lollardfish

My thesis is not done. Although MS Word assures me that the left margin is 1.5" wide, it is in fact about 1.3" wide, and that is not acceptable. I'll have to reprint the whole thing, and reformat it. In fact, because that might push it too close to the 2-volume length, I am going to have to reformat the thesis from double-spaced to 1.5 spaced, and re-do the entire table of contents. This is infuriating.

I have finished my dissertation for the last time. I have permissions for images, final edits, footnotes and bibliography fixed, acknowledgments written, and images properly inserted. Tomorrow I shall print and do a final check, then get my advisors to sign it in approval.

The dissertation is 442 pages long. pied_piper70 guessed that it would be 440 pages long, so he wins a copy of the bound thesis. Congrats!

As I've said before, thanks to everyone who has supported me over the years. Coming soon: Getting a job, writing an article, turning the thesis into a book, marrying Shannon, and raising a baby. And that's just this coming 12-month period (except for the book. I get about 24-36 for that, depending on how much extra research I have to do).

Sunday night at 10:30 on Public Television 17 (a local public tv station), I will be on Belahdan. This is a local Arab-American TV show. If anyone has a DVR, I'd love a digital copy of the broadcast. Thanks. This is my first time on television.

The following two websites have outstanding collections of coins. The first, Coins and history of Asia, has great coins from across the Silk Road. The second, Collection of Medieval & Islamic Mediterranean Coins, has great Muslim and Christian coins. Among my favorites are the Turkish coins that show clear Roman influence (i.e. portraiture).

I am participating in two upcoming public events that might interest you.

First, I will be speaking (and listening) at a forum on "The Future of Religion" this THURSDAY at 7:30 in Minneapolis.

It takes place at a drugstore owned by a local progressive figure named Tom Sangupta, who has been holding monthly discussions at his store for years. I know relatively little about who might show up, or how many, but I'm quite sure it will be a fascinating (highly liberal) group of folks.

The drugstore is located at 3400 University Ave., it's on the corner of University and Bedford across from KSTP in Minneapolis. The phone number is 612-379-7232. The discussion starts at 7:30, Thursday night, admission is of course free, and all are welcome.

On a personal note, I'd love the company. The girl will be busy, so let me know if you can make it.

Second, I will be on Belahdan, a local Arab-American TV show that airs on Public TV 17 every Sunday at 10:30. The website has some issues with the Arabic/English interface, but the basics can be deciphered. We'll film on Friday. If you are local and have a DVR, I'd love a digital copy. I'll try to tape it on my VCR too.

My first published op-ed piece is now online. I assume it will appear in the Sunday Star Tribune tomorrow (in paper).

It is interesting to see how the editor changed some of my language, mostly removing conjunctions and other words that I found created better flow, but that were clearly "un-newspapery." He also added the title. It's an odd feeling of powerlessness to submit such a thing and see it published without getting a final say-so. And that's the newspaper business.

Anyway, it's nice to see something like this published.

Dear friends,

Shannon, my fiancee, is pregnant. In fact, she's about 22-weeks pregnant. We've known for about 3 weeks. That puts her as due on January 14th, although it's + or - three weeks.

There's a longer story about how we did not know that I would be happy to tell you in person. Suffice it to say that I did notice that Shannon had put on some weight directly in the belly and was a bit confused about it, because we were exercising regularly and eating well. Then four people in Italy asked if she was pregnant, and I stuck to the party line and told them no. We were sick at the time and her stomach had swollen. Doubt did creep into my mind, but it's not an easy thing to ask one's beloved if she's really sure she's not pregnant. We got back from Italy, she felt a little wierd (as her organs compressed), and finally took a test.

Today she had the first ultrasound, and we saw everything - he's a boy, he's got a head, a spine, some limbs, and, well, boy-parts. We could see and hear his little heart. Both Shannon and the baby are healthy.

Today may have been the most amazing experience of my life so far and I'm quite overwhelmed. I expect the next most amazing experience to take place on January 14th, plus or minus 3 weeks.

The tiny little birds are eating all of my grass seed.

I'm going to have to get the grass "mulch" stuff.

Damnit.

.... now joined by two squirrels and five robins.

Dissertation is re-drafted. This is the antipenultimate draft, but the penultimate draft before the defense. I need to edit the bibliography and footnotes tomorrow, and maybe do a global search on "thus" and "however." I overuse them. I think I've conquered my "certainly" and "clearly" overuse.

Also first day at Mac tomorrow. Orientation. Will wear a tie!

The British Terror Case.

Essential reading for, well, everyone.

Salient details include:

- There was a serious cash inflow from someone, presumably abroad.
- There was no imminent threat.
- The threat was real, and it's not clear to me whether current security systems would have detected it (i.e. whether the liquid would have left detectable residue).
- These people were radicalized by the war in Iraq, although one cannot say whether or not they might have been radicalized without it.
- They were caught through police work, having been under surveillance for more than a year.