What an offer…
President Bush jokes with the Polish president about visiting his retreat in Jurata, Poland on the Hel Peninsula.
Hah Hah, Eheh Heh Heh…
What is with that laugh of his that just makes my skin crawl… It’s so childish… It’s like he told a doodie joke or something…
But, yes Mr. President, please do..
Oh, what a glorious past few years it has been…
No, I will not mention Steve Martin…
I feel it necessary to say that I kinda go nuts for anything Egypt related. I don’t buy stuff, I just like to know more than I already do about this impressive, ancient empire.
Little History… (this is very brief and rough, so bear with me)
From 700,000 BC to 70,000 BC early humans were basic hunter/gatherers, and only had the simple hand-axe (see above) as a tool.
Around 70,000 BC the last Ice Age began, and lasted for about 60,000 years. The climate change forced the small groups of hunting/gathering Neanderthals into much closer situations with one another.
From 43,000 BC - 8,000 BC, modern man (H.S.S.) overtakes Neanderthals, and we (modern man) begin to show a flair for style… We started to fish and make new tools, like the sickle, and start to gather in groups of about 25-50 people. Bows and arrows make large impacts on hunting. Pottery makes cooking and storing food and supplies much easier.
Early Egyptian society picks up right about here. Things get easier as more and more people group together, and around 3500 BC the written hieroglyph began to hold meaning, and a script began to develop.
Considering ancient Egypt lasted (in general) from 3100 BC, when Narmer unified the people in the north and south of Egypt, until Cleopatra’s death in 30 BC, there are a plethora of significant events that occur. To say that something is more important than something else is hard to do given this length of time. But here I go.
Hatshepsut - Greatest Queen of Egypt
Married at age 12 to her 30 year-old half-brother, Thutmose II (who became Pharaoh because he married her), she was the daughter of royalty, married to royalty, who knew she wanted to rule Egypt. Thutmose II ruled Egypt for about 13 years and died without having a son by Hatshepsut. The next closest male heir was a son by a lesser wife of his, Isis, who had sired a son for him named Thutmose III.
When Thutmose II died, Thutmose III was only six or so at the time, and Hatshepsut (age 25) became interregnum regent (see above), as he was not old enough to rule. Around the time Thutmose III turned 16, Hatshepsut took a bold step, and declared herself Pharaoh, which was not unheard of, but still rare. She proceeded to rule for 21 years, until her death in 1458 BC at age 50. This makes her the longest female ruler of any indigenous dynasty in the history of the world, which is pretty impressive stuff.
She built what many Egyptologists consider the most beautiful temple in all of Egypt, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahr (see above). Many historians consider it to be among the greatest buildings of the ancient world. The temple is located in what would become the southern section of the Valley of the Kings, and she built the first significant burial structure there. For the next 500 years, this valley was the place to be buried if you were a king and later a nobleman. Quite a trend to start.
Anyways, after her death, the men got together and decided, “Hey, maybe we shouldn’t let people know a woman was able to successfully and peacefully rule our nation for 21 years… Uh, yeah, get the chisel…” (see below)
Hatshepsut
And so it goes…
Anyways, about a century ago, a mummy was discovered that was thought to be Hatshepsut (see above), as her body had been moved from her mortuary temple after her death. In an AP story yesterday, Egyptian authorities announced that:
DNA bone samples taken from the mummy’s pelvic bone and femur are being compared to the mummy of Queen Hatshepsut’s grandmother, Amos Nefreteri, said Egyptian molecular geneticist Yehia Zakaria Gad, who was part of Hawass’ team.
While scientists are still matching those mitochondrial DNA sequences, Gad said Wednesday that preliminary results were “very encouraging.”
Hawass also said that a molar tooth found in a jar with some of the queen’s embalmed organs perfectly matched the mummy.
“We are 100 percent certain” the mummy belongs to Hatshepsut, Hawass told The Associated Press.
Well, arguably one of the most important women of the ancient world was definitively identified yesterday, and that’s pretty cool to know. So now you know, and knowing is… aw, you know the rest…
BTW, did you know that the Great Giza Pyramids (see above(did you really need this)) were constructed approximately a millennium before the events we’re talking about here?
All you Tut-heads won’t be disappointed, as I only said I wouldn’t mention Mr. Martin…
and just for the record, King Tut was NOT born in Arizona, but he did have a condo made of stone-a.
Pronunciation guide…
Thutmose - Tut-mosis
Hatshepsut - Hat-chep-soot
Deir el-Bahr - Deer el Bah-hairy
Have you guys heard about this iPhone thing?
Good overview/review of the iPhone by Walter Mossberg..
I want one…
BUT… $499/599 (basic 4 gig model/premium 8 gig model) is way too steep a price for 1st generation hardware…
iPhone Plans
..and yowza. I’m paying $50 a month right now for my semi-smart phone for unlimited data/TMs… 1000 anytime minutes… It’s not a terrible plan, but the more I think about the iPhone, the more it seems to cost, for not much more than what I have right now…
I saw this somewhere else, but this is my math..
$ 499.00 - Cost of phone itself
$1439.76 - 2 year service agreement at $59.99 a month..
———-
$2000.00+
Wow… so that’s quite the commitment… But I still want one…
Honestly, the gripes I have that make me not want one are silly, I’ll admit, but, you MUST activate the iPhone with iTunes… Why? I don’t know… I don’t use iTunes, fuck iTunes, rot in hell iTunes…. “Tell me what you really think,” you’re saying to yourself.
“Maybe you can access iTunes while you’re on the go, and download music to the phone?” No.
You cannot use songs stored on your iPhone for your ringtone.. Yes, you read that correctly…
Flash isn’t supported (which seems odd to me considering how prevalent Flash has been for years now)
To be fair, Apple is planning on issuing updates over time, but nothing has been specifically addressed…
To end things off, yes this site is up, although, $420(at last check) to go in 2 days?
And if I do get one, and see that god damned OSX pinwheel, I’m gonna scream…
Somebody call Disney…
…there’s some serious money to be made out of this!
In the year 2000, a young Cardinals pitcher named Rick Ankiel completed his first major league season. Despite being only twenty years old at the time, Ankiel won eleven games for the NL Central Champion Cardinals and struck out one hundred and ninety four batters in one hundred and seventy five innings. He finished second that year in the rookie of the year ballot to Atlanta Braves shortstop Raphael Furcal and seemed well on the way to becoming a major league star.
However, Ankiel struggled with his control that year in the playoffs and couldn’t seem to hit the strike zone. He completed four innings of work for the Cardinals in October, but walked eleven batters in that span and gave up seven earned runs. The next year at spring training, Ankiel was still unable to throw strikes. Most of his pitches sailed above and beyond the strike zone, as if he were some kind of wild and crazy pitcher in a zany baseball movie. Ankiel pitched thirty four more innings in the major leagues before calling it quits.
Ankiel had always been known for his prowess with the bat, so he decided to make a position switch to the outfield. History was not on his side–there has been only one major leaguer who has successfully transitioned from pitching to hitting at the major league level. Ankiel is a talented athlete, but not that talented.
However, after years of toiling in obscurity at the minor league level, it appears as though Ankiel is almost ready to make his return. He was named as a starting outfielder to the AAA All-Star game this year, and leads the Pacific Coast League with nineteen home runs. The Cardinals are playing miserably this year and need serious offensive help. Call the man up to the major leagues! You have nothing to lose except a massive upturn in ticket sales and the licensing rights to his story. Wouldn’t it be nice to have Rick Ankiel toys included with every Happy Meal?
Dig it man. Speak Hip.
Here is a sample from the end of the record.
Fill in the blank…
Giuliani scares the (a)________ out of (b)_________.
Rudy Before:
Alright… Kinda weird and awkward I think… Sounds like someone willing to think for themselves regardless of party affiliation… Still wouldn’t have voted for the man for President myself but I digress…
Rudy Now: (There is so much I wanna post… Here are my few choice choices…)
Hey Rudy… Ya know why they said it was unconstitutional? BECAUSE IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL!!! The Executive branch was setup with a President who couldn’t write his or her own laws. Editing what the elected representatives(of the people) have sent to him, and only signing what he wants, is another small cut to the checks/balances that have been in place for more than a quarter millennium now…
So the line item veto is unconstitutional…. but only while in the hands of a political opponent? And… wait, you’re a strict constructionist who believes that line-item vetoes would eliminate the checks/balances in the government our founders designed? But, then, you want the power if you’re President, because, “Shucks, things are hard when you have to work with other people”?! I’m sorry, but that’s just not a sound argument in my book…
Next up, two of my favorite speakers, Rudy’s in there too… Looking like a jackass…
“He [Rep. Ron Paul] did the same thing. ‘It is America’s fault the way America has outreach in the world.’ Look, it’s real simple what happened. These people came here and killed us because of our freedom of religion, because of our freedom for women, because they hate us…. The reality is if you are confused about this, I think you’ve put our country in much greater jeopardy.”
–Rudy Giuliani - May 15, 2007
So, that statement, by Rudy, from moments after the debate, begins with a dismissal of what Ron Paul, specifically, and many, many experts call “blowback”. The idea that.. “Hey, if we go overthrow this dictator and replace him with someone we like, our new buddy dictator might create enemies for us down the road… Or become the enemy himself” (ladies, don’t be offended at being left out here). Guiliani’s response is the sort of thing that makes me worry for this country… I can’t believe an adult is capable of saying things like that… Blows my mind…
Fox News is a huge fan of Jack Bauer, along with Justice Antonin Scalia who argued that torture is alright because, “Jack Bauer saved Los Angeles. … He saved hundreds of thousands of lives.” Anyways, this is Fox News’ “24″ scenario… Awesome stuff…
Setting that piece of shit Romney aside because this isn’t about him, Giuliani just feels this need to constantly back up his arguments with reminding people that he was in New York on September 11… Now I know he wanted to get his little sound bite out, but come on.
Of course his rather famous assertion (boiled down) is that, if America elects a democrat in 2008, we will be at risk for another fiasco with the airplanes and the buildings and the crashing…
Interesting conclusion here…
Show your work please Mr. Giuliani…
Die ann coulter, die!
She seems to be everywhere the fast few days, making the talk show rounds. On Good Morning America said she wished John Edwards had been killed in a terrorist attack. On Hannity she suggested that Obama is a terrorist, and on Hardball she took a call from Elizabeth Edwards and pretty much acted like a childish cunt.
But worse than Ann herself is the fact that people keep having her on their talk shows. I thought Chris Mathews was above that. Before Elizabeth Edwards calls in, he’s Coulter’s bitch, then he does a total 180. Get it together Chris. I like your show, but stop inviting on racists and bigots. It only legitimizes their point of view. And Good Morning America! Jesus Christ!
I wish ann coulter would just die.
Feeling stressed?
Try a little kite flying to relax…
Alright, well that’s kinda creepy, but you get the idea….
Furby in a Microwave…so satisfying…
Crazy Japanese Pitching “Prank”
