Joumana Medlej

majnouna.comUmda Updates Master Page - MajnounaThere is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

For those following my extrication/edition/translation of Umdat al-Kuttab, the 11th century book arts treatise (and major source for my own, Inks & Paints of the Islamic Golden Age), I made a bookmarkable page for all updates: majnouna.com/umda Its own password is simply: umda #medievalsky #bookarts

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elia ayoub@ayoub.bsky.social

Looking forward to the possibility of Israel voting out the guy who committed genocide in Gaza in favour of the guy who explicitly declared war crimes to be an inherent part of Israeli tactics in Lebanon And then being gaslit by the media that this counts as progress

I never imagined I would have a bad night due to a persistent mosquito IN THE UK IN AUTUMN. Anyway, the mosquito in question had an even worse morning.

I'm not getting any hopes up re: today's elections, but I would love to see that spawn of the devil get crushed and humiliated.

16h

1. I never asked for a translation. 2. You're DRUNK.

@adamrutherford.bsky.social

Holy CRAP, guys. This site isn't satire and claims it's not written by AI. Which must be true since this dates to 2020. AND YET. This is just one jaw-dropping paragraph in a live demonstration of why you can't do serious research online. I smell a lot of back-and forth machine translations.

Joumana Medlej reposted

Adam Rutherford

Michael Atiyah 🇪🇬: Fields Medal 1966 (also Abel Prize 2004), for K-theory. Ahmed Zewail 🇪🇬: Nobel for Chemistry 1999, for his work on femtochemistry. Omar M. Yaghi 🇯🇴: Wolf Prize 2018, Nobel for Chemistry 2025, for his work on reticular chemistry Naguib Mahfouz 🇪🇬: Nobel for literature 1988

The Bulwark@thebulwark.com

RFK: "There's five hundred million Arabs in the world. And yet they don't produce science. They don't win the Nobel Prize. They don't win the Fields Prize. They don't win the Wolf Prize. They don't produce literature."

15h

Amen…

Tuba Zef 🐟fishpersonshooter.com🐟@tubazef.com

During the brazilian elections we learned one obvious but important tactic to defeat the far right on the Internet and I think everyone should know it: IGNORE THEM! DON'T ENGAGE WITH THEIR CONTENT! DON'T MAKE CONTENT REACTING TO THEM! DON'T HATE QRT! LET THEM ALONE IN THEIR BUBBLE!

19h

Um... I genuinely forgot to mention I have a book contract 🫢 In addition to my Umda stuff I'm gathering research for an exciting book in collaboration with lovely publishers and illustrated by a wonderful artist! More details when I can share...

Getting so many scam calls I'm seriously considering changing my phone number. (Meanhwile my phone is set to not ring for any unknown number. Real people leave a voicemail.)

Because I clearly don't have enough to do, I enrolled in a Japanese language class. Our first lesson was last week and I have a hiragana exam on Thursday. Pen on paper, reading and writing. The challenge is so energising, compared to the minimal engagement of gamified "learning" that is duolingo!

@russincheshire.bsky.social

BRAZIIIIIIIL

Joumana Medlej reposted

Russ Jones

2 down, 3 to go 🇷🇸 Serbia — Vucic lost 🇧🇷 Brazil — Bolsonaro lost 🇮🇱 Israel — 27 Oct 🇧🇬 Bulgaria — 1 Nov 🇺🇸 USA — 3 Nov

Russ Jones@russincheshire.bsky.social

Five tests for nationalism in the next 10 days. Could be genuinely transformative. 🇷🇸 Serbia — Vucic lost (yay!) 🇧🇷 Brazil — Lula leads early count 🇮🇱 Israel — 27 Oct 🇧🇬 Bulgaria — 1 Nov 🇺🇸 USA — 3 Nov One down, one looks promising, three to go.

Joumana Medlej reposted

Ayman Makarem

@aymanmak.bsky.social

I really hope y'all are at least still boycotting Israel. boycott-israel.org/boycott.html

boycott-israel.orgBoycott Israel - A Simple Boycott ListA simple boycott list of Israeli and global firms active in Israel, guiding purchases to pressure the government and uphold international law.

Joumana Medlej reposted

Sonja Drimmer

@sonjadrimmer.bsky.social

Just because I said this to someone yesterday and maybe it’s a useful reminder. If someone tells you that parents expect universities to teach their kids “AI skills” the only responsible ways to respond, in my opinion, is “says who?”

I may have developed an owl addiction. This incredibly handsome boy is Bruce, an Ural owl. (We’re indoors because the weather was pants)

Adding Toto to the thread because he was the OG. bsky.app/profile/majn...

Joumana Medlej@majnouna.com

Toto again when he’s resting. (Wait for it)

@lizbethmyles.bsky.social

PS: You can all do this! There are falconry centres all over the UK with delightful hard-working people who want nothing better than to let you experience how wonderful and protection-worthy these and other birds of prey are. This one is Millets Wildside.

Joumana Medlej reposted

Lizbeth Myles

Well, it's nice they listened. Curiously they haven't mentioned it on their BlueSky account. www.thebookseller.com/news/society...

thebookseller.comSociety of Authors withdraws from Ethical AI Charter after member backlashThe Society of Authors (SoA) has withdrawn from its Ethical AI Charter, launched last week, following backlash and a subsequent statement from CEO Anna Ganley that aimed to clarify the organisation’s ...

I may have developed an owl addiction. This incredibly handsome boy is Bruce, an Ural owl. (We’re indoors because the weather was pants)

Ray-Ray on the other hand… very fiesty and exciting! Look at those “ears” standing to attention! (Spotted African owl)

Finally, Jo 1/2 the burrowing owl wants you to know he’s still the cutest.

I may have developed an owl addiction. This incredibly handsome boy is Bruce, an Ural owl. (We’re indoors because the weather was pants)

This pov never gets old.

This is Rollo, brown wood-owl, a very good boi as he’s old (18 years) and very chilled out.

I may have developed an owl addiction. This incredibly handsome boy is Bruce, an Ural owl. (We’re indoors because the weather was pants)

Here’s Buzz again. Did you know eagle-owls are category 1 animals (alongside lions and such), meaning they can kill you if they want to. And he weighs almost 2 kgs, which is no joke on the end of your outstretched arm. I love him 😍

A better view of Bruce (apologies for my unhinged expression), who is just SO BEAUTIFUL. And well-behaved despite being really young and a bit hyperalert.

I may have developed an owl addiction. This incredibly handsome boy is Bruce, an Ural owl. (We’re indoors because the weather was pants)

Kraven, a Verreaux’s eagle-owl, once he/she deigned come down to our level to show off that eyeshadow.

That’s Buzz the Eurasian eagle owl auditioning for the Halloween special (or refusing to). I had him on my arm prior to this so there will be a less blood-curdling view.

I may have developed an owl addiction. This incredibly handsome boy is Bruce, an Ural owl. (We’re indoors because the weather was pants)

I need to pry the better pictures off himself’s phone, but meanwhile enjoy a thread of owls being dramatic. Here is our old friend Frodo, the long-eared aka creaky-gate owl for reasons I don’t need to explain.

Bailey the boobook, waiting for her cue in the ongoing chorus.

Joumana Medlej reposted

Joe Ford

@docoho44.bsky.social

The final instalment brings more madness, laughter, education and joy as we spend our last day of our holiday in 15th Century Italy... @majnouna.com @mrrobvalentine.bsky.social @lucymccaul.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a...

If you're (still) wondering why shipping to the EU has become unfeasible, check out this email I just received from Royal Mail (not long after receiving notification of an earlier change I haven't even managed to read yet). This is not Royal Mail's fault. This is the EU going insane.

majnouna.comUmda 8: Pens and such - MajnounaThere is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Good morning with a new Umda update #8: Pens and such, the very first chapter (and maybe the hardest to read). majnouna.com/2026/10/19/u... Password: aqAl1m #calligraphy #medievalism

@planecrazy.bsky.social here you go!

If you're at a loose end on a Sunday evening, here's a closer look at some very lovely and multi-layered art I've been spending way too much time examining. Printing Printed Patterns: From kimono to mokuhanga majnouna.substack.com/p/printing-p... #caravanserai #mokuhanga

Today's been so busy (not with fun things) I was certain we were Monday.

arstechnica.comMeta may use sweeping new commercial TOS to avoid millions in AI licensing feesMeta “streamlined” its commercial TOS. Legal experts warn it’s an AI power grab.

Heads up. Glad I was always too distrustful to make mine a business account.

JLMeyer@jenniferlmeyer.bsky.social

The TOS update at meta. I just set my insta to personal and removed all the links. arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...

I’m at an art fair in London and went to get a coffee… and there taking my order with a grin was my barista from Oxford 😂

HOWLING.

Mar Hicks@histoftech.bsky.social

Merriam Webster out here fighting for its life

Joumana Medlej reposted

elia ayoub

@ayoub.bsky.social

This is why I'm not worried about AI 'replacing art.' Anyone who says this has no idea of what art is.

Barbara Waxer 🌈 @barbara-waxer.bsky.social

When Grammy-winning musician Rhiannon Giddens begins playing “Old Corn Liquor,” a traditional Black American folk tune, acclaimed Chinese pipa virtuoso Wu Man recognizes similarities to Chinese pentatonic music and spontaneously joins in. The joy on their faces says it all.

@britfantasysoc.bsky.social

Me: OK let's focus and finish this article! *Two young people next to me enter an animated discussion of Doctor Who and how unusual its fandom is* Me: (shit!)

Joumana Medlej reposted

British Fantasy Society

The British Fantasy Society does not allow the use of generative AI in any of its spaces. For more on this, read the interview with outgoing chair Shona Kinsella from earlier this year. This position has not changed since last week's AGM. ⬇️ britishfantasysociety.org/its-a-cheat-...

geniza.princeton.eduUnknown type: Moss. VIII,467.4Scrap of paper with unidentified script (Armenian?). Dating: probably 19th century, and possibly directly related to Moss. VIII,467.3 dated 1899.

Where are my Hay peeps at?

Princeton Geniza Lab@genizalab.bsky.social

Help! Is this fragment Armenian? Is anyone able to read it? geniza.princeton.edu/en/documents...

Joumana Medlej reposted

Georgia Cook

@georgiacooked.bsky.social

a reminder with Christmas coming up that I'm open for commissions of both the bobble and illustration variety! Feel free to DM or email me to discuss.