Author: Serkadis

Luxor News Blog (Jane Akshar)

Mummification Museum Lecture – Luxor Temple Mosque and Sphinx Avenue – Mansour Boraik

I love Mansour’s lectures; he is amusing, knowledgeable, with excellent English and crafted slideshows. He gave us a through update about the work in Luxor. The President comes on the 2nd March and Sphinx Avenue has to be open then. However excavation and restoration takes a long time so they are having to balance things. The first part of the excavation is being down by mechanical diggers under control of the army who have subcontracted the work. But he is very conscious that “if we miss anything history will not forgive us”.

Firstly he talked about the Abu Hajaj mosque at Luxor temple, it had been his dream to reveal the inscriptions and in May 2007 he visited and took many photos. However the guardians of the mosque would not allow him to change anything. Then in July 2007 there was a massive fire which destroyed the mosque and he was able to take advantage of this and offer to do a complete restoration in return for revealing the inscriptions. The only thing registered as an historical object was the military observation/beacon tower from the Fatimid period.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

The Climate Change/Global Warming debate can be beautifully summed up with the adage I have often alluded to as I attempt to make all my arguments.

At every step, it always pays to follow the money.

This wonderful short clip from the movie ‘Casablanca’ says it all in respect of what amounts to so much hypocrisy and double standards.

Claude Rains plays Captain Louis Renault, the ‘pure as the driven snow’ Commander of the local Police.

Filed under: Blundering Bureaucrats, Climate Alarmists, Climate Change, Conniving Politicians, Democrats, Environment, Environmental activists, Fanatics, Fear-mongering, Fraud/Waste, Global Warming, Liberals, Lily-Livered Liberals, Limp-Wrist Liberals, Political Prostitutes, Power Hungry, Propaganda, Public Opinion, Spine Donor Politicians Tagged: Climate Change Religion, Global Warming Hype

Egypt State Information Service

After a four-year journey of love and peace, the statues and archaeological pieces of the ancient Ptolemaic kings and queens returned home aboard a Liberian cargo ship.

Zahi Hawas, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), said on 7/2/2010 that all 498 pieces returned to Egypt after they were showcased in the “submerged Egyptian treasures exhibition” in a Berlin museum that was inaugurated by President Hosni Mubarak and his German counterpart Horst Koehler on 13 May, 2006.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

If there is one – or perhaps two – things that Keely Hazell – Britain’s hottest glam girl – is known for it’s her, um, prodigious boobage. Keeley’s not afraid to show them off and we’re not afraid to share them with you. Enjoy.

For more of Keely Hazell check out Zoo Magazine.

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1. Keely Hazell Goes Topless for PETA
2. ‘Get the Girl Naked’ is One Awesome Game Show
3. Allure Magazine Gets Racy

This looks pretty bad for both Goldman and Greece, as if things could look worse.

According to a scathing piece in Der Spiegel, European statisticians in Luxembourg have had a very difficult time getting proper Greek economic and financial data for years.

Worse yet, Goldman Sachs appears to have been helping Greece take advantage of a European regulatory loophole in order to understate its deficits:

Der Spiegel:

[Emphasis added] Now, though, it looks like the Greek figure jugglers have been even more brazen than was previously thought. “Around 2002 in particular, various investment banks offered complex financial products with which governments could push part of their liabilities into the future,” one insider recalled, adding that Mediterranean countries had snapped up such products.

Greece’s debt managers agreed a huge deal with the savvy bankers of US investment bank Goldman Sachs at the start of 2002. The deal involved so-called cross-currency swaps in which government debt issued in dollars and yen was swapped for euro debt for a certain period — to be exchanged back into the original currencies at a later date.

…

In the Greek case the US bankers devised a special kind of swap with fictional exchange rates. That enabled Greece to receive a far higher sum than the actual euro market value of 10 billion dollars or yen. In that way Goldman Sachs secretly arranged additional credit of up to $1 billion for the Greeks.

This credit disguised as a swap didn’t show up in the Greek debt statistics.

Continue reading the full article at Der Spiegel >

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• What Happens If Greece Leaves The Eurozone? A Massive Run On The Bank, That’s What
• Niall Ferguson: The Next Greece? It’s The US!
• Goldman: If Greece Is Handled Wrong, All Of Southern Europe Will Fall Like Dominos And 30% Of Euro GDP Would Be At Risk

If many of you have that sentimental attachment to your vehicle to the point where you hate leaving it in the garage at night, then you can most probably share your feelings with Holger Schubert. The 43-year-old product designer loves his Ferrari 512 BBi Boxer so much that he parks it in the middle of his living room next to his stylish furniture, bookcase and a flat-screen TV that slides on tracks pasted on glass-made walls that frame a view of the ocean.

Sounds like a dream right? Well, it’s about to become one for Schubert as well. Los Angeles officials are about to ask him to tear down his exquisite garage after neighbors complained about a bridge that connects his Ferrari’s third-floor parking spot with North Tigertail Road.

The ruling by the West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission comes after the extravagant garage won Architectural Digest magazine’s Design Driven contest last year.

Schubert says that his neighbors turned against the whole garage/bridge idea after his home-remodeling project started taking too long, about five-years.

Either way, if the neighbors win, Schubert’s 1984 Ferrari would have to go back into a regular garage on the first floor.

Thanks for the tip Seth.

– By: Kap Shah

Source: LA Times

In “normal times” a Fed rate hike would be seen as counter-cyclical, and a drag on the economy.

But sure as heck aren’t normal times, in part evidenced by the disparity between GDP growth and job creation (of which there remains virtually none, with very little on the horizon).

A point we’ve highlighted over and over and over again is the lack of credit availability to small businesses, which are historically the source of job growth.

Another point we’ve highlighted over and over and over again is the fact that banks are mainly just lending money to the government. Commercial and industrial loans — the essence of small business banking — has gone on an epic cliff dive. As shown in the chart.

The answer to the puzzle: raise interest rates. Make it un-profitable to borrow short and lend long against the government.

At least that’s the argument put forth by Martin Hutchinson at Asia Times Online:

The solution is a simple one, and it is not even all that painful. Short-term interest rates must be increased forthwith to the 5% to 6% level, at which they are above the current and impending rate of inflation. At the same time, fiscal discipline must be restored, both directly in public spending and through closing down the housing finance behemoths Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Authority. Huge amounts of current public spending are either wasteful or outright harmful – the gigantic subsidies to “green” fuel technologies, based on a global warming theory that now seems to have been almost entirely a scam, are examples of the latter since they divert valuable private sector resources and people from more useful, wealth-generating activities.

The short-term pain from a renewed housing downturn will be finite; with those moderate interest rates, the equilibrium price level for housing is only some 10% to 15% below current levels, and financing will be readily available on “jumbo” mortgage terms, which will quickly reduce towards “conforming” levels as government-guaranteed paper ceases to be available. While the foreclosures will be worse than on the current track, the housing pain will be bearable and the wasteful diversion of resources into housing reduced.

However, the real benefit of removing monetary and fiscal stimulus will come in the banks’ attitude to their local small businesses. They will no longer be able to make money from investing in Treasuries because short-term rates will be as high as long-term rates. Mortgages and mortgage bonds, as well as being only modestly profitable, will now carry a degree of risk. Local small businesses, where the lending officer is aware of the businessman’s competence and integrity through the community network, will become the most attractive way to make relatively secure lending returns at an attractive level.

Read the whole thing >

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Now See What Banks Are Really Doing With Your Tax Dollars
• Yield Curve Is The Steepest It’s Been Since 1980 Amid Flight To Safety And Long-Term Debt Fears
• CHART OF THE DAY: Banks Are Choking Off The Oxygen To Small Businesses, While Opening Up The Purse To Large Firms

National Post (Geoffrey Clarfield)

During the Victorian era, Westerners were enchanted by biblical and ancient Greek tales of Egypt’s material magnificence and sophistication; and tantalized by the Pharaonic tombs of the pyramids, as well as the wall paintings of the newly excavated temples that had lain buried for centuries. At the time, a growing number of ancient objects that had survived the spade of the grave robber were slowly being uncovered by practitioners of the then-new field of archaeology.

The subsequent discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb marked the first time that the world had come face to face with the pure and undiluted material magnificence of the ruler of the most powerful kingdom of the ancient world. The event triggered a version of Egyptomania which has come to be known as Tutmania, a fascination with all things related to Egypt and which quickly permeated the world of fashion, jewellery, architecture, literature and film from the 1920s onward.

After some of the artifacts had been displayed in the Louvre in Paris, the art deco design movement became thoroughly Egyptianized, and took over high fashion in London and New York. Its influence can be clearly seen in Manhattan’s Chrysler Building. In the 1920s, you could buy Cartier clocks that imitated the gates of Luxor, drink brandy in an Egyptian-themed passenger lounge on your steamship or eat from plates with Egyptian designs. Women went to parties dressed in Egyptian-inspired dresses wearing jewels ornamented with scarabs and cobras and all the

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

If you were watching the Super Bowl for the commercials, you saw a lot less flesh than in years past. Sure, there was the obligatory lame GoDaddy strip scam with Danica Patrick. But perhaps the hottest commercial this year was one with none other than Megan Fox lying in a bathtub. In case you missed it, here it is:

Related posts:

1. The Sexiest Super Bowl Commercials Ever
2. The 100 Hottest Women, According to Maxim
3. The Hottest Cheerleaders in the NFL

Google has some big problems in China, of its own making, but it doesn’t mean that it will let smaller ones slide. Shortly after it announced that it was ready to pull out of China if it couldn’t operate a censorship-free search engine in the country, enterprising people set up Goojje.com, a brand-new search engine bearing more than a strong… (read more)

We said in early December that the Euro breakup would be the story of 2010, and just over a month in that prediction has shown to be right on. It’s even overshadowing (by far) concerns over a China bubble, or at least a China slowdown.

A piece in Der Spiegel highlights the real problem that Europe faces. It’s not just debt. It’s politics.

As the early euro-skeptics warned, coordinating a single monetary authority across nations with their own political systems and economic objectives wouldn’t work. The founders of the euro actually knew this, but they they thought they could cheat by imposing deficit limits on each country, which were stipulated in the Maastricht Treaty.

The (wishful) thinking was that as long as countries weren’t allowed to run up ginormous deficits on their own, then it didn’t much matter what policies they took on their own. Everything else would be fine.

That’s obviously not proven to be the case. There are other kinds of bad decisions a country can go in besides merely running up big debts.

So that leaves Europe with two real solutions:

1. Breakup.
2. Turn Brussels into a seat of real centralized authority that mandates uniformity of economic policy across Euroland.

Neither, obviously, is politically appealing.

But for big-time Euro-skeptics, like UK journalist Ambrose Evans-Pritchard (pictured), who warned about dire consequences for British sovereignty if it joined the union, now is the time for big-time vindication.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• ECB Chief Trichet Flies To Emergency Meeting On The Crumbling Euro
• The Euro Experiment Failed: Europe Is Less Unified Than Ever
• Investors Place The Biggest Short Bet In The History Of The Euro

Lincoln is not exactly the name that pops to mind when you think of fuel efficient small cars. But Ford wants to change that perception with the Lincoln-C concept car.

One possible version, shown here, was displayed at the recent Los Angeles Car Show. It’s kind of a glorified hatchback with some futuristic touches.

While the Concept C is only as long as a Ford Focus, it’s about as wide as a MKZ sedan, meaning it can accommodate two rows of three full-sized adults:

The Lincoln-C is expected to be released under the Mercury brand later this year and go on sale in early 2011.

Related posts:

1. Just A Guy Thing Reviews the Lincoln MKS
2. Custom Wraps Make Mini Coopers Even Cooler
3. The Most Efficient Cars on the Road Today

HACH LANGE launches the new ORBISPHERE C1100 ozone
sensor designed for accuracy when measuring ozone in pharmaceutical ultrapure water loops.

Providing a true; drift free zero measurement because of the
ORBISPHERE platinum guard ring technology, this sensor prevents false signals arising from the electrolyte. It can measure ozone at the pre-UV, post-UV phases and at the end of the loop with drift free and accurate measurements eliminating wasted production and reducing risks of unnecessary production stoppages.

This is the only sensor in the market with air calibration, offering a
quick and easy solution to calibrate. Sensors come certified calibrated to ±5 % or ±1 % against known ozone concentration. Used in-line without the need to take costly WFI through sample flow cells, this sensor provides operators the opportunity to save more than 15 m3 per day.

REMO-MM is an electrical multimeter designed as a multifunctional measuring device with high accuracy for measurement of all electrical parameters

REMO-MM has features of measuring phase values, minimum and maximum values, storing demand values in memory, assigning minimum and maximum limits for alarm test, and having 2 programmable alarm input.
REMO-MM is an easy-to-use device thanks to its menu structure

All operations such as configuration and data monitoring can be performed easily through 4pcs buttons and 5pcs 3 digit 7 segment displays on the front panel.

– Runtime and average values of voltage (L-N and L-L) for each phase and average of these values.
– Runtime and average values of current for each phase and their sum.
– Neutral Current
– Frequency for L1 phase
– Active powers for each phase and the sum of them.
– Reactive powers for each phase and the sum of them.
– Apparent powers for each phase and the sum of them.
– Instantaneous and average Cos Ø and PF values for each phase
– Adjustable demand time between 1 and 60min
– Assigning hysteresis and delay time by alarms minimum and maximum limits
– 2 pcs configurable alarm relay
– Maximum and minimum values for all the measurements
– Password assignment to save configurations
– Learn function for connections and true values
– User friendly menu

for Zones 0, 1, 2, 20, 21 or 22

The DE49 is designed to measure non-aggressive gaseous media. It provides a LC-Display and a 4…20 mA output signal (2 conductor). The instrument can be mounted in Zone 1, 2, 21 or 22 and can be connected to Zone 0 or 20.

The Fischer Philosophy
We understand our company as a vital organism.

Everybody and everything participates in the whole and influences its character. Neither part can be seen isolated from the system.
All processes have to be continiously optimized to meet changing conditions. To fulfill the task, every employee has to inform and communicate in an open and fair manner. We are forcing ourselves to be high flexible, ready for changes, to garantuee an effective organization and to have the ability to concentrate on our own power. Every day we are working keen on the target to be a strong and growing company.

JetMan, Jetter AG’s popular mascot, is back to introduce the JetSym STX programming language. In a series of light-hearted comic-book scenarios, JetMan illustrates the various sets of commands for data management, motion commands, loops, object orientation, and many other topics. Software commands are likened to everyday situations. For example, the If, Then, Else commands are depicted as rail switches with JetMan acting as the switchman. The command groups are shown together on an A2 poster. Order your free copy via e-mail from [email protected]

Brady, the world leader in Identification Solutions, meets an urgent need with the launch of a complete system of tissue cassette labelling which can withstand histology processing. Combining a unique chemical-resistant label and an innovative label attachment method, the Specimen Labelling Solution ensures complete sample security.
According to Richard Kapusniak, Manager, Materials, New Products & Technology, ‘This new solution from Brady solves a major problem for histology and anatomic pathology laboratories: when tissue cassette labels become unreadable or detached during processing, specimens are unusable and time and money are wasted. In addition, hand-writing labels is time-consuming and error-prone. Now, with our BSP™31 Label Attachment System users can rely on the information-rich printed labels remaining readable right through histological processing. The labels cannot become separated from tissue cassettes, and the system is cost-effective for small to medium-sized laboratories.’
Designed to be used exclusively with Brady’s chemical-resistant labels and the specifically developed thermal transfer printer ribbon, the new Brady BSP™31 Label Attachment System guarantees labelling integrity throughout processing, embedding, sectioning and storage for up to 20 years.
Brady’s Tissue Cassette labels provide absolute text clarity, incorporating a barcode to maximise information content. These adhesive labels fit the most commonly used cassettes and, crucially, when printed using the designated ribbon they are resistant to all the chemicals used in the paraffin embedding process.
In addition to remaining readable it is vital that labels stay attached to the tissue cassette and the BSP™31 Label Attachment System achieves this using innovative mechanical fastening. When a cassette is inserted into the front of the BSP™31 unit, four tiny heat probes pierce the label and cassette, melting the plastic just sufficiently to form indestructible rivets which affix the label permanently.
cont/
Quick and simple to use within the normal workflow, the BSP™31 Label Attachment System improves efficiency as well as traceability and complies with all the European Tissue Directive Regulations regarding labelling. Compared with an expensive direct marking system, the Brady solution is affordable for laboratories handling 50–200 samples per day and is also ideal as a back-up system for larger labs.
Visit www.bradyeurope.com/BSP31-EN for more information.

Italbras is proud to introduce you the new nickel based brazing paste containing flux for stainless steel joining.
There are several ways in order to join stainless steel:
– copper based brazing alloys, but there are corrosion problems in the join
– silver based brazing alloys, corrosion problems may be solved, but they are very expensive
– nickel based brazing paste, there aren’t any more corrosion problems, but you need to braze in a furnace with protective atmosphere.
Italbras is now offering the new nickel based paste containing flux that can be used with torch brazing or induction brazing. In this way there is the possibility to have perfect corrosion resistant without investing any money in a big furnace.
For further information please contact Italbras at phone number 00390444347500 or visit the web site www.italbras.it

For the heat management Ascon introduces ‘climaPAC’ the new complete and modular system that represents the ideal solution for the accurate remote control of the heating plants.

The system fits itself to the characteristics of the heating and hot water plant; it is directly interfaced with the sensors and the actuators and is independent from the boiler’s model already installed in the heating station.

‘climaPAC’ is a standard industrial system for remote control and supervision that drastically reduces the costs by allowing the survey and modification of parameters directly from the office.

The supervision allows to optimize the efficiency by eliminating the transient’s spurious starts and stops, the undesired night’s starts and by activating the preventive maintenance.

The heart of the system is the new ‘climaPAC’, a Programmable Automation Controller able to perform all the plant control functions such as:

– Digital and Analogue I/O management
– Loop control with sophisticated PID algorithms and auto tuning
– Programming of the heating hours, days and
weeks (chronothermostat)
– Pumps and boilers management, with the relevant
logics, sequences and interlocks.

The system is completed by a GSM interface to send SMSs and e-mails.

Visit us
Ascon SpA: Hall 7 – Booth V47
MCE 2010 HVAC Exhibition
Mostra Convegno Expocomfort
From March 23rd to 27th, 2010
Fiera Milano Quartiere Rho – Milan (Italy)

SICES SRL, Italian company specialist into the design and production of Electric control panels and Electronic devices for generator sets, arrives in Brazil, in particular at Caraguatatuba.

At the end of October – beginning of November, SICES SRL started up an important power plant for Petrobras, one of the major Oil company of the world.

The production power plant is composed with 6 generator sets with power rate of 1000kVA each running in parallel among them and in island mode. The gensets, controlled by SICES SRL control boards made in Italy, supply a mountain driller machine used for making a new motorway to connect San Paolo with Rio de Janeiro which becomes the new bio fuel road between two Brazilian areas.

Concerning this ambitious project, SICES SRL supplied the electric control panels of the plant starting from the parallel/control panels to the power blocks for the generator sets.
In particular, managing canopy generators sets, SICES SRL supplied modular control panels (one for each gen set) having DST4601PX control card, SICES automatic control unit particularly aimed for parallel applications like that. Thus, six modular control panels have been connected one another with canbus cables.

SICES SRL, with more than 30 years experience, offers a complete service starting from the study of the customer’s needs to the start up and final tests of the plant.