According to mainstream scientists, the Egyptian pyramids (and others) were built
by humans. They supposedly built steep ramps of brick or earth to
transport the blocks up the pyramid. But: these ramps are almost bigger
than the pyramids themselves! If it took 22 years to build a pyramid,
how long would it have taken to build the ramp? And to take it down
again?

The following DVD’s are currently on sale at Books From A Rose:

         Traveling to Egypt was for me, a once in a lifetime trip. Even though it took place in 1998, I remember it like it was yesterday, because it impressed upon me that much. In addition to seeing the must see sites, such as the pyramids and the Sphinx (and a camel ride while at the pyramids as well), we also went to a rug factory. This was a reality check for me. I don’t know if anyone’s parents have rugs made in Egypt in their house, but seeing that kids as young as 7 years old were taking part in the hand-weaving was difficult. There were adults in the factory as well, but there were a lot of kids, mostly girls, working in dirty conditions, sitting on the floor for hours. Obviously these kids work instead of going to school, and they aren’t paid a lot, especially considering what some of these rugs can sell for in the U.S. As a fellow kid seeing this, it was hard not to appreciate how lucky I am.

          After staying in Cairo for a few days and visiting with family at night and touring during the day, we boarded a plane and flew to Luxor, which is south of Cairo. There we boarded a cruise boat for a 5 day/4 night Nile cruise. We shared the boat with a group from France, who were not the friendliest people, to say the least. I guess it’s true what they say about the French not liking us. The cruise was relaxing and we would stop at various locations each day. Some of the stops en route to Aswan included: Valley of the Kings, Funery Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Valley of the Queens, Karnak Temple, Temple of Philae, Edfu Temple, Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan High Dam, and Kom Ombo.

          Kom Ombo Temple was neat because it was dedicated to more than one god. The south side is dedicated to Sobek-Re, the crocodile god plus the sun god Re) and there are actual crocodile mummies on display here. The north side is dedicated to Haroeris, the “Good Doctor,” and there are also hieroglyphic depictions of medical instruments that were used during the time. Being in the medical field, my parents thought that that was pretty neat, but I preferred the mummified crocs.

              On one of the cruise days we decided to take a felucca ride while the boat was docked. The felucca can best be described as  Middle-Eastern version of the sailboat. It was warm and sunny that day, and we had bought small bottles of Coca-Cola prior to getting on board. They recycle the glass bottles here (and in many other countries), so we were supposed to give them back. However, I decided I wanted to bring the Nile home, so I dragged the botle in the water to fill it. My parents were a little upset with me, because of how dirty the Nile is rumored to be, but I didn’t care. Needless to say, they were correct – about a week after we returned hom, my bottle of water had acquired a reddish-pink growth. I was never reopened, for obvious reasons, but it still sits on my desk at my parents house.

          One night on the ship there was a galabeya party, so during the day, we went shopping at a market outside the entrance to Edfu Temple of Horus and the parents purchased galabeyas for everyone. That night, everyone dressed up, and my sister and cousin attempted the Cleopatra look with makeup. It was a fun and memorable night, even if the French were present, and snooty to boot.  

“The profoundest satisfaction in travel is a sense of discovery, the private thrill of seeing something new or seeing it in a new way. This is unquestionably egotistical, but such discoveries do not come easy. Nothing is harder than that uncertain, Martian-on-Earth feeling of being alone in the middle of nowhere. The payoff is a conceited feeling of having gone to a distant place and unlocked a secret. As far as I am concerned, everything else in travel is a vacation, the view from a chaise lounge – horizontal.”  —Paul Theroux

“Let me show you around my beautiful farm” Mohammed said. We were standing in the Giza District of Egypt, which is famous for horse-riding and horse farms, located a mere 6km from the pyramids. My taxi driver dropped and introduced me to Mohammed. Mohammed is a typical Egyptian local, which in my dictionary means “smoking and tea drinking man in dress”. He is also the owner of the farm and you can see one who holds authority around the place.

“I don’t have much time Mohammed” I replied.

“No, no you have to drive my horse, you can see the pyramids sooo very much better from horse or maybe camel or donkey?”

“Mohammed I just sat on a bus for 8 hours and soon I will have to start my journey back for another 8 hours. My backside and the rest of my body muscles will not survive the big ordeal!” I said.

“No Habibti (my dearest) – it will be kulu tamam (all ok). Madam will see – it will be a great experience! You can go into the pyramid and get very close” he said.

“Mohammed I can see the pyramids from here. I don’t really need to get very close to them” I said.

“Sit down habibti, drink some tea and then I will get the horses ready.” And with that I realized there was nothing more to say.

Ten minutes later “Fatima” my scrawny brownish mare with the shabby hairdo and bushy tail was saddled and ready to take me to the pyramids. I was nervous when I got onto the horse. Mohammed entrusted Ahmed as my guide.

I could see the tops of the pyramids through the palm trees. ‘Am I ready for this?’ I thought. ‘What if I fall off, where exactly is he taking me, how long is it going to be, what am I going to see, what am I going feel and any way, the pyramids are completely overrated so why am I doing this again?’ (I was also cursing my very friendly taxi driver who left me here with his “friend” Mohammed.)

We had to pass through a little village that was alive with the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Fatima ran into a donkey cart full of hay thinking it was lunch time already, leaving me with a lovely green grass stain on my trousers. Dirt roads, chickens and small children were running around. “Ana Mish Eisha – la shoukran,” (I don’t want – no thank you) I kept saying to their offers to buy carpets and various other local wares.

Then I turned to my guide and said: “Ahmed… time is of the essence on this excursion.” I shouldn’t have said it. Suddenly, we were at a gallop, the earth moving past with the speed of light. I kept thinking: ‘If I fall off now this will surely be the end.’ 6 km of Dunes, rocks, hills and sand and there I was, holding on for dear life whilst realising I was almost just a stone through away from the pyramids.

At first I was very busy trying to get my bearings, but once I settled down and got more at ease with Fatima I started to enjoy the race. She must have had better riders; at the entrance gate she tried to knock me off by running me into the wall. I thought that was the end of my journey but with pure persistence I refused to go down. Ahmed my guide was completely oblivious to my fretting on Fatima behind him. (Thank goodness I grew up on a farm; a born and bred city girl might not have made it all the way to the end in one piece!)

I was thinking back to clips of the music video “Caravan” where the camels were trekking through the Sahara. It was the most exhilarating feeling when I glanced around noting that this was a scene for Discovery Channel or National Geographic. Me and my egyptian guide on two “Arabian horses” (Or at least I think they were..) chasing through the dessert with the pyramids as back drop!

Looking back, the horse ride was by far the greater highlight. The pyramids looked so bland in real life and not that big at all. Or maybe I should have just paid a little more attention to them rather than worrying about falling off a horse!

It is every person’s dream to reach and step foot on the land most holy to them. For Muslims they have Mecca…The Hindus the Indus River…and most of all, Jerusalem for the Jews and Christians. It’s been awhile since I last step foot on Israel and I was back again recently to assist a group with their pilgrimage. Like what we usually do when we escort groups, we make sure everything is in place to make their trip more meaningful. The usual route I take begins in Egypt, and then Israel and lastly Turkey. A more orderly fashion if you read and walk thru the Bible. But on my last trip, it was Jordan, Israel and lastly, Egypt. When I first came to Jordan, I thought it was just another Arab country filled with sand. I was wrong the moment I saw the sand and rock city of Petra (now part of the 7 new wonders of the world). You will be in awe looking at the facade (which reminds me of Transformers 2: Revenge of the fallen).  The valleys and plains in that country is really incomparable to any place. Israel was said to be “land of milk and honey”. When you get there, you would understand why. Can you imagine a land in the middle of the desert where you could see plants flourishing, animals grazing and people lives as if they were your next door neighbor. Should you be amazed in its modern structures and the technology they have harnessed, how much more for the old city of Jerusalem. If South Africa is the cradle of the civilizations, Jerusalem is the heart of all pilgrimage. Housing major religions (Muslims, Jews, Orthodox Christians, etc) in a walled city no bigger than the Vatican, it is almost as if you were living inside the Bible. Part of the trip is going to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were uncovered (Dan Brown must’ve been here and gotten hold of the scrolls). For those who could take the challenge, climbing Egypt’s Mt. Sinai is one of the greatest. The top is a haven for photographers especially with their DSLRs. A vantage point whether it is Sunrise, noon or Sunset. The oohhs and aahhhs doesn’t stop there and continues with the Pyramids and Sphinx. For the finale, a Nile River cruise with buffet dinner topped with belly dancers and music. You may hear stories of these sort a dozen time but experiencing it right there is beyond joy! Most of all, a pilgrimage or a trip to the Holy Land is not just for those people who are almost knocking on Heaven’s door or just around the eve of their lives, it is a trip for the young ones and young at heart. You don’t need to be spiritually inclined or a deep to the bone sinner to be invited to the Holy city. The Holy Land is inviting everyone to be there. Who knows what’s in store for you in that place.

-Troy A.

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From ancient times man has always believed in something larger than himself, typically a being of great power who at the very least affected his life in some way. It is not always the case, however, that a religion entails the belief in a ‘god’ or ‘goddess’, as shall be seen later on. Evidence of beliefs in deities of a kind has been found as early as pre-historic times, in the form of ruins and remains scattered throughout the Earth. Of the earliest temples we need look no further than the Maltese shores.

The megalithic temples of Ħaġar Qim, Ġgantija, Mnajdra and the Neolithic temples among others, are the oldest free-standing structures erected by man, older even, than the pyramids or Stonehenge. Little is known about the beliefs of these people, except that the remains indicate that they revered a goddess of fertility. This goddess, represented as a rotund woman, was also found in a variety of postures, from the typical standing posture to the sleeping posture, possibly indicating a link to life and death. Often, a deity’s representation tends to reflect the needs and priorities of that time. In this case, the fact that the goddess represents fertility makes sense because the people of that time were farmers. Interesting to note is that certain temples, such as those of Ħaġar Qim or Mnajdra, are built in such a way that the sunlight will make a certain pattern, or the sun’s rays will hit the midpoint of the trilithon entrance as it rises on specific days of the year, such as the equinoxes or the solstices.

One major feature of most religions is the belief in continuity of a kind after death. While it is unclear whether such beliefs existed in the most primitive of religions, some version can be found in most religions, be it simply a belief in an afterlife, reincarnation, or rebirth. A religion in which the concept of an afterlife was particularly important was traditional Egyptian religion. For the ancient Egyptians, religion was of high importance and affected people’s lives to a very large extent, most of all their belief in an afterlife. 

Evidence for this lies in the various unearthed Egyptian pyramids and tombs, which indicate that a lot of time and wealth was funnelled into funeral practices. The process of embalming or mummification, which for example was very time-consuming, was aimed at preserving the body for the afterlife, where they believed people could achieve their full potential. However, Egyptian religion was not all about the afterlife. Traditional Egyptian religion in itself was mostly polytheistic, sometimes having as many as 2,000 deities. Interestingly, their gods and goddesses are often depicted as being part human and part animal, though they were not considered the gods’ true forms, but merely symbolic representations. Among the most important

Egyptian deities one finds Amon-Ra, the sun god, often associated with the creation of the world, and Osiris, the god of the underworld. In certain cases, the many different deities started to be viewed as different aspects of a single deity. This concept is one that is extremely common among today’s religions.

Currently, it would seem that the most widespread religions are Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, and to a lesser extent Buddhism and Judaism. There are a number of similarities between these religions, be it in the beliefs themselves or in the underlying concepts. One core characteristic between most of these religions is the belief in a deity or deities. In this respect a religion is said to be polytheistic if there is belief in more than one individual and separate deity; monotheistic if there is belief in only one deity; trinitarian if there is belief in a single deity which has three aspects; and henotheistic for the belief  in many gods and goddesses which are manifestations or aspects of a single deity.

Contrary to popular belief, in the majority of its forms, Hinduism is not exactly a polytheistic religion, that is, there is no belief in a multitude of completely separate gods and goddesses. Rather, it is a henotheistic religion, one which believes in essentially one deity, with the other gods and goddesses being facets of this single deity. It is sometimes also considered to be a trinitarian religion because Brahman, the single supreme deity, is viewed as being three persons while being only one, much like the Christian god. In the case of Hinduism, Brahman is viewed as Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver of order), and

Shiva (the Destroyer, though sometimes also viewed as a benefactor), and in some cases Brahman is revered as one of his forms. It should be noted, however, that Hinduism is quite widespread, and the beliefs and forms of Brahman that are revered as the ‘main’ god tend to vary slightly between regions. One major characteristic of Hinduism is the belief in continual reincarnation or Transmigration of the Soul, which is also known as samsara. It is believed that this continues until the person is purified enough to be worthy of enlightenment.

Related to the concept of reincarnation is that of karma, which is essentially the effect of good and bad actions taken in previous lives on the current one. Good actions lead to beneficial effects in the present life, while bad actions lead to detrimental effects.

Christianity and Islam believe in the same single, omnipresent and omniscient deity, for the simple reason that they are offshoots of Judaism. Due to their common roots, they are sometimes referred to as Abrahamic religions, after Abraham who is believed to be one of the founders of the religions, in the sense that he was one of the first (if not the first) person with whom God made contact. While Islam and Judaism believe that God is one, and only one, Christians believe in a trinity of persons in the same Godhead.  A common misconception in Islam is that of the jihad.

While in cases it does refer to a 
‘holy war’, its true meaning is more than that: it represents an internal struggle against temptation and such things. Despite having the same deity, these three religions’ views on this higher power tends to vary. While Muslims believe one should submit to God’s will, the view of most Christians is more along the lines that one should work with God. However, it should be noted that beliefs tend to vary even within the same religion, where one tends to find numerous sects and divisions. In Christianity in particular, one finds a widespread range of beliefs throughout the many groups.

Some religions are unusual because they do not believe in a sovereign deity as such. Buddhism is not a religion in the classical sense, in that it does not concern a belief in a higher being or any deity, but in an ultimate truth. The goal of Buddhism is  to improve oneself, with particular emphasis to mental and moral development in order to obtain wisdom and eventually, enlightenment (the ultimate truth). Hence, like all religions, Buddhism also carries with it a certain code of conduct (in a loose sense). Of particular interest is the so-called Golden Rule, which can be summarised as:

Do unto others as you would want others to do unto you.

This rule is also found in Christianity, and to a lesser extent in Judaism, where one finds the negative Golden Rule:

Do NOT do unto others what you do NOT want others to do unto you.

The religions of the world tend to be extremely diverse and unfortunately, beliefs and practices tend to be many, so much so  that this article barely touches on what each religion is truly about. It makes one wonder, however, whether any religion is ‘more accurate’ regarding the nature of ‘God’, given there is one in the first place. Perhaps, like henotheistic religions, the many religions are in fact facets of one larger thing, and each gives us insight into the nature of ‘God’ or the ‘ultimate truth’. Perhaps in reality each religion is ‘right’ and one merely has to find their own path, not based on convenience, for that is likely to be a decision based on laziness and would probably be far from the best, but based on what  one is  truly convinced of (and not stubbornly so). In reality, the myriad of religions may not be as different as we think they are – maybe each and every one of them can offer an ingredient to our approach to the Supreme Power.

[Click on the image to see a full-size version]

Here’s a thing that could use some words alongside it.

The story goes: I listen to music like everyone else, and some of that music is from a long time ago. I’m interested in the history of American music, of blues and folk and country, the rural stuff from before the 1950’s, before everything went electric.

Context is everything. In music and art. The context of this music is pretty fascinating stuff, and I try to read what I can on the subject. Over the last few years it’s created this landscape in my head, this semi-fictional place full of imagery, full of scenery and characters and stories.

Drawing can be very interesting if you look at it in a stream-of-consciousness. All imaginative practice is, I suppose, instinctive by nature.

You draw what feels right where it feels right.

I don’t like approaching a composition that’s carved in stone. I like to start with a vague idea and just let it sort of unfold at it’s own pace.  It’s the same with collage art. The process is a bit like playing with a Ouija board: you gather all the pieces and just push them around the page until something happens.

I was once lucky enough to hear a lecture by German illustrator Thomas Fuchs (www.thomasfuchs.com) who said a number of things that got under my fingernails, particularly about the suggestive nature of the visual image. He said that most of the time you don’t even need to think of an idea: if you know where to look, and how to look, those ideas suggest themselves to you. They impose upon you.

And I think that’s about right. Some ideas really do give themselves to you. The shape of something, the texture, the colour, the size; in context, they tell you what to think. These things suggest ideas that are guilty by association. And then it’s so obvious you can’t believe you didn’t see it before.

The context of this image is: the music of the rural South, and what I associate with that environment. Not just from the music. But from the culture, and history. Especially prevalent is the religious association –  the rural American South of the 1920’s and 30’s lies in the shadow of church steeples and burning crosses.

Gospel music and blues music are brother and sister, one sacred and the other profane.  

The Lord’s music versus the Devil’s.

We are Holy, they are Pagan.  

In this context, the blues musicians are atavistic mutants from the ancient Greek woodlands, a physical perversion of carnal sin. Their songs were about lust, about genitals and intercourse and adultery. Make no mistake: half of these songs, these songs from the age of our grandfathers, these songs from an age we are always told was more innocent, these songs are about pussy.

So the players become satyrs, and the juke-joint dances they played become Dionysian frat parties in some Hellenistic myth.

From there it becomes a call and response thing. You look at the pagan religions of the ancients and the associations flow freely: the landscape becomes Mesopotamia, the Mississippi River becomes the Jordan, the Euphrates; the biblical inundation becomes the great flood of 1927 that crushed the levees; the death cults and slavery of Pharaonic Egypt become the mortality rate and servitude of post-Reconstruction existence.

Eventually you end up with this semi-mythological place, a surreal landscape where Hieronymus Bosch meets the cotton gin culture. 

Here’s some detail…

Egypt, A Must-See for Travlers

It all started with the plane landing.. When the EgyptAir’s pilot was supposed to “kiss” the ground, he F***’ed it instead. The worst landing i’ve ever seen.. we all were like going up and down and looking at each other like what’s goin on!! Anyway, we followed the signs to reach customs and passports check. the woman at the customs said “ya rabbe ba2a bente tetla3 7elwa keda zayek” (English: i wish my daughter will look beautiful like you) I was confused and a little freaked out. then I asked her if she was pregnant and she said she was almost due. very nice woman but never I had compliments from official personnel at the airport or anywhere, as far as I remember! the nicest thing usually being said is “welcome to our country, have a nice stay. NEXT!”

On our way to the hotel, we saw a wide range of houses and buildings that really should be taken care of. they were dirty from outside, with so many trash all around. I mean their government should take extra care of this area, especially because it’s very close to the airport, and somehow gives an idea of what one should expect.

Reached the hotel. which was supposed to be a 5 star one. it was but to some other countries, it’s the standard of a 4 star. The housekeeping people were nice but the cleaning was not. the room’s phone was stolen from stone age. but the view was amazing; a small balcony with a view to the Nile and the city. very nice in the morning. and at night with all the lights and boats sailing.

First day, Too many people in this city! and a Dinner in a boat.
after we checked in our rooms and settled down, got a taxi and went to souvenirs markets like “Al-hussein” and “Khan el khaleele” around that area, can’t believe how many people in this city! learned that they are 23 mil during the day and 20 mil at night! and they drive REALLY crazy! there was a restaurant, very much like Hashem – down town Amman, but has BBQ, grilled duck, etc we ate there with cats all around. was very unpleasant and annoying but the food was good and their bread was so yummy!!
After wandering around and walking from A to Z! we went back to the hotel, took a shower and went to the Nile. there was a boat waiting for us to sail. we cruised down the Nile with dinner inside the boat, belly dancer, singer in three or four languages, skirt dancer or whatever.. after we got back to the shore, and while we were heading to the bus, an Egyptian guy said to his friend about us “moslemat agnabeyyat” lol got back to the hotel and slept like a baby.

Second day, Shopping, Opera house and Egypt soccer game!
Got up not so early, went to hotel’s restaurant for breakfast. variety of food, drinks and sweets. the view was the Nile also. was kind of relaxing to eat your breakfast with a view to the Nile.
After breakfast, we walked to some stores close to the hotel. a lot of leather stores as well, one of the things that Egypt is well known for. some expensive, some acceptable and others were cheap. so you can find whatever you need with a wide range of prices.
It was the day of the “big” Egypt-Algeria soccer match, so everyone there was worried and talking about it. and when I wanted to bargain, which by the way is a very common thing to do there, I mentioned the game and wish Egypt to win. they become so emotional and get me a discount smart!
I hurt myself twice while shopping.. looks like shopping knows i hate it! first one was cause i was wearing a slipper so wanted to go out of a store that had a metal chair that hurt two toes.. so much pain! second one was while checking out some souvenirs, opened a lighter in the opposite direction and burnt my hand! this was almost killed me! they got me cold water and i got myself a burn treatment from the next door pharmacy. it hurts like hell!!
So anyway, got back to the hotel, took a shower and dressed up for the Circassian Dancing performance at the Opera House. which was Amazing! as usual but the Opera House gave it a very special touch. The place is very nice, well decorated and organized.
After that, we got back to the hotel, changed and went out again to watch the game.. almost all cafes are full.. streets are almost empty! which is weird to see in cairo at that time! Italian restaurant that places the country’s flag you’re from on your table, nice touch! Also three pencils on each table so you can draw on their walls.. very creative too bad Egypt lost. They would have turned the streets to festivals.. and we would have enjoyed

Third day, Alexandria!!!
We got up so early and went to Ramses train station to go to Alexandria. they are so disorganized! got the tickets, and asked the Info lady where to go. she said “not yet” i told her i dont understand and its my first time here. she said “Not yet!! i told you Not yet!!!” not to mention it was 5 minutes before the train to leave!
While we were waiting, an english speaking guy tried to ask about things but they did not understand and he either because neither of them speaks the language of the other. wanted to help but he left before i go and offer my help.
Anyway, the train was better than what I expected. at least better than Path Train (NYC-NJ, USA) it should be because it takes 2.5 hours to reach Alexandria. on the way, we saw a lot of farms, very nice! also the cotton farms.
reached Alexandria after 2.5 hours., Sidi Jaber Station, which is kinda down town there. got a taxi and head to Fort Qaitbey, many mini markets around, selling souvenirs. Mediterranean sea was stunning as usual I love this sea..
Too many cats! too many cats! they are everywhere around the shore! unbelievable!
after checking out the fort, nothing very interesting except the view from up there.. really amazing.. we then took a cab and went to the city, malls and streets.. the City center mall is really nice.. their parking lot reminded me of JCpenny n Target in Cali, USA for how alike they are and reminded me also of our mecca mall in Amman for how NOT alike they are. ours is so not cool. first parking lot i think that has a residential building in the middle of the parking! which is not the issue here. then we went to the train station to get our tickets for the 7 pm train.
for lunch, we went to a restaurant called Fish Market, very beautiful, clean, organized, good service, good food, amazing view to the sea.. I give them 5/5. you pick the fish you wanna eat and tell the Chef how you like it done..
We’re full now and ready to go back to Cairo. slept all the way to Ramses station, Cairo.
We got the hotel and mom was preparing a small cake with a candle for my birthday (was next day) how thoughtful and nice of her she’s the best mom one can ask for!

4th and Last day! My Birthday at the Pyramids and Egyptian Museum then Amman!
Got up so early, prepared ourselves to go to pyramids. stopped a taxi that has a meter, this one thing one should be careful about when going to cairo! always use these cabs, the white ones. not the black.
Got to the Pyramids and a horses guy stopped us, asking if we need a ride in there.. he asked for 150 EGP/each including horse, guide, entrance ticket. I said NOway! and at last i could get these things for 160 EGP for both of us (me and sis) it’s like 29 USD for two horses, a guide and entrance tickets which were around 0.75 USD/both because we’re Jordanians they consider us like Egyptians.
Anyway, it was around 1.5 hrs on the horse, saw Pyramids and Sphinx.. nothing very interesting.. but worth seeing so you know the real size of each
Got back to the hotel, and there was still some time for the breakfast. after breakfast, we went to the Egyptian Museum. again, not really organized, and if you want a small info about the museum or its floors plan, you have to buy it. but we didnt have time anyway so we had a small tour and went back to the hotel.
Checked out and waited the bus to arrive to take us to the airport. and that was it..
Landing this time at Queen Alia Airport was very impressive! so happy to be back after four days of seeing to many people and too many cats.. and other nice funny things here and there

Egypt is famous for pyramids. Cones of tombs of pharaohs permanently are written down into the Egyptian, solar landscape. Tourists touring the Giza or Dahszur constitute one of the elements of postcards most recognizable of holidays which they are sending to their acquaintances. Egyptian builders, designing these massive objects, had to demonstrate the excellent knowledge of geometry; pyramids, raised with effort of hundreds of thousands of Egyptian peasants and slaves, held out until today’s times. The majority from them behaved in the soundness and therefore among others Egypt is so exceptional. Tourists willingly are going there for leave, holidays, the holiday. They aren’t imagining how it is possible to go round Egyptian land and not even once to see pyramids. Beautiful photographs, bringing back memories all through the year are a receipt of fulfilling dreams.
Amongst beautiful pyramids Egypt is famous for which gloomy complex is reigning Dżesera. It is a certificate of the architectural genius of one of the most well-known people at the service of the pharaoh – of Imhotep. The pyramid is originating in surrounding different tombs, among others Nineczera and Nebre. She was built in a few stages and with more late changes, in the end which after all six ranks have – it is stepwise pyramid – and wall with around fifteen gates, from which only one enables to enter gloomy complex. The made burial chamber was left appropriate of granite and she is surrounded with so-called galleries where paintings are found showing Dżesera. Additional galleries are filled up with dishes from the stone and with different sarcophagi. There a sepulchral developed from the north and connected with the courtyard temple is still situated. The pyramid was repeatedly explore, among others by the baron von Minutoli and J. Lauera. There fragments of the mummy were found Dżesera, costlinesses and parts of the skeleton.

Given our recent interest in archaeology here at The Notes after we reported on Lost Army Found I felt I had to post this video of the Pyramids at Giza.

They’re the only survivor from the original list of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World you know…

I’ll have the Lawrence of Arabia with extra pineapple please.

We are following a classical approach to studying history in our homeschool.  Since my son is in first grade, we focus on Ancient History.  A large part of that is Ancient Egypt.  There are so many great books about Ancient Egypt written for kids, and I hope to highlight more along the way.  But I’ll focus on just 2 of them for now.  One, I was reminded of after posting the Gail Gibbons Thanksgiving book earlier.

There is just so much material that one can cover when introducing Ancient Egypt to children.  The following book, is a great simple overview and introduction to ancient Egypt, and combining detailed and colorful drawings.  Mummies, Pyramids, and Pharaohs:  A Book about Ancient Egypt is written and illustrated by Gail Gibbons.

Each page only has a few sentences, and there are labels and other captions with the pictures.  There’s a simple map of Egypt, including the Nile River Delta, and very simple intro to some of the gods.

There’s a description of the pyramids, and what was contained inside, and the last page contains a list of some ancient Egypt discoveries.  The book certainly isn’t sufficient for a study in Ancient Egypt, but it’s a nice place to start and pique the child’s interest.

The second book, is another good starting point, and may get a reluctant child interested in studying something so far removed.  Miles Harvey has a series of books entitled Look What Came From…. In this case, there’s Look What Came from Egypt.

There’s something about the style of this book that is, well, I don’t know maybe a little on the cheesy side.  Maybe it’s the font for the headings on each page.  I don’t know, but it’s not a big criticism.  The book is well done and talks about many ancient Egyptian contributions to our modern society.  Things like embalming, books, sailboats, games, certain domestic animals, foods, etc.  The end of the book includes a recipe to try, a pronunciation guide, and other books to read for more info.  The pictures are well done, usually real photographs and I like that each invention is in bold letters in the paragraph.  Another great book to start the study of Ancient Egypt with.

Movies aspiring to epics invariably begin with some sort of dramatic voiceover—10,000 BC doesn’t fail, but filmmakers might have done better to listen more closely to their own narrator: if “only time can teach us what is truth, and what is legend,” as the film begins, centuries of modern archeological research should have taught the creators of this prehistoric melodrama at least a few basic facts about early human life.  Considering the sheer number of anachronisms, my suspension of disbelief had snapped long before D’leh and his loyal “spears” arrived at the pyramidal Mountain of the Gods.

10,000 BC came out in 2008, so I realize I’m a year late on this one, but my archeology class, it seems, is behind the times—and since the film itself is set at the end of the Pleistocene, I’m not going to worry about it.  Besides, (pre)historical accuracy never gets old.

Fundamental to the plot is the long trek of D’leh, a self-doubting young man of the hunter-gatherer Yagahl, mountain-dwellers whose way of life hunting the “manak” (a not-so-subtle corruption of “mammoth” in the Yagahl’s astounding English) has become less and less sustainable.

This much, at least, could actually be plausible—megafauna such as the woolly mammoth may have begun to die out in Eurasia between 10,000 and 8,000 BCE from a combination of human hunting pressure and climate change during the glacial retreat.

But even the most extraordinary changes in environment and vegetation following on the heels of the Holocene could not account for the radical topographical diversity D’leh encounters on his journey to fulfill the prophecy surrounding “the child with the blue eyes,” his beloved Evolet.  Taking us from mountain blizzards to steaming jungles, the grasslands of North Africa and the banks of the Nile (and all this in disorientingly little time), D’leh’s odyssey makes absolutely no geographical sense.

Add to this an African tribesman’s use of chili peppers—domesticated in 6,000 BCE and not exported beyond the Americas until the voyages of Columbus in the 15^th-century—and his gift of corn and beans, similarly New World foods, and it would seem that the filmmakers expect audiences not to wonder why their silver screen Pangaea failed to break up all those 250-million years ago.

But all of this is adiophora compared to the absurd treatment of ancient Egypt in the movie’s second half.  Not only does 10,000 BC have the pyramids and Great Sphinx of Giza under construction millennia before their time, it also suggests a labor force of slaves (which, Prince of Egypt notwithstanding, is patently untrue) and domesticated mammoths (making the film’s advancement of horse domestication by 6,000 years look almost reasonable).

Most far-fetched is the identity of the mysterious ruler and commissioner of these massive projects, a so-called god whose origin is as shrouded and veiled as his face—“some say they came from the stars,” one of the Yagahl men explains, “and some say they flew across the water when their land sank into the sea,” a comment which leaves audiences to postulate either space aliens or Atlanteans as the primogenitors of the pharaohs.  (It’s things like this that bother me the most—I’m inclined to think human beings can be way more bizarre than anything conspiracy theorists could cook up.  Stranger than fiction and all that.)

If 10,000 BC captures anything of the changes in human lifestyles that began around the titular time period, it’s the profound spiritual connotations the Yagahl attach to their transition into a sedentary lifestyle.  D’leh’s entire journey represents the fulfillment of a prophecy promising new life for his people after the last hunt of the mammoth has ended—agriculture.

While I’d be shocked if evidence for a transmigration of souls as happened in the movie surfaced in Neolithic archeological sites, early temples such as the stone circles at Gobekli Tepe do suggest a less sensational spirituality.  A megalithic site predating Stonehenge by 7,000 years, the elaborately-carved stone pillars of what may be the world’s earliest temple encircle a space believed to have been used for animal sacrifice and other ritual activities by its architects—nomadic groups like the Yagahl whose religious complexity developed during this pivotal shift in social patterns.

For my part, while I’m clearly willing to throw stones at the writers and directors who signed off on so many bizarre anachronisms, I can’t entirely avoid imagining myself hurling spears alongside the hunters of 10,000 BC, at least so long as the film is rolling.

The saving grace of 10,000 BC—and the only reason a stickler for historical accuracy can still enjoy the story—is the filmmakers’ successful creation of complex characters who are as recognizably modern in their motives and emotions as any human from 2009 AD.  D’leh, far from being a two-dimensional caricature of a “primitive” man, is introspective, compassionate, and rather unfortunately tormented by self-doubt—his mental demons proving a greater challenge than the four-legged demons who ride off with Evolek.

Glaring mistakes abound in 10,000 BC, but they don’t completely blind this viewer, at least, from appreciating the sensitive treatment the film gives the Neolithic men and women we often think of as less than human.

Oh I had a great time in Egypt although I suspect that Carla was a little jealous of all the attention I received from James.

Meet Martin – my camel … a gift from James. Currently I have been separated from Martin, but I am every hopeful that we will be reunited in the future.

Chris Guillebeau came up with the 9 most overrated destinations and then offered alternatives to each of them.

I wanted to put them to the test, so I checked out what TravelPod bloggers thought about all 18 places.

1. Niagara Falls (Thumbs up)

Donhad thought Niagara Falls was "worth the trip"

“We had a whole day to do all the main tourist stops …..including a trip behind the falls, the Niagara experience (a movie in the round that rains and snows on you as you watch it). Up the space needle like tower for photos, a walk along the rapids, and of course the Maid of the Mist boat ride (WOW ….and in the front of the boat).” – Donhad

Alternative: Victoria Falls (Thumbs up)

Flolafol taking in the scenery of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe

“Swimming in Devil’s pool, a natural pool right by the edge of the Victoria Falls, white-water rafting the Zambezi, relaxing in a great chilled backpacker, spending time with wire Zimbabwean artists teaching me how to make my own wire baobab… the program in Zambia was hard !!!” – Flolafol

2. Grand Canyon (Thumbs up)

Jimandlaura thought the Grand Canyon was impressive

We entered the national park around 4pm, paying $25.00 for the privilege, and stopped off at ‘Grand View’ overlook for our first sight of the Canyon. Wow…it was as awesome as it looks on the telly! It certainly dwarfs the likes of Zion Canyon. – Jimandlaura

Alternative: Sedona (Thumbs down)

Bobnkaren thought the intense tourism in Sedona was "painful"

“It causes almost physical pain to see stupid retail shops built so near these breathtaking cliffs. It’s criminal. It just shouldn’t be. Arizona caved on this one–this should be a national park, not the purview of the wealthy.” – Bobnkaren

3. Bahamas (Thumbs up)

Hecqs really enjoyed Bahamas' Exuma islands

About 40 miles south of Paradise Island and an hour boat ride via IslandWorld Adventures….. We reached Saddleback Cay, a part of Exuma Islands. This is another out island adventure ….. I will say the best so far I had from Nassau. Lemon shark feeding shoreside in a clear aquamarine water… we were also greeted by the local stingray….. and a little historical tour of the island….. and a moment on a sandbar…. – Hecqs

Alternative: St. Kitts & Nevis (Thumbs up)

Ri-anne.cruz loved the seaside views at Frigate Bay in St. Kitts

“First he showed us the town of Basseterre– a gracefully revived town and capital of St. Kitts. After decades of sleepy existence, this elegant and graceful West Indies town was restored from its shabbiness. Now with careful and sensitive restoration it revealed all the original charm and preserved its Caribbean architecture.” – Ri-anne.cruz

4. Paris in the summer (Thumbs up)

Gilmoregirls was impressed by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris

“Arc de Triumph more impressive than I expected. Decided as this was our last nigh in Paris that we would have dinner on the Champs Elysse and this was a good decision. Waiter was the typical French stereotype, suggesting what Madam would enjoy and being very attentive. Happily food and atmosphere lived up to expectations.” – Gilmoregirls

Alternative: Paris in the winter (Thumbs up)

Clandybar found great discounts and shorter lines in Paris in February

“We only stood in line for about 10 minutes at the tower, then we were up the elevator and on our way. It was just as exciting as I imagined it would be. Great views! We had sun for the first part of the afternoon but the sky got grey by about 2:30 p.m. We made it up to the very top of the tower – a bit chilly in February but totally worth it. We were lucky that we didn’t wait until Saturday as the top level was closed due to bad visibility.” – Clandybar

5. Las Vegas (Thumbs down)

Alvrez got lost amongst the Las Vegas lights

“Afterwards we decided to show the kids the neon of the Las Vegas Strrip again, but instead got hopelessly lost (yes, even with the GPS working properly!!) and eventually gave up and went back to the hotel to bed.” – Alvrez

Alternative: Any American Indian casino (Thumbs up)

Modernoddyseus squinting at the bright lights of the American Indian casino

“Casinos are only fun if you make them fun. Or, if you win. Then they´re really fun. Otherwise, casinos are just a bunch of dull people who mistakenly think they´re not just throwing their money into a hole in the ground.” – Modernoddyseus

6. Dublin, Ireland (Thumbs up)

Magicwoman82 in Dublin with a Bulmer's

“I am just back from 6 days in Dublin and I had a wonderful time. Many of you might now that I am madly in love with Ireland (and yes with you too Fernando ) and that I have lived there for 6 months back in 2007.” – Magicwoman82

Alternative: Smaller towns in Ireland

Neason's friend, Elaine hanging around in Stewartstown, Northern Ireland

“This weekend a guy in my class invited all the 3rd years up to his parents house in Northern Ireland for his birthday… The house was amazing, it used to be lord someone’s summer residence and was a very impressive Georgian manor. There were 11 bedrooms (used to be 16 but they merged some ’cause it just wasn’t necessary to have 16 bedrooms in a 5 person household), at least 3 kitchens, an indoor swimming pool, tennis court, 2 lakes, stables, gate house and a big fountain in the courtyard. And it was all furnished in antique/period furniture. – Neason

7. The Pyramids (Thumbs up)

Brianporter felt more than a sense of accomplishment in Egypt

“Few countries can match Egypt’s wealth of ancient monuments and temples; the relics of Pharaonic culture have been drawing visitors for centuries. On arrival in Port Said, we felt a sense of accomplishment, that we were about to set foot in a country that most dream of visiting. There is universal fascination with the ancient Egyptians who established a magnificent and enduring civilization that flourished from around 3000 BC to 30 BC, ruled by approximately 30 dynasties. Pyramids, pharaohs, mummies, King Tut and Cleopatra. How can you top that?” – Brianporter

Alternative: Jordan (Thumbs up)

Rose of Boydandrose floating in the Dead Sea

“We arrive at the lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea whose shores are at 420 m below sea level. It is now 3 PM and the sun is already starting to drop into the horizon. We change into our bathing suits for a quick dip in the Sea. It has a dark sandy beach leading up to the water, then a fairly rocky bottom for the first 2.5 m and then it is sandy again. We walk about 10 m into the Sea and then sit down in the water. Instantly, it feels like you are on a tire tube (except there is no tire tube). It is one of the most interesting phenomenons we have experienced. There is no way you can sink.” – Boydandrose

8. Singapore (Thumbs down)

Stevewade eating Indian in Singapore

“We are exhausted but the second we arrive we decide we need to explore. A bite to eat (tasty as fuck duck red curry!) and a beer (well a jug of tiger) later i’m down 80 quid. We decide to go to a bar full of hookers even though we’ve no money and no desire to shag hookers which was retarded. Cream’s bank card doesn’t work in any ATMs so I’m funding his trip it seems, the hookers wouldnt believe him when he said he had no money, but it was genuine. I didn’t realise Singapore was like that, the bars are full of them and they are mostly ugly and demand drinks (nae chance!). It was all a bit weird actually, I felt akward and just wanted to enjoy my pure blonde.” – Stevewade

Alternative: Malaysia (Thumbs up)

Stevewade enjoying a party in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur

“This place was way off the beaten track not another tourist in sight and certainly no white people. On the way we came across this bizzare ’shop’ which had a long rectangular pool, around this pool were families with fishing rods fishing for shrimp, what they catch they take home to eat. Was so surreal. We also saw lots of local eateries and what we’re told is a Malay pastime, lots of people gathered in a restaurant eating and watching a film. When we reached the house we found inside a multicultural group of people from all over the world who either lived there permanently or were stopping off on their travels including a couple who have been cycling round the globe for the past 4 years. We got everyone on the rum and cokes, got tanked, talked about shit, played a great card game that involved matching patterns and grabbing a stick which was rowdy fun and we found out what everyone’s favourite dinosaur was thanks to probably the strangest opening question from a newly arrived couchsurfer. An unforgettable night and then the couchsurfer stayed with us and this morning we had a traditional breakfast in china town, me eating fried duck and rice, G chinese rice porridge wqith chicken and spices then toured round KL seeing the sights, twin towers, KL towers etc, both mightly impressive.” -Stevewade

9. Dubai (Thumbs up)

Jring stretching to reach the top of the famous Burj tower

“On the face of it Dubai is very materialistic with a strong divide between rich and poor but beyond that there is plenty of culture to be had away from the luxury resorts.” – Jring

Alternative: Oman (Thumbs up)

Tobyh on the edge of Wadi Ghul in Oman

“Well, it turned out to be about three hours round-trip, but was one of the best hikes I had done for a long time. The trail almost immediately passed over the rim of the canyon, and then hugged the edge of the canyon as it slowly descended, with spectacular views of the other side of the canyon, and the peak of Jebel Shams itself above. Not for the faint of heart, the trail was barely more than a goat path about 30cm wide, with a sheer drop off to our right – looking down, the bottom of the canyon was about 1000m below! I kept my eyes on my feet. Eventually the trail ended at an abandoned village of primitive stone huts, where some adventurous people had, incredibly, created steep agricultural terraces on the canyon side. A bit ghostly in the absolute silence of the canyon, we then re-traced our steps back to the start, stopping frequently to admire the awe-inspiring views.” – Tobyh

Tomorrow Emmerich’s ultimate disaster movie has worldwide premiere. Most reviews have already given it thumbs down and based on what I have seen of the movie so far I am not likely to give it a positive remark. For those not acquainted with what the 2012circus is about here follows a short summary of the main issues that I have covered on this blog so far.

For a small but still growing group of people December 21, 2012 will be a fateful day. Several made up prophecies will not fulfill. Some of these people will probably say “never mind” and search for a new doomsday in some ancient text. Hopefully most people will feel betrayed and fooled. The market for books, websites, blogs and forums concerning 2012 authored by self proclaimed prophets and experts, along with good old Nostradamus, have increased tremendously, especially in the US. Most of these prophets make a living out of people’s search for the meaning of life or the wish for a better world. Ancient societies are ascribed several noble qualities and knowledge we are supposed to learn from. However, most of the prophets focus on people’s fear and emphasize the end of the world and appear in classy magazines like Playboy. But it is a Christian apocalypse these people visualize.

The 2012 circus is a mish mash of pseudoscience, new age, creationism and conspiracy theory. No homogenous frame exist and the field is full of false dichotomies, like when it is argued that we have to choose between a perverted creationism or a cold and dead science. With this logic it is sometimes argued that aliens and/or Atlantis are relevant alternatives.

What is 2012?

This modern phenomenon has only a superficial connection to the ancient Maya ”culture” (I use exclamation marks since I dislike the culture concept as such but that is beyond the topic of this post). It is mainly the date that the Maya has contributed with. The prophets link this date with other myths and cosmologies from other parts of the world and argue that there is an ancient global reason why all these calendars and cosmological systems end on the same date (which simply is not true). A problem that these prophets avoid is that not even professional Mayanists agree upon the correlation between the Gregorian/Julian calendars and the Maya calendar(s). A competing correlation sets the date two days later (December 23, 2012).

Whatever correlation we use, why is this date so special? First one need to understand how the so-called Maya Long Count (LC) calendar works. It usually has five levels or periods: k’in (1 day), winal (20 days), tun (18 winals or 360 days), k’atun (20 tuns), and baktun/pik (20 k’atuns). Wherever we find the LC mentioned it is always followed by two other calendars: tzolk’in (260 days) and haab (365 days) that both together form a cycle that takes 52 years to repeat, the so called Calendar Round (CR). The LC, CR plus some additional calendars form the Initial Series which begin many dated monuments. We leave these other calendars for now since the LC works in another way but it should be pointed out that the CR also is known in other parts of Mesoamerica, such as among the Aztecs.

If we take tomorrow’s date in the LC it is transcribed like this: 12.19.16.15.4. This means that it has gone 12 baktuns/piks, 19 k’atuns, 16 tuns, 15 winals and 4 days since the beginning of the calendar (0.0.0.0.0). This occurred in 3114 BC, but this date coincides with the end of a preceding “cycle” of 13 baktuns. 0.0.0.0.0 is therefore the same as 13.0.0.0.0. Since a preceding “cycle” ended on 13 baktun it is believed that the current “cycle” also should end on 13 baktun.

Only Monument 6 at Tortuguero in Mexico mentions the future 13.0.0.0.0 (4 Ajaw 3 K’ank’in in tzolk’in and haab). The monument says that “The Thirteenth “Bak’tun” will be finished, (on) Four Ajaw, the Third of Uniiw (K’ank’in), ? will occur, (It will be) the descent(??) of the Nine Support? God(s) [Bolon Yookte’ K’uh] to the ?.” The question marks show where the epigraphers are unsure of the meaning of the glyphs or where the inscription is unreadable. We simply do not know what this inscription means. It is particularly the deity/deities Bolon Yookte’ K’uh that is the target for various interpretations. This deity is related to warfare, conflicts and the Underworld. Such associations fit like the hand in the glove (Swedish expression) for catastrophe theorists. This descending divinity is interpreted as either aliens or Jesus. However, the inscriptions may not even relate to 2012 but rather to the dedication of the monument in AD 669.

It is important to emphasize that no inscription support the idea that the LC would end in 2012 and begin anew. It is the projection of the “creation date” to its end that is the basis for this belief. The five leveled LC began at 13 baktun/pik (3114 BC) and hence it should end on the same date according to not only the prophets but also to for example Anthony Aveni, a well known archaeoastronomer. However, this is just a guess. What often is left out of the picture is the fact that in the Temple of Inscriptions at Palenque in Mexico there is a date mentioning the 80^th CR anniversary of king Janaab Pakal’s death in AD 683. This is AD 4772 and transformed into the LC system this is in fact in the next piktun which is the level above baktun. One piktun equals 20 baktuns. This is a good indication that the Maya never saw something extraordinarily ending or beginning in 2012. Not only did the calendar begin in 3114 BC since inscriptions at Coba sets the date of creation to roughly 2.7 x 10³⁰ years ago.

It is also misleading to say that the Maya had a cyclical view of time. The tzolk’in and haab calendars repeat and together they also form the recurring CR of 52 years. But the LC works differently and its periods are not cyclical but are cumulative. In inscriptions the periods are stacked on top of each other with the longest and “heaviest” periods at the top, literally creating a burden of time.

The 2012prophets

The above data is either distorted or ignored by most 2012 prophets. All agree that the timeframe of 5126 years (3114 BC – AD 2012), is significant on a global level. The beginning of the calendar roughly coincides with the first dynasty in Egypt, early dynasties in Mesopotamia, etc. These are not coincidences according to them. It is usually seen as the result of a cataclysmic event when Plato’s imagined island of Atlantis sank and its survivors spread knowledge to other places. All civilizations have the same origin, what we in archaeological terms call hyperdiffusion, a school of thought abandoned by serious archaeologists more than a century ago. This imagined island is used to explain why there are “pyramids” here and there, such as the imagined pyramids in Bosnia (the proponents neglect that the “pyramids” all have different form, emerged at different times and that they in all cases are preceded by a local development from smaller buildings).

Another version is that alien astronauts from another planet in our solar system (Nibiru), called Annunaki (which the ancient Sumerians called gods according to Zecharia Sitchin), used humans as slaves and instructed them to build monumental buildings. This idea, along with the Atlantis theories, is ethnocentric, reminiscent of the “white man’s burden” ideas during the European colonialism. The Maya, Egyptians, Sumerians, Incas, etc. are simply not believed to have been able to think, plan and construct something pyramids, ziqqurats or any other monumental structure. This is one of the worst tendencies among the 2012ers and symptomatically these proponents tend to have poor knowledge of the specifics of each “culture.” These old age ideas are far from the 2012ers aspirations of thinking outside the box.

In fact, few 2012 prophets have bothered reading up on the Maya. An exception to this is John Major Jenkins, but his version of Maya cosmology, originally influenced by “real Mayanists” such as Linda Schele and David Freidel, is still a distortion of the available data. He argues that the LC is a kind of countdown to the “end date”. His main argument is that at the winter solstice on December 21, 2012, the Earth and sun are aligned with the centre of the Milky Way. The problem is only that this phenomenon has occurred for several years and will continue to do so for the years to come. The Maya had great astronomical/astrological knowledge but what Jenkins says is that the Maya knew about the precession of the equinoxes, a cycle that takes 25,800 years to complete. Today the Earth’s axis points towards the Polar Star but it has not always done this since the Earth’s axis wobbles and the night sky change through time. It is probably not impossible that ancient astronomer’s could have calculated the length of this so-called Platonic year. The main problem is that his “evidence” actually boils down to a multiplication of the LC’s five lowest levels (5126 years) with five. This gives us a period of 25,630 years which roughly correlates with a Platonic year.

Why five? Here we find yet another common fallacy of the 2012ers and that is because this idea actually is based on Aztec mythology. According to the Aztecs they lived in the fifth Sun/creation and that four earlier creations predate the current one. There is no evidence that the Classic and Formative period Maya believed in these four creations (when the LC was in use). It is true that the much later Colonial book of Popol Vuh mentions earlier failed attempts to create human beings but there were never four cataclysmic events associated with this. However, one often sees the so-called Aztec calendar stone representing the Maya LC, the 2012 “end date” and the five creations. However, the Aztecs never used the LC, there is no “end date” of the current Aztec creation (2027 is the next time it may end). This calendar stone is not even a real calendar and its circular shape “supports” the illusion of the cyclical nature of Maya LC prevalent among 2012ers. Robert Bast, the founder of the largest 2012 forum on internet, says that the Aztec calendar stone has a higher aesthetic appeal than the Initial Series of Maya monuments and that this justifies its use in 2012 literature! It would be like having a statue of an Assyrian king to represent an Egyptian pharaoh. Another problem with the Aztec creations is that they all had different durations, being multiples of CRs. However, for Jenkins’ model to work all of his five Maya creations must have the same length (13 baktuns). This is a common pattern among 2012ers: they pick bits from here and there that superficially support their predetermined ideas and they ignore associated pieces that don’t support it. Hence they always come up with neat and perfect models that never are supported by actual evidence.

Terrence McKenna, Sergey Smelyakov and Carl Johan Calleman represent those “2012ers” who argue that the LC has something to say about the evolution of the universe, life and consciousness. McKenna’s novelty theory is used as a tool to predict when something novel will occur. It is a graph based on the Chinese oracle instrument called i-ching (it says ka-ching in McKenna’s cash register) . He used this to show that an event occurring at one time is related to an event occurring at another date. Time is fractal, an idea also championed by Gregg Braden, and these events repeat at a higher intensity and speed the closer we get to the “end time”. At one point only change will occur and this will occur on December 21, 2012. McKenna originally used the Hiroshima atomic bomb as the beginning of the last fractal period of 67.29 years (a periodicity that does not exist in the Maya area). But 67.29 years from the Hiroshima bomb ends up in November 2012. This was not good enough so he corrected his own theory to make it end on December 21, 2012 instead! That is a clear sign of fraud.

Calleman is a similar designer of a personal comsology and argues that the LC reflects evolutionary periods/durations in the development of the universe, life and consciousness. Basically, he says that the ancient Maya knew that the universe is billions of years old since a higher level of the LC roughly fits the length of the current universe. He apparently rationalizes away the extremely long LC at Coba. Another major problem is that the other LC levels not always fit other important “phases” of the emergence of the universe, such as the formation of the Earth, the emergence of life forms, the earliest vertebrae animals, the first terrestrial tetrapods, the first mammals, etc. He is also arguing that the Maya got the “end date” wrong! It should be in October 2011. Recently he has predicted that money will loose its value sometime after November 7 this year (five days ago). Bad news for Emmerich, no one will be able to pay for his spectacle.

Neither Jenkins, McKenna or Calleman belongs to the catastrophic/end of days faction which Emmerich’s movie represents. This faction is the most problematic and harmful if one is to believe the anxiety some people expresses on the 2012 forums. Patrick Geryl is most popular and he argues that the magnetic field of the sun will generate enormous solar eruptions that will affect the magnetic field of the Earth. The magnetic poles will shift at an instant moment and this will cause giant earth quakes, tsunamis and intensive volcanic eruptions. The whole surface of the Earth will change its face and continents will move several hundred km. This has of course already been predicted by Atlantis and the knowledge was handed down to the Maya. Lawrence Joseph argues that a Supervolcano at Yellowstone will erupt and it is possible that terrorists will ignite the whole volcano by detonating a nuclear device. I hope Al Qaida does not read Joseph’s instructions.

Zecharia Sitchin’s fictional planet Nibiru/Marduk is by some believed to return in 2012. Burak Eldem suggests that this planet (or sun?) will cause disasters of unheard of consequences. But this has of course already been predicted by the ancients since the planet already have caused made up disasters earlier in history. This is all related to Atlantis. Atlantis and/or Nibiru are also component parts of the frequent conspiracy theories. These theories argue that the knowledge of the return of Nibiru is known by the leaders of the world and that NASA tries to hide information about the upcoming disaster. Politicians want to let us live in ignorance, not knowing anything about our inevitable death. The mighty have already built bunkers to survive the catastrophes and a new world order will arise after the apocalypse. Bast argues that the pyramids throughout the world actually are bunkers from earlier disasters. There is even a Swedish man who wishes to use the small Swedish mountain Kinnekulle to build bunkers for 144,000 people (this is as many days as there are in a baktun…). This place is to be called swEden. Sect like tendencies like this can be found at many places, particularly in the US.

The sect-like tendencies of the 2012circus doomsday fanatics should not come as a surprise. The whole 2012circus is full of Christians and Creationists. Sweden’s own Saint Bridget (Birgitta) is related to the 2012 apocalypse. This is usually combined with Jewish/Christian numerology and gematria nonsense as well. December 21, 2012 can, according to some, be transformed into 666, the number of the beast (but if you use December 23 or the Orthodox calendar you will get another number…). This is yet another example of the ethnocentrism that permeates the circus. Worst of the bunch is the hardcore creationist David Jay Jordan who calls the Maya a bloodthirsty savage race (I guess he has seen Apocalypto, directed by yet another Christian). He argues that since the winter solstice 2012 occurs on 11:11 PM GMT, this is significant since number 11 is important according to God’s plan. Not only does he not consider the fact that people outside the US and UK writes this time as 23:11 which create another combination of numbers. He, along with other numerologists, ignores the fact that the Maya used a vigesimal number system based on 20 and that they only used three signs to represent numbers (shell for “zero”, a dot for one and a bar for five). One cannot simply transform one numerological system into another. Perhaps I do not even need to comment his emphasis of GMT time in the UK and that the lowest time period the Maya had was one day, they could not possibly calculate a solstice to the minute.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. I have not even discussed ideas developed by Pinchbeck, Arguelles, Tsarion and Wilcock. These people and others will be covered on this blog (as will a more in-depth critique of Jenkins). There are plenty of other topics related to the 2012circus (but not to the Maya) that will be discussed in the future three years.

In conclusion, the 2012 circus has only to do with our present. It has nothing to do with an ancient Maya prophecy since none exist. Extremely few contemporary Maya are involved in this and most of them understand that this has a US-Christian apocalyptic new age origin. However, some Maya elders have been seduced by non-Maya new agers who have found their worldview of interest. But these elders never mention December 21, 2012. Even if the talk about the end of days one should always keep in mind that the Maya area have been under Christian influence for over 450 years. As with many other phenomena, even their view of time has changed to a substantial degree.

The LC ceased to be used in the early 10^th century AD. Although one find LC dates in later codices these codices are Postclassic copies of older manuscripts. On monumental inscriptions we have no date after AD 909. During the Postclassic period the Maya used the Short Count, a 13 k’atun cycle called the may (which some Mayanists argue is the origin for the name Maya). However, 2012 has become important to the contemporary Maya as well. It has become important in the light of the 2012circus. The date is to be “reclaimed” from the 2012hoaxers who exercises a new colonialism of both the ancient and contemporary Maya. The calendar(s) have become important ethnic markers and it is in relation to this politicization that the Maya interest of the LC should be seen. Even Mel Gibson’s movie Apocalypto was more accurate than these prophecies of nonsense.

Both unique and genre defining, Jesse Somfay’s productions stretch across melodic techno, delicate ambient and epic heavy drone laden masterpieces. His latest album; A Catch In the Voice captures it all and has remained one of my most played since release. And his early releases on Traum, some of my most treasured vinyl. So let’s just say I was a tad happy when Jesse agreed to put together the 4th installment of the isolatedmix series.

My past experience of Somfay mixes have seen him stick to his production style. A live PA at Cadenza Lucida, ‘Our Lonely Pink Hearts Are Full Of Joy’ mix and a set on ‘Ultramagnetic’ Radio show. However, in a similar vain to his latest Hexahedral mixes, isolatedmix 04 sees Jesse orchestrate a journey into music he loves. Old, new, ambient, acoustic, indie, shoegaze, metal, electronica… and with nearly ten hours to get through, I shouldn’t even really be trying to categorise it.

That’s right, nine hours of music. Titled ‘Aesopica’ its a mammoth 101 tracks, in three parts. The first part available below on Soundcloud, and the other two downloadable should you want to experience the epic trilogy.

Part 1.
isolatedmix 04 – Jesse Somfay (Part 1) by astrangelyisolatedplace
(Download using the downwards arrow within the player)

Part 1 Tracklisting:
0001 Verse En Coma – Untitled
0002 Death Cab For Cutie – Passenger Seat
0003 Blueneck – Lilitu
0004 Nine Inch Nails – Lights In The Sky
0005 Blueneck – Epiphany
0006 Bosse – VI
0007 Grouper – When We Fall
0008 Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts IV – III
0009 Grouper – We’ve All Time To Sleep
0010 Burial – Forgive
0011 Grouper – Heavy Water / I’d Rather Be Sleeping
0012 Tiny Vipers – Campfire Resemblance
0013 Kevin Devine – It’s Only Your Life
0014 Tiny Vipers – On This Side
0015 Radiohead – Thinking About You
0016 Division Day – Enjoy the Silence
0017 Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts I – IV
0018 Division Day – Reservoir
0019 Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts II – VIII
0020 Sneaker Pimps – Walking Zero
0021 Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile
0022 Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts IV – I
0023 Pyramids – Sleds
0024 Nine Inch Nails – A Warm Place
0025 Boris & Sunn O))) – Fried Eagle Mind
0026 Jodis – Ascent
0027 Pyramids With Nadja – Into The Silent Waves
0028 Nadja – I Make From Your Eyes The Sun
0029 The Angelic Process – Million Year Summer
0030 Pyramids With Nadja – An Angel Was Heard To Cry Over The City Of Rome
0031 The Angelic Process – Mouvement – The Rest Of The World Is Noise
0032 Boris – Luna
0033 Envy – A Road Of Winds The Water Builds
0034 Fall Of Efrafa – Republic Of Heaven

Part 2
Download
Tracklisting:
0035 Boris – Akirame Flower
0036 Jesu – Opiate Sun
0037 Jesu – Losing Streak
0038 The Black Heart Rebellion – Leaving The Capitals
0039 Envy – Life Caught In The Rain
0040 Latitudes – Antechamber
0041 Wolves In The Throne Room – A Looming Resonance
0042 Boris – 8
0043 Envy – Isolation Of A Light Source
0044 Boris – Farewell
0045 Her Name Is Calla – Nylon
0046 Laudanum – Invoke
0047 Kylesa – Unknown Awareness
0048 Floor – Scimitar
0049 Torche – Healer
0050 Magoo – Acid Goldbar
0051 Jucifer – Hennin Hardine
0052 Torche – Across The Shields
0053 Jucifer – Surface Tension
0054 True Widow – AKA
0055 Jucifer – Little Fever
0056 Converge – Grim Heart / Black Rose
0057 Deftones – Pink Maggit
0058 Tragedy – Night Falls
0059 Deftones – Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away)
0060 Dead Swans – When You Sleep
0061 Deftones – Digital Bath
0062 Converge – Jane Doe
0063 Thursday – Unintended Long Term Effects
0064 Fear Before – Get Your Life Together
0065 Thursday – An Absurd And Unrealistic Dream Of Peace
0066 Verse En Coma – Tiny Speakers
0067 Sights & Sounds – Pedal Against The Wind
0068 Fear Before – Fear Before Doesn’t Listen To People Who Don’t Like Them
0069 Sights & Sounds – Neighbours
0070 Fear Before – My (Fucking) Deer Hunter
0071 The Dillinger Escape Plan – Unretrofied
0072 Nine Inch Nails – The Great Destroyer
0073 Primal Scream – Deep Hit Of Morning Sun
0074 Converge – Disintegration

Part 3
Download
Tracklisting:

0075 Sights & Sounds – Night Train
0076 Ruiner – Convenient Gods
0077 Killing The Dream – Fractures
0078 Have Heart – No Roses, No Skies
0079 Tragedy – Recurring Nightmare
0080 Tragedy – Deaf and Disbelieving
0081 Harum Scarum – Systematic Death
0082 Invasion – Evil Forest
0083 A Place To Bury Strangers – It Is Nothing
0084 Health – Eat Flesh
0085 Legion Of Two – Palace (Dub)
0086 Health – In Violet
0087 The Horrors – Sea Within A Sea
0088 The XX – Islands
0089 Silversun Pickups – Growing Old Is Getting Old
0090 A Place To Bury Strangers – Keep Slipping Away
0091 Catherine Wheel – Crank
0092 Division Day – Hurricane
0093 Logh – The Smoke Will Lead You Home
0094 True Widow – Duelist
0095 Silversun Pickups – There’s No Secrets This Year
0096 Dominic – End of Man
0097 Silversun Pickups – Sort Of
0098 Samara Lubelski – Field the Mine
0099 Ulrich Schnauss – Stars
0100 Nine Inch Nails – Hurt
0101 Nine Inch Nails – The Great Below

There is no reason to repeat the endless speculations about the pyramids of Giza that have circulated since the first visitors from Greece recorded their impressions 2000 years ago.  The gigantic stone structures were built and they exist still.  These are the only two irrefutable facts.

White stone originally encased the pyramids and, to paraphrase Paul Kantner, they shone like beacons in the desert. The Arabs tried to pull them apart after their conquest of Egypt in the 7th century AD, but luckily for the rest of us they were not able to accomplish the task.  Nonetheless many of the older mosques in Cairo were constructed with pyramid stones.  What a great quarry! they must have thought.

The Arabs were the first people, however, to force their way into the Khufu Pyramid and find “The King’s Chamber.”  Nothing lay within except a damaged, empty sarcophagus.  No hieroglyphs on the walls, no offerings, no body.

In the nineteenth century the British discovered above the central chamber a series of empty spaces ingeniously placed at different levels to relieve the huge stresses exerted on the room by the great weight of the structure.  Here someone noticed a cartouche with the name of Khufu.  Today a lively debate exists as to its authenticity.  Many archeologists believe the cartouche is a fake, drawn by its discover to prove his point that Khufu built the pyramid and had been buried there.  This would not the first time that a “scientist” has planted evidence to support a pet theory.

1) The Khufu, or Great Pyramid

On the opposite side of the silliness spectrum lies the so-called “pyramid inch.” This arbitrary unit, invented by yet another Brit, can be used to extrapolate all kinds of prophecies when different passageways and so forth are measured and scrutinized utilizing these “inches.”  I  like numerology, but not of this wild nature.  Still, it’s a fun game anyone can play, so long as they visit Giza with a proper tape measure.

2) Giza at sunset

Far better sport used to be available, and perhaps can be accomplished still.  In decades past, visitors routinely climbed the Great Pyramid and enjoyed salubrious views of Cairo, the Nile, and the desert from its summit.  This practice is now highly discouraged, I understand, but in 1975 when I first visited Egypt, the procedure was simple.  You waited until the guards looked distracted, then bolted up the first hundred feet or so.  At that point you could ignore their whistles and shouts.  As the guards were not paid enough to chase you up the stones, if you made it far enough you were good to continue the rest of the way.

Given that the angle of the pyramid conforms to its equilateral design, you climbed on a 52 degree slope.  Each stone was chest-high, with about a two-foot flat surface on top.  A fall would risk serious injury or worse, as you were likely to bounce all the way down to the desert floor below.  Hard to say.  I never knew of anyone actually making the tumble.

I did hear a couple of good stories.  One tale held that within the indentation on the northeast side, about two-thirds of the way up the pyramid,  a man used to sit every day with a hookah and offer puffs of hash to passing climbers.  Another rumor maintained that when King Faisal of Saudi Arabia visited Giza, he watched a local guy climb up and down the pyramid in six minutes, and was so impressed he gave the man a bag of cash on the spot.  I enjoy these stories; true or not, they ring well in my ears.

While climbing the Great Pyramid I noticed graffiti dating back thousands of years. Greek, Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic, most of the major Western scripts were ground into the stones.   Lots of soldiers from the time of the British occupation listed their regiments and battalions or whatever, along with the date of their visits.  Humans, of course, have always hoped to immortalize their anonymous selves by carving their names into monumental structures.  I resisted the temptation.

3) Descending the Cairo side, me on the Great Pyramid: Photo by KG Herring

In 1980 I returned to Giza, along with my wife at the time and my parents.  I wanted to show Mom and Dad the art of pyramid climbing, but the Khufu monument was being heavily scrutinized by the local authorities.  So I wandered over to its smaller cousin, the Pyramid of Menkaure.  We saw no officious guards nearby.  I said to my parents, “Watch this!” and up we scrambled.  MC Couture accompanied me on the ascent and as she held our camera, the following photos of that climb are hers:

4) The pyramid’s shadow

5) The view from the summit.  The building top center contains the famous funerary boat found near the Great Pyramid.  I am barely visible on the edge of the angled corner, making my way up.

6) The Khafre Pyramid – the streaks in the photo are from an Egyptian airport x-ray machine, not alien energy weapons.  No photo-shopping here. You can remains of the original casing material near the summit of the pyramid.