New Theory of Great Pyramid Construction

And is the presentation ever splashy:

The secret of the construction of the pyramid of Khufu in Egypt has always held people in fascination. Numerous theories have been put forward but none has yetstood up to analysis.

Eight years ago, the architect Jean-Pierre Houdin had a flash of intuition and developed a revolutionary theory. Considering Khufu' monumental undertaking as the first industrial construction project in history, he turned to Dassault Systèmes technology to test his hypotheses and feed his thought processes. So it was that he joined the 'Passion for Innovation' programme.

Having demonstrated the validity of the theory with the aid of their scientific 3D solutions, Dassault Systèmes invite you to enjoy an extraordinary journey through time and space. Relive the Great Pyramid construction project in real-time 3D!


This guy has explained it down to cracks in the King's Chamber. I've yet to see the 3D presentation, but I can't wait - apparently it cycles through the entire 23 year process of building. And by Houdin's estimates, it may have taken only 4,000 people to build instead of the 100,000+ usually quoted.

If Imhotep did not do it this way, he missed a hell of a chance.

YouTube: Bernard Herrman Documentary

Bernard Herrman is the legendary film composer of such films as North by Northwest and Taxi Driver.

Here's the first section:



Click through to find the other sections. It's very well made, and probably hasn't been seen in the States.

It's On



The Senate voted to end the war.
The Senate approved a spending measure with a timeline for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, setting up a showdown with President George W. Bush, who has vowed to veto any congressional demands to end the war.



The $122 billion emergency spending legislation funds military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and provides money for domestic needs such as relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina.



The proposal calls for U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq to begin 120 days after final passage of the measure, with a goal of having most forces withdrawn by March 31, 2008. The Senate, during debate on the war-funding measure March 27, voted 50-48 to retain the withdrawal timeline. The entire measure was passed today 51-47.



Democrats have been ratcheting up pressure on Bush to change strategy in Iraq since winning control of both chambers of Congress in the November election.



``We have given the American people what they want, and now it's up to the president,'' Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said. ``He has a responsibility to sign this bill.''
Of course he won't. Bush's war on rationality will continue with his second veto ever. The first, you'll recall, continued the federal government's "funding restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research." And now Bush has this. Fox News will be happy to report the talking point that it's all just posturing to make Bush deny funding for the troops. Well, the bottom line is, he will. Supporting the troops is less important to this president than ending a failed policy. He screwed up and he can't admit it.



It's the same mistake, really. Bush made his Solomon choice of cutting the stem cell issue in half, which pleased nobody, and yet he persisted. Iraq is the same thing. Nobody in Iraq appears to be happy with the American presence. The Sunnis are in the fight of their lives, the Shiites are biding their time, and the Kurds are ready to break loose and start inciting separatist violence in Turkey. And Bush definitely doesn't want all that feces-meet-rotary-device endgame on his watch.



But why shouldn't it be? If anybody should have the "You break it, you buy it" sign pointed out to them, it's this president. And that's the political motivation behind the President's stance. It's as nakedly political as anything else in Washington. But we're used to to Bush condemning others for his own vices. It's one of the things that remind me how human the man is. Nevertheless, the failure of the Iraqi occupation is the direct result of Bush's policies and decisions. If there's to be an violent civil war, it belongs to Bush.



There will be a violent civil war if we leave, won't there?



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James Dobson Doesn't Think Fred Thompson Is A Christian

From US News & World Report, the latest proclamation from Pope Dobson - Fred Thompson, the former Senator from Tennessee and a possible candidate for the Republican presidential nomination isn't a Christian.
In a follow-up phone conversation, Focus on the Family spokesman Gary Schneeberger stood by Dobson's claim. He said that, while Dobson didn't believe Thompson to be a member of a non-Christian faith, Dobson nevertheless "has never known Thompson to be a committed Christian—someone who talks openly about his faith."

"We use that word—Christian—to refer to people who are evangelical Christians," Schneeberger added. "Dr. Dobson wasn't expressing a personal opinion about his reaction to a Thompson candidacy; he was trying to 'read the tea leaves' about such a possibility."
Didn't Jesus have something to say about people who talk openly about their faith?
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Prayer
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
It doesn't get much more red-letter Jesus than the Sermon on the Mount.

Clearly Romans 14:4 needs to be front and center in this presidential campaign. Who are you, James Dobson, to make yourself a judge of another man's servant?

Or perhaps that's the problem. Pope Dobson is making it clear that Fred Thompson would not be his servant. "Christian" for Dobson and company doesn't mean "someone who follows the teachings of Christ," but "someone who does the will of James Dobson." This is one more thing that shows James Dobson for the power-hungry hypocrite that he is.

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Behold, He Blogs Again

No, really this time.



I've got this new gadget on my Firefox called ScribeFire. Blogging is just as easy as pie. So, I've got no excuse. Blogging must be done. The hobbit is back in business.



No, really.





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