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Egypt Today (Omar Mohsen)

In the past century, Egypt was no stranger to war, whether as a nation confronting foreign enemies or as a proxy for colonial powers. Several of the sites where battles took place and pivotal events unfolded still stand today, making a great themed getaway for history buffs.

With a bit of effort and imagination, those with a passion for the subject can recapture a bit of the thrill, intrigue and yes, heartbreak, of some of Egypt’s most notable military moments by visiting battle sites and war cemeteries. Some of the getaways make especially poignant trips for those with relatives who fought in the Second World War’s North Africa campaigns.

Start your journey in Cairo, where a number of neighborhoods and the hotels within played host to British military and intelligence offices during the Second World War. Regrettably, many of these old bastions have been replaced by glitzy modern franchises, but back in the day they were the heart of international intrigue.

Take yourself back to “Ash Wednesday,” July 1, 1942, when the British General Headquarters and British Embassy in Garden City blanketed Cairo streets in smoke and ash as they torched classified documents upon Germany’s Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s entry into Egypt.

Make sure to swing by the houseboats on the Nile banks as your tour continues. These relics pay homage to a time during the two world wars when Cairo was the cloak-and-dagger capital for spies on all sides. But it was in one such houseboat that two German spies, sent from Rommel’s ranks during WWII, attempted to set up a radio post that would deliver information on Allied men and material to the Axis forces near El Alamein. The scheme, codenamed Operation Salaam, fell apart, but before it did, it took on the air of a spy novel, with a bellydancer named Hekmat Fahmy helping the spies, as well as a young man from the Free Officers movement named Anwar El Sadat.

From there, move on to the War Cemetery in Heliopolis, in which the remains of nearly 2,000 Allied soldiers from WWII are interred and a pavilion is dedicated to the unknown soldiers of WWI.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

Filed under: Health, Healthy Eating, Eat This

You’ve just had a great workout. You really worked up a sweat and you know you did some good damage to those muscles. Now, you’re thirsty, hungry and fatigued, so what should you reach for?

If you’re like millions of North Americans, you’ll probably go for a fluorescent-coloured “sports” beverage because the advertising campaigns have convinced you that they’re better than water. It seems most of us have bought the line that these lab creations are superior at hydrating than the stuff created by nature that we’ve been surviving on for millennia.

But ask yourself this: Are sugary, artificially-coloured and flavoured, processed beverages really the best thing for your body after you work out? Are they good for you at any time? You obviously care about your body or you wouldn’t be sweating so hard to keeping it healthy – so why feed it something that’s hindering its healthy function?

Fortunately, there alternatives to these flashy sports drinks.

Continue reading Workout Recovery Food: Four Alternatives to Sports Drinks

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Reuters UK (Alexander Dziadosz)

LUXOR, Egypt (Reuters) – In the dusty streets behind the pasha’s grand villa, bulldozers and forklifts are tearing into the city where Agatha Christie found inspiration and Howard Carter unearthed Tutankhamun.

Egypt has already cleared out Luxor’s old bazaar, demolished thousands of homes and dozens of Belle Epoque buildings in a push to transform the site of the ancient capital Thebes into a huge open-air museum.

Officials say the project will preserve temples and draw more tourists, but the work has outraged archaeologists and architects who say it has gutted Luxor’s more recent heritage.

“They basically want to tear the whole thing down,” said one foreigner who lives in Luxor part of the year, agreeing to speak only if his name was not used.

“They want it to be all asphalt and strip malls and shopping centres. That’s their idea of modern and progressive.”

He pointed to the destruction of the 19th-century house of French archaeologist Georges Legrain, demolished to make way for a plaza outside Karnak temple, and plans to knock down the 150-year-old Pasha Andraos villa on the Nile boardwalk.

While known mostly for temples and tombs, Luxor’s Victorian-era buildings and dusty alleyways have drawn Egyptologists, statesmen and writers for decades.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

Brill

Book covers like this are always an indication that the book itself is going to cost a small fortune.

In 30 BCE, Egypt became a province of the Roman empire. Alongside unbroken traditions—especially of the indigenous Egyptian population, but also among the Greek elite—major changes and slow processes of transformation can be observed. The multi-ethnical population was situated between new patterns of rule and traditional lifeways. This tension between change and permanence was investigated during the conference. The last decades have seen an increase in the interest in Roman Egypt with new research from different disciplines—Egyptology, Ancient History, Classical Archaeology, Epigraphy, and Papyrology—providing new insights into the written and archaeological sources, especially into settlement archaeology. Well-known scholars analysed the Egyptian temples, the structure and development of the administration beside archaeological, papyrological, art-historical and cult related questions.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

There’s no doubt ladders can be unwieldy things to carry around – so much so that the ladder-carrying painter has become a staple of slapstick comedy. Unfortunately carrying a ladder around in real life is generally much less hilarious, although often just as chaotic. A young Israeli design student, Itay Laniado, has come up with a collapsible design that makes getting a ladder from point A to point B so you can get to point C a whole lot easier…

Tags: Collapsible,
Design

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The high-priced lefty was working in Houston, up against the Berkman-free Astros. The journeyman righty was toiling in Oakland, facing perhaps the weakest lineup in the majors today. The pedestrian lefty was at home against Seattle, cushioned by a mammoth park and facing another underwhelming offense. Good work if you can get it.

Barry Zito(notes) wasn’t given much fantasy hope entering the season, no matter that he came around nicely in the second half of 2009. Does a six-inning dusting (3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K) of the punchless Astros change your mind? Ian Snell(notes) had an up-and-down spring – plenty of strikeouts, but a messy ERA. Does a tidy six innings in Oakland (3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K) put him in your circle of trust? Dallas Braden(notes) entered Tuesday night with a respectable career ERA but nothing else notable to speak of. Will you shift into pickup mode after a 10-strikeout effort against the Mariners?

If I had to pick up one of these three guys, Zito would get the nod. We’re talking about a former Cy Young winner, no matter if it happened back in the dark ages (once upon a time, Eric Chavez(notes) and Bobby Crosby(notes) got us excited on draft day). Zito gave us a 2.83 ERA and 7.7 K/9 after the break last year, and if nothing else you can selectively spot him around the National League, waiting for the home starts in a pitcher’s yard or the cushy spots on the road. Zito doesn’t throw hard enough to wake a napping baby these days, but if he keeps snapping off his curveball like he did Tuesday, I’m not concerned about the radar gun. Assuming the Giants slot him for a home date with Pittsburgh next Monday, I’m on board.

Snell’s solid effort was all about picking on the Athletics, something Andy Behrens was begging you to do earlier in the day. Oakland’s basically got a roster of No. 1, No. 6 and No. 9 hitters – there isn’t a single stick that makes sense in the middle of a batting order. Snell was knocked around for most of camp (7.13 ERA, six homers) but he also had 18 strikeouts against three walks. I’m not going to make him a streaming priority by any means, but I’ll at least put him on the list when the matchup looks reasonable. I won’t go near him at Texas this weekend.

Braden’s start might have been the most surprising of the three; while he had a solid 3.89 ERA over 22 starts last year, he wasn’t throwing the ball by anyone (5.33 K/9) and he never went past seven strikeouts in any start until Tuesday night. I suppose you could consider him on the weekend at Anaheim, depending on where you stand in your head-to-head match. In roto groups, I’d prefer to wait for a different spot.

• Chris Young is a more intriguing roto option than any of the three names listed above and he’s gone in all of my leagues, albeit his current ownership level is right around where Zito trades at. Young cruised through the Diamondbacks Tuesday (6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K) but let’s keep his flaws well in mind: he’s never gone past 179.1 innings in any season; he’s a fly-ball pitcher who will allow his share of homers, especially outside of Petco; he unwilling or unable to hold runners on base, so speed-laden clubs will get extra bases any time they want them. If Young gets the call at Colorado this weekend, hands off; if the Friars hold him out until Monday’s home game with Atlanta, you have a decision to make.

• In spring training, Mike Gonzalez’s(notes) problem was velocity; Tuesday night, he struggled with location. Either way, the lefty’s first outing for his new Baltimore club was a kick in the stomach – a blown save in the season opener at Tampa.

The Orioles probably should have had a bigger cushion when the bottom of the ninth rolled around – Rafael Soriano(notes) was all over the place in the top of the inning, leaving the bases loaded – but when you’re a closer, you’re supposed to get those three outs, even if it’s just a one-run margin. Gonzalez was able to get his fastball in the 93 mph range Tuesday after a month in the 80s, but he couldn’t get the ball where he wanted. Sean Rodriguez(notes) roped a single to start the rally, Kelly Shoppach(notes) crushed a double off a belt-high heater and eventually Carl Crawford(notes) ended things with a two-run single, laced off a letter-high fastball.

Gonzalez’s job isn’t in any danger, of course – his contract (two years, $12 million) guarantees a reasonable leash and at least his velocity returned in the opener – but there was nothing impressive about this debut, either. Clip and save. Jim Johnson(notes) doesn’t have an electric repertoire and he was spotty as a tempt closer late last year, but we should note that he’s the eighth-inning guy in Baltimore and he worked a tidy eighth inning at Tampa (1-2-3, with one strikeout).

• The Yankees tweaked their lineup up against Boston ace Jon Lester(notes); Curtis Granderson(notes) was dropped to the last spot in the order, and Marcus Thames(notes) got the call in left field while Brett Gardner(notes) hit the bench. Gardner eventually replaced Thames and got two at-bats against the Boston bullpen. "It’s not necessarily that we envision [Gardner] as a platoon guy," Joe Girardi told The Journal News. "There could be a situation where you give Nick (Johnson) a day off and you DH (Thames)." Thames has a career .516 slugging percentage against lefties, his one bankable skill.

Handshakes: Another smooth save for Brian Wilson(notes) (perfect inning, one strikeout), with three holds in front of him. … Mariano Rivera(notes) retired three of four men to lock up New York’s first victory. … Trevor Hoffman(notes) was knocked around a bit (2 H, 1 R) but it’s hard to blow a three-run lead. … Heath Bell(notes) got the job done with a double-play ball and a strikeout. Mike Adams(notes) got the four earlier outs, dancing around three baserunners. … Jon Rauch(notes) rolled to an easy save in Amaheim (1-2-3, two strikeouts), with Matt Guerrier(notes) working a perfect eighth inning.

Speed Round: Jose Reyes played nine innings in an extended spring training game (2-for-5) and might be able to play with the Mets this weekend. … The aggressive Padres stole three bases at Arizona (Tony Gwynn(notes), Chase Headley(notes), Everth Cabrera(notes)), while Adrian Gonzalez(notes) and Will Venable(notes) clubbed home runs. … Matt Wieters(notes) hit one of three Baltimore homers off James Shields(notes) in Tampa (the Roto Gods sigh), while Evan Longoria(notes) blasted a titanic shot that hasn’t landed yet (the Roto Gods weep). … Ken Macha brought the infield in during the first inning with Colorado, a silly move considering the Brewers were up against ordinary lefty Greg Smith(notes) on the other side. This isn’t 1968, Kenny. … A hitless day for Carlos Gomez(notes), but at least he tried to bunch for a hit (retired by a snappy Todd Helton(notes) play). A better approach, even if the result doesn’t show it. … Nick Johnson(notes) doesn’t have a hit yet for the Yankees but he’s already drawn four walks. The man is an OBP machine. … David Ortiz(notes) is already getting a little testy after an 0-for-7 start. Given how he struggles against lefties and on the road, he’s not someone I want any part of in 2010. … Houston’s bullpen got nine straight outs against San Francisco (courtesy of Jeff Fulchino(notes), Brandon Lyon(notes) and Matt Lindstrom(notes)) but it didn’t matter as the Astros offense was in bagel mode. … Ian Stewart(notes) knocked his second homer in two days, this one an opposite-field clout off left-hander Randy Wolf(notes), and he added a double and triple. The Rockies would be foolish to keep Stewart in the No. 7 slot all year.

January Magazine (David Middleton)

Picture this: you wake up deep inside a pyramid with only a single clue as to how you got there: there are hieroglyphs plainly visible on the wall but — alas! — you have no way to read them. What an Earth do you do?

Well, if you’re lucky and had a bit of foresight before heading out on your locked-in-pyramid adventure, you will have packed a copy of Egyptologist Nigel Strudwick’s handy field guide Hieroglyph Detective: How to Decode the Sacred Language of the Ancient Egyptians (Chronicle Books). With an extra bit of luck, you’ll have had time to study it on the plane during your journey. Or the barge, as the case may be.

And yes, of course: while most of us are quite unlikely to find ourselves awakening in a tomb, there is still a place in the world for this innovative and expertly creative little book. From the introduction:

The aim of this book is to provide a practical, easy-to-follow guide to Egyptian hieroglyphics, giving readers sufficient grounding in the pictorial script to enable them to decipher for themselves some of the many inscriptions they will encounter while pursuing their interest in this fascinating civilization.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

by Kevin Jon Heller

That’s what Rob Crilly claims in an editorial today in the Telegraph:

Before he was indicted, Bashir told regional leaders and his confidantes that he was ready to step down: after 20 years in office, he was ready for a holiday, and retirement to a smart new villa in the north of Khartoum. Now, fearing arrest by a new regime, he has promised his inner circle that he will fight on.

I have never heard this claim before, and Crilly provides no support for it.  I’m skeptical, particularly given that Crilly is a leading proponent of the “blame the ICC and the NGOs, not Bashir” movement.  He describes Bashir in the article, for example, as a “pragmatist” who is not “the monster of popular imagination.”  (Apparently, he is just misunderstood by all those mean prosecutors and activists.)  But I’m willing to be convinced.

Anybody out there know whether Crilly’s claim is accurate?

UPDATE: An intrepid reader contacted Crilly, who replied, “He said it on at least three different occasions. Sources rock solid.”  Crilly did not identify the sources, and I remain skeptical.  Even if Bashir said it, though, it is difficult to believe that he meant it.  If Bashir had communicated a genuine willingness to step down to the ICC, I think it’s safe to say that the OTP would have been willing to not bring charges against him.

UPDATE 2: Crilly has a short blog post on Bashir’s alleged statement here.  He says he has been sitting on the information for a while — why, I don’t know.

Egypt Today (John Prosser)

A look at some of the educational and entertaining areas of Cairo that might keep your children engaged on holiday.

A fitting place to begin your family’s academic adventures is Dr. Hassan Ragab’s Pharaonic Village. Visitors are transported 4,000 years back in time to a painstakingly recreated pharaonic civilization. As you take a canal-boat tour through the village — complete with rare plants and animals believed to have lived in the region thousands of years ago — actors in period clothing demonstrate ancient methods of cultivation, ship-building and fishing. Museums on the island cover all aspects of ancient Egyptian life; from the building of the Sphinx and the pyramids to the production of papyrus. There’s even a museum explaining how chocolate was discovered and used, with free samples of cocoa of course. With new exhibits constantly being added, the Pharaonic Village is worthy of repeat visits. The village is located on Jacob Island, off the west bank of the Nile about six kilometers south of downtown. Guided tours last from one to three-and-a-half hours, depending on your desired itinerary, with prices starting at $15 (LE 83) per person.

A more traditional venue for learning about ancient Egyptian culture now also has a great alternative for kids. The children’s gallery at the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square, (after coming through the main gate, follow signs round to the left of the main building) teaches children the ways of ancient life through the medium of Lego.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

New York Times (Tracy Lee Simmons)

CLEOPATRA. A Biography
By Duane W. Roller
Oxford University Press

Roller tells his tale smoothly and accessibly. Scholarly digressions are consigned to helpful appendixes that Roller uses as small seminars for airing points of dispute, as a good many remain. What, for example, were the origins of Cleopatra’s mother? Was Cleopatra — the quintessentially vile foreigner according to Octavian’s propaganda — a Roman citizen? (Roller believes she was.) And he offers a digest of classical literary descriptions of the queen and a discussion of her iconography (including coin portraits, which are the only certain likenesses) to pinpoint those elements of her modern identity that only evidence from the period can prove or support.

The resulting portrait is that of a complex, many-sided figure, a potent Hellenistic ruler who could move the tillers of power as skillfully as any man, and one far and nobly removed from the “constructed icon” of popular imagination.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

Bryn Mawr Classical Review (Review by Shawn W.J. Keough)

Ewa Wipszycka’s first contribution to the study of Egyptian monasticism appeared in 1986, and for the past twenty-five years a steady stream of articles from her pen has left its significant imprint on the field and firmly established her reputation as one of the world’s preeminent specialists of the institutional and social history of late antique Egyptian Christianity. The book everywhere bears the mark of a specialist intimately acquainted with an enormous range of source material: Wipszycka skilfully combines the skills of historian, papyrologist and archaeologist, a rare feat. The result is a volume that presents an incredibly detailed description and analysis of Egyptian monastic institutions and communities in which the social conditions and lived realities of late antique monastic centres flanking the Nile are presented in all their fascinating diversity and complexity. Only one previously published essay appears unchanged within this book marking the culmination of a quarter century’s research, while more than fifteen previous studies have been revised, updated and incorporated into the volume, much of which presents new material.

The volume opens with a lengthy introduction to and consideration of the literary sources undergirding Wipszycka’s study. As the volume is not so much concerned with monastic spirituality or theological controversy as with the social circumstances of Egyptian monastic centres, certain texts appear rarely, if at all (such as the writings of Evagrius of Pontus).

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

Al Ahram Wekkly (Nevine El-Aref)

According to Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), the door, which is 175cm tall, 100cm wide and 50cm thick, is engraved with religious texts as well as User’s various titles: the mayor of the city; vizier; and inheriting prince.

User is believed to have come to office in the fifth year of Hatshepsut’s reign. He built a tomb for himself and his wife on the west bank at Luxor (number 61). Mansour Boreik, supervisor of Luxor antiquities and head of the excavation team, said the newly-discovered door was cut from the tomb during the Roman period and used as part of a wall found several months ago by the mission.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

To start off with something sweet, that is not a food because we can have sweetness in our lives without cookies or cupcakes, here are some beautiful pink tulips. Spring is here and the weather in Phoenix has just been heavenly with crisp fresh air and blue skies. If you’re thinking of doing a spa or golf weekend, come on down because it is literally perfect weather now. Soon, it will get Africa hot.

Now that I and many others have gotten absolutely clear on exactly how The American Heart Association defines added sugars, it really has changed how I look at foods because now when I read labels, I look at what is added on top of the natural stuff like say jam for example. Fruit on its own should be sweet enough, but apparently it isn’t because added sugars are still combined with the fruits. Locally, I found Made By Bees, who makes these awesome fruit butters like this Apricot butter with no added sugars. They just use other fruits for added sweetness.

Yesterday, I dropped my car off at the shop to get fixed and then walked over to Whole Foods to get some breakfast. I get to the hot foods bar and immediately my nose gets a whiff of this creme brulee french toast. 

Now, of course I’m drooling because the smell of this decadence is literally igniting all my senses. But fortunately, because I have noticed that my taste buds are acclimating to less sugars, the desire to actually taking a bite of this french toast doesn’t even come up because I start thinking of the ginormous amounts of added sugars in this dish, and I ask myself, “Is this how you want to start your day?”

Easily, I’m like, “Uh no, not really.” Because, I know that eating something like this at 9am is going to make me feel sluggish and heavy. But, I don’t say no either because I know my Inner Resistance Monster will kick in. I just ask myself which choice will satisfy what I need at the moment, and make me feel good.

Fortunately, I’m satisfied with just inhaling the smells. Who knew? Back in January, I would have definitely at least gotten a very small piece and called it breakfast dessert.

So, what I do end up getting for breakfast is a cup of mixed fruit made of cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes, mandarin oranges, and bananas from the salad bar, and then topping it with So Delicious brand Pina Colada coconut-milk based yogurt, and topping it all with my favorite maple pecan granola. I felt good. My body felt good, and this is the way I like to start my day…feeling gooood!

And how’s your sugar weaning week going? Discover any new tips or try anything new to eat less sugars in the day? If you blogged about it, please share and tag your post, #triedsomethingnew and #foodrevolution as I’m collecting and highlighting anyone who tries something new in their efforts to eat healthier for our new “I tried something new” movement inspired by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.

I’m very passionate that no one should die or be ill because of a diet related disease because it’s preventable! We can all help each other eat healthier in ways that are fun and adventurous!

Ford Focus RS 500

On sale later this month after first tantalizing us at MWC in February, LG has confirmed the Mini GD880 will support HTML5 in its “Phantom Browser,” the first time it’s been reeled out by the South Koreans. More »

These picks show the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera on the track. While the new Lamborghini is impressive for its performance figures, it is significant in that it marks the start of an evolution for the brand. The new Lamborghini supercars will focus on bringing weight down and should distinguish themselves for their power-weight ratios.

The Gallardo Superleggera (’Superlight’) has also been modified to improve aerodynamics and develop a new suspension system for Lamborghini. It really is a benchmark model to defining the Lamborghinis of the future. As already reported, the weight-power ratio is 2.35 kg/hp and we can’t wait to see that reduced even further in the future. See all the pics below of the Gallardo Superleggera on the track.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera track pics