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  • Once again, camels and horses at the Pyramids

    Al Ahram Weekly (Zahi Hawass)

    The camel and horse touts in Giza are very upset with our new project to save the Pyramids. They do not understand what we are trying to do. Regrettably, many of them do things that harm tourists; I receive many letters from tourists claiming that they will never return to Egypt because of the way they were treated or harassed for money.

    I do not think that I need to elaborate much more, since one look at the pyramid site shows what kind of pollution the camels and horses cause. You see them everywhere, even inside the tombs and temples. We do not plan to hurt the animals. I honestly believe that this is what the camel and horse drivers think, and that is why they object to our plans.

    For example, I read an article in the Boston Globe written by a man and his wife about this problem. They met a horse driver whose family had been giving tours of Giza for more than three generations. He asked the man and his wife to send letters to the government praising his business, because he was concerned that the modernisation of the site of Giza would mean the end for him. He does not understand that we are trying to create a system that will benefit everyone. Currently, the stronger, wealthier families get all the business while the others do not. Some give tours to 10 tourists a day, while others do only a few.

    Before, the tourists did not have easy access to the stables. The modernisation of the Giza Plateau has benefited the horse and camel drivers. All the buses filled with tourists now enter from the Fayoum road. The tourists see the stables as soon as they exit the coaches, and this allows them to make an immediate decision whether or not to ride a horse or camel.

    Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

  • Vodafone Brings Mobile Web To Developing Markets With Opera Mini


    Mobile user in Dar es Salaam market, Tanzania

    While the west has piled on data-hungry smartphone sales in the last couple of years, carriers have been content to treat developing nations as second-class territories, suitable only for low-end voice handsets.

    Now Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) is attempting to change that. It says it’s worked with Norwegian browser maker Opera to make a customised version of the Opera Mini mobile browser designed to run on these lesser handsets and their 2G networks in developing markets, initially targeting India, South Africa, Turkey, Tanzania and Egypt.

    From the announcement: “Since the Opera Mini 5 browser can compress data by up to 90 percent, it requires less processing power on the handset and uses less network capacity, resulting in a richer internet experience in more challenging conditions.”

    Voda says it’s embedding the browser on 20 devices in its line-up; the UI has “step-by-step, simple instructions” and “intuitive icons to help those with lower levels of literacy”. “The move aims to enable as many people as possible to experience the internet for the first time, and to enjoy the social advantages it can bring through the spread of email and commerce-based applications.”

    That’s all very well, but isn’t the web going to rack up big charges on tariffs in developing markets? Vodafone says it’s also rolling out “a string of highly affordable data tariffs”.

    Opera’s own data centres compress web pages, stripping out elements they deem unsuitable for the mobile experience.


  • Half Of Morocco Will Be Solar-Powered By 2020 [Solar Power]

    Apparently Morocco gets 3,000 hours of reliable sun power a year, so it’s not surprising the government is building five solar power plants in the next decade, which will generate 40 per cent of the country’s electricity. More »







  • The True Story of Desert Explorer Laszlo Almasy

    Spiegel Online (By Matthias Schulz. Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan)

    Thanks Kat! I have a real fascination with the exploration activities of the Zerzura Club and the work of the Long Range Desert Group which followed. Almasy was a member of the informal Zerzura Club, a mainly British group searching, as a rather ambitious pass-time, for the so-called Lost City of Zerzura in the area of the Gilf Kebir. They never found a lost city but they did learn the lie of the land at the borders of Libya, much of which Pat Clayton mapped. During the Second World War the Hungarian Almasy served the Axis forces under Romel, and was responsible for smuggling Axis spies into Egypt using the knowledge of the Gilf area that he had learned in the pre-war period. Similarly, Ralph Bagnold used his own experiences to set up the Long Range Desert Group and patrol the Libyan borders. The film The English Patient used some of Almasy’s experiences (and his name) but the film was fictional. If anyone is interested in reading more about Almasy there’s a good book about him by John Bierman which I reviewed on the blog.

    During World War II, desert explorer Laszlo Almasy smuggled Nazi agents through the Sahara on an epic journey behind enemy lines. Now the true story of the man depicted in “The English Patient,” is coming to light.

    As a boy, the son of a Hungarian nobleman would often stare off into the distance from his birthplace, a castle in the Burgenland region of present-day Austria. He always longed for the unattainable.

    At 14, the boy built himself a glider to fly up to the sky, but it crashed.

    Then, in the 1930s, Laszlo Almasy set out to find the lost oasis of Zarzura. The mythical place is mentioned in Arabian treasure books and in the collection of stories known as “One Thousand and One Nights,” where it is referred to as “City of Brass.”

    The pioneer explored 2 million square kilometers (772,000 square miles) of the Sahara. He surveyed the land, drew maps and set foot in places in that sea of sand “that no human eye had seen.” In the remote Wadi Sura, he even stumbled upon painted dugouts from the Stone Age — a sensational find.

    But he never found Zarzura.

    There is no question that Almasy was a man who followed his desires. But who was this adventurer, flight instructor and Nazi agent, who the Bedouins reverently called Abu Ramla, or Father of the Sand?

    Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

  • Closing of the Conservative Mind

    Paul Krugman bemoans the closing the Conservative Mind. But is he right? It seems like it. Especially since Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) is telling his constituents to listen to the other side and don’t believe everything they hear on Fox News.

  • They’re here, they’re beered, get used to it

    Recent polling on the ‘Teabagger’ movement has been released and there are two things that are quite evident.

    First, the movement is made up primarily of Republicans and people who think Jonah Goldberg is an intellectual.

    A Sunday poll — actually three national phone surveys of 1,000 registered voters — found that 17% of all polled, or more than 500, called themselves “part of the Tea Party movement.”

    …The Tea Party adherents broke down 28% independent, 17% Democrat and only 57% Republican.

    Zell Miller’s got a big family.

    Second, the movement is really unpopular with the public as a whole (ironically JUST as popular as “socialism”).

    …only 37% of Americans view Teabaggery favorably.

    But enough with the statistics, like a good teabagger, allow me to summarize in pictures rather than those commie “words”:

    Share This icon 

  • Octavian Augustus Named as Egyptian Pharaoh on Philae Victory Stele

    Heritage Key (Owen Jarus)

    A new translation of a Roman victory stele, erected in April 29 BC, shows Octavian Augustus’s name inscribed in a cartouche (an oblong enclosure that surrounds a pharaoh’s name) – an honour normally reserved for an Egyptian pharaoh.

    Octavian’s forces defeated Cleopatra and Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. His forces captured Alexandria soon afterwards and Cleopatra committed suicide in 30 BC, marking the end of Egyptian rule.

    Historians believe that although Octavian ruled Egypt after the death of Cleopatra, he was never actually crowned as an Egyptian pharaoh.

    The stele was erected at a time when Octavian was still paying lip service to restoring the Roman Republic. He would not be named “Augustus” by the Roman Senate until 27 BC. In the years following that, he would gradually acquire more power.

    Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

  • World Health Day is Today—Let’s Make it An Everyday Habit in Seattle

    Ken Stuart wrote:

    It is somewhat strange to me that one day each year is selected as “World Health Day.” My belief is that every day should be “World Health Day.” But I certainly won’t miss the opportunity to observe today, April 7th, which has been celebrated as World Health Day since 1950, to mark the founding of the World Health Organization. This day affords a worldwide opportunity to focus on key public health issues that affect the international community.

    This year’s theme for World Health Day focuses on urbanization and health with a campaign called “1000 cities – 1000 lives.” The idea of cities focused on promoting world health made me proud of what’s happening right here in our own city of Seattle. In fact, just recently we changed our “nickname” from SBRI to Seattle BioMed to more closely reflect our ties with and pride in the city we’ve called home for nearly 35 years.

    But aside from the pride of having so many world-class global health organizations clustered together, what’s the biggest advantage of our city? It’s the opportunity for more collaborations, increased idea exchange and additional partnerships. While the old saying is that “necessity is the mother of invention,” I actually believe that “proximity is the mother of invention.” By being close together, we’ll form tighter bonds that can lead to new solutions for global health. I can already see it happening as I take the two-block stroll to PATH (a new neighbor in the growing global health/biotech hub that is the South Lake Union neighborhood) for meetings or hear of casual conversations between researchers in local restaurants or gatherings.

    Just two weeks ago, Hans Rosling – the guru of global health statistics and long-time darling of TED conferences – was in town to keynote Seattle BioMed’s annual event. In addition to visiting Seattle BioMed, he also spent time at PATH, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as met with key members of the Washington Global Health Alliance. He was amazed at the how closely we were all located, and noted the benefit that gave us as a global health community. Hans urged us – several times – to take advantage of that by determining how to more fully engage students and the public in our work. He’s right: there is strength in numbers, and by banding together we can more fully engage others in how to play a role in improving the health of the world. Ideas are already coming forth.

    And, we already know of our city’s legacy for global health leadership. Each year, Seattle BioMed gives its “Advancing Global Health Award.” And, we rarely have to look beyond our own backyard for honorees. In the past, we’ve recognized very deserving people from Bill Foege, the man credited with helping eradicate smallpox, to Ralph Munro, known for his work with Rotary to help eliminate polio. This year, we recognized a new partner, the Seattle Sounders FC, which has been responsible for turning thousands of soccer fans into warriors in the fight to eliminate malaria. Without a doubt, more global health leaders will emerge from our city.

    So, on this day, let’s celebrate Seattle’s role in global health, but let’s work to make every day “World Health Day.”

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  • Use Vaseline To Make Scratched CDs Work Again [DIY]

    Rubbing Vaseline on scratched CDs to make them readable again is a new one to me, but Instructables has a DIY project up claiming it works perfectly. Mind you, they also say peanut butter works a charm too. More »







  • How Does Evolution Work?

    “Evolution” within a species has always been observed and understood; even before Darwin!  That is, that a species will ADAPT in appearance etc according to climate, location, variation in diet etc.  So evolution in the sense of “adaptation to circumstances within a species” is pretty well universally accepted, even amongst creationists and flat-earthers (if any flat-earthers still exist).

    However, evolution from one species into another has never been observed, is certainly not happening now and there is no fossil evidence whatever showing that this has ever happened.  In other words, every single link is missing.  And this is after more than 100 years of digging up a massive amount of fossil evidence.

    Much of the early observation has proved to be fallacious.  For example, Darwin thought he had observed finches in the process of evolving because there was clearly a marked change of shape in their beaks over several generations.  Continued observation of the same finches have shown that their beaks change in shape according to whether their habitat is in drought or plenteous rainfall.  In other words, the beak shape changes back and forth according to variations in their climate.  At least Darwin was sincere in what he thought he was observing.  Another example are the drawings by Haeckel, which still appear in biology text books, which show how similar developing foetuses of chickens, frogs, fish, humans and various other mammals are supposed to be in the early days of gestation.  These have since been showed to be totally untrue.  In other words, Haeckel forged them.  Yet they still appear in text books.

    Evolution scientists have worked quite a lot with fruit flies, which can go through many generations in a short period of time.  However many odd traits have been bred into these unfortunate experimental insects, they still remain stubbornly and irredeemably fruit flies!!

    Mendel, the great geneticist, was a contemporary of Darwin, and was always very opposed to the theory of evolution.  In fact, genetics, a branch of science which is backed up by a great deal of sound hard evidence, is totally at odds with the theory of evolution.  That is, you have to choose between one or the other.  You cannot have both, despite what some evolutionary scientists who try and bend genetics into evolutionary theory say!

    Things have got so ridiculous now that evolutionary theorists are publishing pure fantasy as scientific research.  For example, it is common to set up computer programs to generate imaginary worlds which might “evolve” on totally imaginary planets with totally imaginary climates and present this as “scientfic research” on television!!  This might not be so far-fetched if there was any evidence at all that evolution had ever happened on this planet.  But, as there isn’t, it is totally bonkers!  Not only that, it as far removed from true scientific method as Alice in Wonderland!

    The trouble is that, if everything is not here by chance and the universe is here by design, that presupposes a designer, therefore a creator and hence ….. God!!!  This “Darwinian age”, to coin a phrase, has been probably the only one in the entire history of the world to fail to recognise, or delibeately ignore, the evidence of design within the universe.  The Greek philosophers recognised it and, though they did not recognise the originator of that design as a personal God, they referred to him/it, however they understood that originator to be, as the “Logos”.  Evolution is the gospel of the atheist, because, if it were true, it could be understood as removing the need for a creator.  Believing in it is more of a leap of blind faith than the faiths held by believers of any religion at all because all religions in some shape or form incorporate into their belief systems the evidence of design which we all see in the world around us.  Speaking as a christian, I also have the evidence of history, the fulfilment of prophecies, the miracles which I have seen happen in answer to prayer, let alone the many which are recorded in the Bible and all down the ages since, to back up my faith.  I can see “evolution” for what it is; the last redoubt of the person who desperately wants to avoid facing his Creator.

  • Scientists use ‘naked scanners’ to probe mummies

    The Local

    German scientists have found a less controversial use for the “naked body scanners” being rolled out at European airports – investigating ancient Egyptian mummies.

    The high-frequency “terahertz” scanners can scan fragile mummies in a way that is less damaging than X-ray scanners, which can destroy precious DNA, the scientists say.

    Markus Walther and Andrea Bitzer from the Materials Research Centre at the University of Freiburg, have found that the terahertz rays can penetrate the cloth material used to wrap mummies and conveniently probe the dessicated body beneath.

    Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

  • Download Flash Player 10.1 RC with Hardware Acceleration

    Hardware acceleration for online content is just around the corner, as Adobe has barely released Flash Player 10.1 Release Candidate, which brings hardware-assisted video decoding and gaming. On supported platforms, this should translate into better performance and less CPU utilization, which is always a nice thing to get, but is especial… (read more)

  • Obesity, Longevity, and the Paradox of Living in the Modern Age

    Filed under: , , ,

    Anyone who is overweight can blame their genes. Mind you, anyone whose genes survived the millennia of culling through natural selection can thank that same genetic material.

    To one degree or another, the vast majority of humanity is genetically programmed to be fat-storers. This was a valuable survival trait that saw homo sapiens through some tough times in our history. In terms of caloric intake, we’ve seen far more lean times than feast times. In case you haven’t noticed from looking around you, we’re in a time of feast right now.

    Prior to the 20th century hunger was commonplace. So was physical activity. We didn’t have machines doing most of our labour for us, nor did we have much food to eat. What’s more, the food we did eat was unprocessed and didn’t taste as good. There were no bags of Miss Vickie’s salt and vinegar potato chips, there were no Pizza Huts, and there was nothing resembling a Dairy Queen Peanut Buster Parfait. Even when people did have enough to eat it was more of a challenge to engage in massive gluttony because you can only scarf so much meat, whole grains, fruit and vegetables. When you’ve been working the fields all day or tracking mammoths through the wilderness, you can only force yourself to eat so much if it doesn’t taste like Haagen Dazs.

    Learn more after the jump.

    Continue reading Obesity, Longevity, and the Paradox of Living in the Modern Age

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  • It’s always tough parting with Mummy

    Suburban Chicago News (Denise Crosby)

    High School Mummy — not the musical — has moved from Naperville Central to North.

    And history teacher Jim Galanis admits — with a chuckle of course — he’s wound a little tight over this temporary transfer of “Butch,” Central’s beloved 2,000-year-old Egyptian artifact.

    “We just hope the crate doesn’t come back empty,” as part of some prank … “or that she doesn’t come back dressed in orange and blue,” says Galanis of Friday’s move that was necessary because of renovations that won’t be completed until fall.

    Describing this teacher’s relationship with Butch — donated to the school by a doctor in the ’40s, then rediscovered in a storage area in 1975 — as close would be an understatement. He and colleague Tom Henneberry have been her protector, advocate, lab partners, even chauffeur for more than two decades.

    In addition to turning her into a legendary part of the curriculum in Central’s history department, these two teachers helped Butch morph into a television star when National Geographic Channel featured her in a segment called “High School Mummy” in its “Mummy Road Show” series that aired in 2002.

    Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

  • Ask Umbra’s Book Club: Is eating animals eating you?

    by Umbra Fisk

    Dearest
    readers,

    Great thread
    yesterday     on the varying viewpoints surrounding issues of independence,
    financial culpability, the 9-to-5 rat race, and being possessed by our possessions—all inspired by Dolly Freed’s Possum
    Living     circa 1978.

    For today’s
    starting point, I thought we’d delve into the blood and guts—literally—as in
    raising, killing, cleaning, and eating your own meat like Freed and her father
    did during their five years of living off the land. Do you think it’s possible
    to lead this type of subsistence lifestyle without eating animals? What do you see as
    the difference between killing your own meat and buying it? Is it ethical to
    eat meat if you wouldn’t kill the animal yourself?

    My stomach
    admittedly lurched a tad at the thought of creamed catfish, fried grasshoppers,
    and snapper (as in turtle) soup. What are your thoughts on meat eaters who draw
    the line beyond standard fare like cows, chickens, and pigs?

    Let your reflections
    spill forth in the comments below. I’ll be checking in shortly.

    Fishballsily,
    Umbra

    Related Links:

    Ask Umbra’s Book Club: Does your job own you?

    Ask Umbra chews the fat with Moby

    Why are we propping up corn production, again?






  • Peugeot RCZ configurator online

    Peugeot RCZ configurator

    The Peugeot RCZ configurator is now online so we can have a play with the various RCZ options and extras. We like it in white. The RCZ configurator allows you to choose the engine you want, external and internal colours and finishes, and all the extras like alloy wheels, brake calipers and rear vision mirrors.

    Going to the RCZ configurator, you are taken through the various steps of the process and at the end you get a little video featuring the combinations you’ve chosen. There’s also an iPhone application for those wanting to personalise their RCZ over the phone. Can anyone say ‘trendy coupe for the French’…?

    Peugeot RCZ new pics Peugeot RCZ new pics Peugeot RCZ new pics Peugeot RCZ new pics


  • Smart Women Have Drinking Habits, Why You’re So Shy and More

    Filed under:

    Each morning, we dish out a few links we love.

    Love wine? This is likely because you’re so intelligent — studies show that smart women tend to drink more

    Be kind to your teeth — here are some eating and drinking habits that could erode your enamel big time.

    We ALL need more exercise — studies show that your teenagers should get at least an hour of exercise a day.

    Scared of having to push out a 10-pound kid? If you want to have a healthy and normal-sized baby, studies advise exercise during pregnancy.

    Got a bad case of shyness? New research has discovered some interesting insights into what makes shy people tick.

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  • Recipe: Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes

    2010_04_06-Pancakes.jpgThis past weekend, we looked at the leftover lemon curd in our refrigerator and thought, “That lemon curd needs a friend. That lemon curd needs a pancake.”

    And so, these extra fluffy, delicious ricotta pancakes were born. The recipe was perfect on the first try, and seeing as that’s a rare feat for us, we had to share.

    Read Full Post


  • Zynga Could Be Worth $5 Billion Now

    ZyngaPeople often think what 237 Million monthly active users mean for the popular social gaming company Zynga. Well, according to some equity analysts, the traffic, monthly revenue and some other metrics mean Zynga is worth around $5 Billion right now. The report was recently released by analysts at SecondaryShares.com and  claims that each Zynga share would fetch $15 if it were to go IPO right now.

    Currently, Zynga is a privately-held company and the shares are traded by accredited investors at places like the SecondaryMarket at $9 per share. Analysts think that with projected $500 Million revenue for the current year and cross-marketing opportunities Zynga has, the revenues might go as up as $1.6 Billion in next few years. These assumptions are based on an estimated $2.25 revenue per Monthly Active User. If Zynga continues at the projected growth rate, it may very well be worth up to $15 Billion by 2015.

    The assumptions are also , quite heavily. based on the numbers that Chinese social gaming company Tencent brings in. It is also interesting to note that Zynga was the #2 merchant for PayPal in 2009 and owns 6 of the top 7 games on Facebook. However, with Facebook as well as Farmville about to reach the peak of their popularity soon, it would be quite difficult for Zynga to maintain the same growth rate in coming years. Still, Zynga is one of the best examples of how something as casual as social games can turn into a very serious business.

    The complete report can be downloaded here.

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    Zynga Could Be Worth $5 Billion Now originally appeared on Techie Buzz written by Tehseen Baweja on Wednesday 7th April 2010 03:54:12 AM. Please read the Terms of Use for fair usage guidance.

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  • Tweeting Kettle Alerts Out Of Earshot Tea-Drinkers When The Cuppa’s On [Concepts]

    Because of my dependence on tea, I make sure I’m always within earshot of the kettle whistling—but if you’re not, this smartly-designed kettle which tweets via Wi-Fi will alert you when it’s boiling. More »