate-mongering asshats on the planet. People who used to and often still do think Catholics are the enemy right up there with Mooslims and Joooooooos (boogedy). Jack Chick, anyone?
Quit it.
I was never confirmed and haven't set foot in a church for anything but someone else's service since adulthood because of this kind of crap.
I am not a second-class human because I'm a woman. Gay people are not evil. Other views are not an automatic threat.
Grow the fuck up.

Ten-Toed Couch Sloth

The Topamax experiment continues. The last dosage increase is tomorrow. Still having migraines, but I'm supposed to give it six weeks.

I really, really hope the sleepies go away. This is ridiculous. If I stop moving I fall asleep. I curled up on the couch to read this evening, Oreo came to snuggle up and be a book rest and tummy warmer. Next thing I knew it was 8:30, Tom was napping in bed, Oreo was crying for dinner and my hand was asleep.

Topamax also causes vivid dreams. I've been dreaming about managing underfunded National Park or National Forest visitor centers with my former graduate advisor. The one who went kind of crazy. Yeah. He's nice in the dreams at least.

Anyway, this makes it difficult to work on things that involve reading because I get drowsy so quickly. Grumble. I have academic library access again, but if I pass out every time I try to read that might get to be a bit useless.

Better news: Tom found my Flowbee!!!  I cut my hair today. I like cutting it myself. I think it turns out pretty awesome. Yay!

Batman in Ancient Egypt or Menkaure Was the God-Damned Batman

It is seriously nipply in here, people!

Who wants to co-author the paper with me?
Provisional Titles:

Nipples and Fecundity in the Old Kingdom
Joel Schumacher, Batman, Egyptian Art, and Nipples
Yes, I Totally Convinced Someone to Publish This Drivel Because Someone Backed out at the Last Minute
Dude, Seriously, Menkaure is the God-damn Batman
This Topic Is No Less Weird Than What David O'Connor Has Been Publishing and Lecturing Lately

Obviously the nemes headdress is an early version of the bat-cowl. And, um, stuff.

Still taking the Topamax. As if you didn't know that.

Nerdgasm

Taken 2/29/12 in the Oval Office - Live Long & Prosper!:

I award you 1 million snark points

Update: I think I fixed the awful, unreadable color problem

In honor of 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands I give you the following fine example of British sarcasm in a military setting:

At 4.30pm on 2 April, the Governor's telex operator had this conversation with a Ministry of Defence operative in London, announcing that the islands were under Argentine control.^[39]

LON (London): HELLO THERE WHAT ARE ALL THESE RUMOURS WE HEAR THIS IS LON
FK (Falklands): WE HAVE LOTS OF NEW FRIENDS
LON: WHAT ABOUT INVASION RUMOURS
FK: THOSE ARE THE FRIENDS I WAS MEANING
LON: THEY HAVE LANDED
FK: ABSOLUTELY
LON: ARE YOU OPEN FOR TRAFFIC IE NORMAL TELEX SERVICE
FK: NO ORDERS ON THAT YET ONE MUST OBEY ORDERS
LON: WHOSE ORDERS
FK: THE NEW GOVERNORS
LON: ARGENTINA
FK: YES
LON: ARE THE ARGENTINIANS IN CONTROL
FK: YES YOU CAN'T ARGUE WITH THOUSANDS OF TROOPS PLUS ENORMOUS NAVY SUPPORT WHEN YOU ARE ONLY 1600 STRONG. STAND BY. (Source)

Hey guys, what's up?
There are dudes here with guns.
So what about those crazy Argentinians?
Those are the dudes with the guns, dumbass.

The Faulkland TELEX operator could not possibly give less of a shit. What are they going to do? Arrest him?

Does anyone else imagine how this would have turned out on Twitter? Also, why didn't Margaret Thatcher just frighten the Argentineans away with her scary, scary, scariness?