I'm hardly an "Egyptologisyt," so please pardon my ignorance:
1) I thought that one of the marvels of the pyramids was the fact that they are held together without mortar or any other kind of sealant. I realize that this theory doesn't really address this at all, but has anyone addressed this? Am I mistaken?
2) More importantly, I understand the desire to try to replicate the Egyptians' feats using technology to which they had access? My real question is, do we necessarily have the creativity to come up with the methods that they used? As I understand it, this is just one theory. They MAY have done this. We don't know. We, as a society, are more reliant on "technology" than the Egyptians were. As such, I'm inclined to believe that they were more creative in their problem-solving techniques.
I'm not trying to belittle what the CalTech team has done (even though I went to a rival school). Does anyone else think that we just lack the creativity to replicate their construction techniques?
The point of this is that mankind CAN make a species extinct, even using primitive weapons and hunting techniques. Animal rights and environmental groups have long opposed commercial fishing and hunting operations, saying that they may make certain species of fish or game extinct, while opponents say that it's virtually impossible to kill every last member of a species.
This report, if true, would show that human beings, through their hunting, can wipe out an entire species with spears. Imagine what we can do with radar, GPS, guns and nets.
I agree that so many places have so much to offer. Many people want to sample the local culture, but many do not. Two cases:
(1) I live in one of the most popular tourist destinations in the US, Colonial Williamsburg. We have a tremendous sampling of "local culture." There are "authentic" colonial taverns and real southern Barbeque places. But where do the tourists go to eat? McDonalds, Burger King, Hardees, Arbys, The Red Lobster, Chi Chis, Ruby Tuesdays and all the other chain places. It's pathetic.
(2) I've been all over the world. I generally like to sample the local culture wherever I go. I learn enough of the language to ask where the locals go and what they do for fun. I'm always amazed, though, when Americans line up to eat at The Hard Rock Cafe in some little corner of the world.
I agree that people should eat the local food when they go somewhere new, but too many of them don't.
Fast food. Corporations. Convenience stores. Transistorization. Cellular phones. The world wide web. All of these things have something in common. They're all supposed to make our lives more convenient and fulfilling.
As it stands, though, the countries that are the most "advanced" require people to work longer hours just to support their families in an "acceptible" lifestyle. Really, though, we are stuck in a vicious cycle.
The media tells us that we "need" all sorts of useless crap to make us happy. Of course this costs lots of money, so we all work in relatively empty jobs that pay well, but have no sense of fulfillment. We feel empty, so we buy more crap. That doesn't work. (We continue to do it, though.)
People turn to the "old" ways to feel fulfilled. They meet members of the opposite (or same, if that's your preference) sex. They foster relationships. These relationships are fed more and more by codependence, though, and less by real love. People get together because they need someone, rather than that individual. This, of course, leads to the same sense of listlessness. We try something else.
We procreate. Why? Because children will fill the empty voids in our lives. Of course, this is one of the most selfish reasons to have a child, but it's one of the most popular these days. Kids are raised in day care and by nannys. Those that are lucky enough to have two loving parents generally see them only rarely. People don't interact with their children, and therefore this strategy doesn't work, either.
We turn to trendy methods of salvation. We're hungry for anyone to tell us that we're OK. We turn back to religion. We take Yoga. We become scientologists. We take a 7-part course at the Adult-ed center on the art of macaroni neclaces. We have affairs. We're still empty.
Unfortunately, our society has bred us in this way. The media tells us that the only way to be happy is to consume, and we do that better than any country on the planet. We've created all of these things that are supposed to make life more convenient and fulfilling, but they do just the opposite. We have become slaves to our stuff.
The cultures that have the greatest amount of leisure time are those that are hunter-gatherer societies. They work around 10 hours per week to food, clothe and protect their families from the elements. They tend to live happy, stressless lives. We should take our cue from them. How much of the crap that we buy do we really need? Does anyone need an SUV? Will that large screen TV really make you happy? Will bringing home a sack of burgers bring your family closer together than actually cooking a meal together?
Sorry to rant and drone, but America is in a decline. We've got more money and a stronger military than any country on the planet, but we're all becoming slaves to what corporate culture tells us we want.
Simplify your life. Remember the simpler things. It will bring you happiness.
I'm not going to argue the merits of the Kyoto Accord with you. I only offer it as an example of American arrogance and unwillingness to change.
I won't bore you with details of usable land and overconsumption, but most sane people will admit that one of the biggest controllable causes of environmental harm is overconsumption. The biggest overconsuming nation in the world is, of course, America.
For the American negotiator to the Kyoto Conference to come to the table and say, "the American way of life is non-negotiable," shows arrogance, ethno-centrism and a lack of commitment to solving the problem.
America is a nation obsessed with finding out that if it does not take two wrongs to make a right, then exactly how many does it take?
What I was trying to say, albeit, poorly, is that the modern conservative view of the 1950s is a utopian existence. Most homosexual acts were against the law (many still are, but are enforced less). While homosexuality may have been presented occasionally, it was never as a good thing (or even a neutral thing). Gay people were sexual deviants, and therefore just sick in the head. Anyone who was openly gay would likely be at best, railroaded out of business. As such, with all the homosexauls "in the closet" or deluding themselves into thinking they were straight, people were free to live a happy, ignorant existence.
So, while Cary Grant, "went GAY" in Bringing Up Baby (a wonderful film, BTW), it was "just a joke." Everyone in America knew that Cary Grant was as straight as an arrow. He was as verile a specimen of manhood as any British person could be.
I was a high school teacher for 5 years, and I have seen first hand what programs like this do to kids. When kids have their responsibily for themselves usurped they learn not to have any sense of responsibility at all.
I agree that security is an issue now more than ever, but this program sacrifices the mental development of our nation's youth for adults' own piece of mind. That's sick.
Kids need guidance. Kids need rules. Kids need discipline. Kids need responsibility. Most of all kids need opportunities. They need to be able show that they can be responsible. They need for us to trust them. Programs like this one show that we don't.
This sounds suspiciously like anti-foreign fear and misunderstanding. Understand the things you say in the context of an outsider's view of America:
"Unfortunately the japanese have not really changed since the Meiji period."
If we are to believe the Conservative view of what America should be, then it should not have changed since the 1950s, when the nuclear family ruled, Daddy worked, Mommy kept the house in order, "everyone" had a house and two cars with some money in the bank, "nobody" was gay (or at least nobody talked about it), minorities "knew their place," and keeping up with the Jones' was the national pasttime.
"We should force japan to adopt the same values as civilised countries like the USA"
Sorry to burst your bubble again, but America is hardly civilized. In a country with the greatest degree of wealth, it's got an astonishing number of people dying of starvation and malnutrition (no, it's not just the anorexic supermodels). Many people can barely afford to feed and clothe their children (why do they continue to have children? Because the conservative movement doesn't like anyone to educate kids about sex, make birth control readily available or allow easy access to safe abortions.). Combine this institutionalized maltreatment of the poor with the institutionalized abuses of minorities, women and homosexuals, and you've got a country that is "uncaring and selfish.. with astonishing racism."
Finally, take a look at the way America treats the environment. Fuel costs are at an all-time high, but fuel economies are at the lowest level in 20 years. The solution -- let's destroy the environment for more fuel. Nobody's willing to stop driving their SUV to even do a little bit for the world. In rejecting the Kyoto protocol, the US negotiator said, "The American way of life is non-negotiable."
Your description of Japan sounds an awful lot like America to me.
I do not claim to know anything substantial about Japan or it's political and social problems, but your post smacks of a crack addict trying to lead an AA meeting. Before America tries to fix the rest of the world, maybe it should concentrate on itself.
I don't own a laptop, PDA, cell phone or pager. If I want to find out the news, I turn on the radio, fire up my internet connection or buy a newspaper. If I need to call someone, I pick up my regular phone. If I'm out, I drop by a pay phone. If someone wants to get in touch with me, they email, call, or drop by my house. If I'm unavailable, they leave a message. I've been living like this for years, and I've NEVER had a problem. Quite frankly, I'm just not that important a person.
All of these devices that are supposed to make life convenient have some drawbacks that have all been said over and over again. We become slaves to them. They are annoying. They cause traffic accidents. They drum the common decensy out of us and turn us into obnoxious jerks.
Everyone got these things "for work" or "just in case of an emergency." Last time I checked, unless you were a doctor or a pimp, you didn't need to be in constant contact with anyone for work, and what percentage of cell phone users have EVER used their phone for any emergency purpose?
"The Republicans are destroying the earth and making it only safe for rich, white people."
"The Democrats are destroying the moral fiber of our nation and creating big government."
"I know it sucks now, but it wasn't any better when (insert party here) was in power."
No matter what anyone says, the single biggest reason that America is going to hell in a handbasket (and dragging the planet down with it) is that everyone's looking to assess blame elsewhere, and nobody's willing to accept any responsibility for anything.
If the Republicans are willing to recognize that they are destroying the planet, and the Democrats can recognize that they've created an awful welfare state, then maybe we can all get over these arguments of who did what to who and start fixing all of this stuff.
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1) I thought that one of the marvels of the pyramids was the fact that they are held together without mortar or any other kind of sealant. I realize that this theory doesn't really address this at all, but has anyone addressed this? Am I mistaken?
2) More importantly, I understand the desire to try to replicate the Egyptians' feats using technology to which they had access? My real question is, do we necessarily have the creativity to come up with the methods that they used? As I understand it, this is just one theory. They MAY have done this. We don't know. We, as a society, are more reliant on "technology" than the Egyptians were. As such, I'm inclined to believe that they were more creative in their problem-solving techniques.
I'm not trying to belittle what the CalTech team has done (even though I went to a rival school). Does anyone else think that we just lack the creativity to replicate their construction techniques?
This report, if true, would show that human beings, through their hunting, can wipe out an entire species with spears. Imagine what we can do with radar, GPS, guns and nets.
(1) I live in one of the most popular tourist destinations in the US, Colonial Williamsburg. We have a tremendous sampling of "local culture." There are "authentic" colonial taverns and real southern Barbeque places. But where do the tourists go to eat? McDonalds, Burger King, Hardees, Arbys, The Red Lobster, Chi Chis, Ruby Tuesdays and all the other chain places. It's pathetic.
(2) I've been all over the world. I generally like to sample the local culture wherever I go. I learn enough of the language to ask where the locals go and what they do for fun. I'm always amazed, though, when Americans line up to eat at The Hard Rock Cafe in some little corner of the world.
I agree that people should eat the local food when they go somewhere new, but too many of them don't.
As it stands, though, the countries that are the most "advanced" require people to work longer hours just to support their families in an "acceptible" lifestyle. Really, though, we are stuck in a vicious cycle.
The media tells us that we "need" all sorts of useless crap to make us happy. Of course this costs lots of money, so we all work in relatively empty jobs that pay well, but have no sense of fulfillment. We feel empty, so we buy more crap. That doesn't work. (We continue to do it, though.)
People turn to the "old" ways to feel fulfilled. They meet members of the opposite (or same, if that's your preference) sex. They foster relationships. These relationships are fed more and more by codependence, though, and less by real love. People get together because they need someone, rather than that individual. This, of course, leads to the same sense of listlessness. We try something else.
We procreate. Why? Because children will fill the empty voids in our lives. Of course, this is one of the most selfish reasons to have a child, but it's one of the most popular these days. Kids are raised in day care and by nannys. Those that are lucky enough to have two loving parents generally see them only rarely. People don't interact with their children, and therefore this strategy doesn't work, either.
We turn to trendy methods of salvation. We're hungry for anyone to tell us that we're OK. We turn back to religion. We take Yoga. We become scientologists. We take a 7-part course at the Adult-ed center on the art of macaroni neclaces. We have affairs. We're still empty.
Unfortunately, our society has bred us in this way. The media tells us that the only way to be happy is to consume, and we do that better than any country on the planet. We've created all of these things that are supposed to make life more convenient and fulfilling, but they do just the opposite. We have become slaves to our stuff.
The cultures that have the greatest amount of leisure time are those that are hunter-gatherer societies. They work around 10 hours per week to food, clothe and protect their families from the elements. They tend to live happy, stressless lives. We should take our cue from them. How much of the crap that we buy do we really need? Does anyone need an SUV? Will that large screen TV really make you happy? Will bringing home a sack of burgers bring your family closer together than actually cooking a meal together?
Sorry to rant and drone, but America is in a decline. We've got more money and a stronger military than any country on the planet, but we're all becoming slaves to what corporate culture tells us we want.
Simplify your life. Remember the simpler things. It will bring you happiness.
I won't bore you with details of usable land and overconsumption, but most sane people will admit that one of the biggest controllable causes of environmental harm is overconsumption. The biggest overconsuming nation in the world is, of course, America.
For the American negotiator to the Kyoto Conference to come to the table and say, "the American way of life is non-negotiable," shows arrogance, ethno-centrism and a lack of commitment to solving the problem.
America is a nation obsessed with finding out that if it does not take two wrongs to make a right, then exactly how many does it take?
So, while Cary Grant, "went GAY" in Bringing Up Baby (a wonderful film, BTW), it was "just a joke." Everyone in America knew that Cary Grant was as straight as an arrow. He was as verile a specimen of manhood as any British person could be.
I agree that security is an issue now more than ever, but this program sacrifices the mental development of our nation's youth for adults' own piece of mind. That's sick.
Kids need guidance. Kids need rules. Kids need discipline. Kids need responsibility. Most of all kids need opportunities. They need to be able show that they can be responsible. They need for us to trust them. Programs like this one show that we don't.
"Unfortunately the japanese have not really changed since the Meiji period."
If we are to believe the Conservative view of what America should be, then it should not have changed since the 1950s, when the nuclear family ruled, Daddy worked, Mommy kept the house in order, "everyone" had a house and two cars with some money in the bank, "nobody" was gay (or at least nobody talked about it), minorities "knew their place," and keeping up with the Jones' was the national pasttime.
"We should force japan to adopt the same values as civilised countries like the USA"
Sorry to burst your bubble again, but America is hardly civilized. In a country with the greatest degree of wealth, it's got an astonishing number of people dying of starvation and malnutrition (no, it's not just the anorexic supermodels). Many people can barely afford to feed and clothe their children (why do they continue to have children? Because the conservative movement doesn't like anyone to educate kids about sex, make birth control readily available or allow easy access to safe abortions.). Combine this institutionalized maltreatment of the poor with the institutionalized abuses of minorities, women and homosexuals, and you've got a country that is "uncaring and selfish .. with astonishing racism."
Finally, take a look at the way America treats the environment. Fuel costs are at an all-time high, but fuel economies are at the lowest level in 20 years. The solution -- let's destroy the environment for more fuel. Nobody's willing to stop driving their SUV to even do a little bit for the world. In rejecting the Kyoto protocol, the US negotiator said, "The American way of life is non-negotiable."
Your description of Japan sounds an awful lot like America to me.
I do not claim to know anything substantial about Japan or it's political and social problems, but your post smacks of a crack addict trying to lead an AA meeting. Before America tries to fix the rest of the world, maybe it should concentrate on itself.
All of these devices that are supposed to make life convenient have some drawbacks that have all been said over and over again. We become slaves to them. They are annoying. They cause traffic accidents. They drum the common decensy out of us and turn us into obnoxious jerks.
Everyone got these things "for work" or "just in case of an emergency." Last time I checked, unless you were a doctor or a pimp, you didn't need to be in constant contact with anyone for work, and what percentage of cell phone users have EVER used their phone for any emergency purpose?
"The Republicans are destroying the earth and making it only safe for rich, white people." "The Democrats are destroying the moral fiber of our nation and creating big government." "I know it sucks now, but it wasn't any better when (insert party here) was in power." No matter what anyone says, the single biggest reason that America is going to hell in a handbasket (and dragging the planet down with it) is that everyone's looking to assess blame elsewhere, and nobody's willing to accept any responsibility for anything.
If the Republicans are willing to recognize that they are destroying the planet, and the Democrats can recognize that they've created an awful welfare state, then maybe we can all get over these arguments of who did what to who and start fixing all of this stuff.