Goddess Chamunda Mata

Ohmygoddess! There evidently was a horrid stampede outside a temple in Jodhpur today that killed more than 150 people, and yet this article makes no mention of the victims other than to use an old myth as a possible explanation for the tragedy! Incredible, absolutely incredible.

Here is the story, from The Telegraph of Calcutta


Legend ‘back’ to claim young blood Sacrifice story on city lips
RAKHEE ROY TALUKDAR
Jaipur, Sept. 30: Jodhpur residents see in today’s stampede a parallel with the sacrifice of a young man that Chamunda Mata had, according to legend, demanded when her temple was built.

Legend has it that when Rao Jodha, the Rajput ruler who built the city of Jodhpur, installed her idol in the temple in 1460, the goddess appeared in person and asked for bhakh (sacrifice).

When the ruler and the priest asked what she wanted as sacrifice, the goddess is said to have asked for someone with 32 teeth intact. This was taken to mean a young man and the priest’s son, Mehran, was sacrificed, according to the legend.

Mehrangarh Fort, where the temple is located, is said to be named after him.

Since most of the 147 victims today were men between 15 and 25, local residents were talking of the legend of Mehran’s sacrifice.

Rao Jodha had brought Chamunda Devi’s idol to Jodhpur from the Parihar capital of Mandore. The goddess was the deity of the Parihar dynasty founded by Harichandra in the sixth century, Mahendra Lalas, a long-time Jodhpur resident and AIR employee, said.

The Parihars established the state of Marwar, with its capital in Mandore near Jodhpur, and ruled for more than six centuries. Goddess Chamunda’s blessings were thought to have brought luck to the Parihars, who ultimately lost control of Mandore to the Rathores in the 13th century.

Rao Jodha of the Rathore line shifted his capital from Mandore to Jodhpur. He started building Mehrangarh Fort in 1459 and then thought of moving the deity, too, hoping she would bring him luck.

Since then, Jodhpur residents revere Chamunda Mata and a visit during Navratri is thought to bring luck for the year ahead.

A temple to another Rajput deity, Nagecha, also stands in the Mehrangarh campus but it is the Chamunda temple that draws the crowds, with queues more than 2km long during Navratri.

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Here is another news report about the same stampede - only passing mention of the victims, the focus is on more legends surrounding the Goddess!

Manmade - or Not?

Traces of Ancient Civilization Discovered in Chelyabinck Region (Russia)
September 29, 2008

Amazing enormous constructions of stone - megaliths - some of them weighing up to 20 tons, were erected in the Isle of Vera, Lake Turgoyak of Chelyabinsk Region.

Researchers have long tried to solve the puzzle of this enigmatic structure. Cooperation of archaeologists and divers has allowed finding out a lot of new things and create many more questions.

“First divers went underwater around Turgoyak Lake and then we followed them” - scientist Stanislav Grigoryev says - “the greatest sensation was to see a megalith at the depth of about two meters under water surface. The point is it had been practically impossible to create it underwater. It means that in those times there was a neck of land here and the present day island was a peninsula. During close examination we found some parts that remind of hand-made blockwork”.

Source: gzt.ru
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I don't know - need more photographs and measurements. This could just be natural eroded rock formations, somewhat like the Grand Canyon, for instance. No age given, either.

Interesting Assessment of Ancient Greek Tales

An interesting perspective on the war-oriented characteristics of the ancient proto-Greek society portrayed in the ancient epics The Iliad and The Odyssey. Compare to this earlier post about a much later civilization, the Vikings. It's all about the women...

Excerpted from Hidden histories
'The Odyssey' and 'The Iliad' are giving up new secrets about the ancient world
By Jonathan Gottschall
September 28, 2008

In his influential book, "Troy and Homer," German classicist Joachim Latacz argues that the identification of Hisarlik as the site of Homer's Troy is all but proven. Latacz's case is based not only on archeology, but also on fascinating reassessments of cuneiform tablets from the Hittite imperial archives. The tablets, which are dated to the period when the Late Bronze Age city at Hisarlik was destroyed, tell a story of a western people harassing a Hittite client state on the coast of Asia Minor. The Hittite name for the invading foreigners is very close to Homer's name for his Greeks - Achaians - and the Hittite names for their harassed ally are very close to "Troy" and "Ilios," Homer's names for the city.

"At the very core of the tale," Latacz argues, "Homer's 'Iliad' has shed the mantle of fiction commonly attributed to it."

But if the Trojan War is looking more and more like a historical reality, there is still the question of whether the poems tell us anything about the motives and thinking of the people who actually fought it. Do the epic time machines actually take us back to the Greek culture of the Late Bronze Age?
It is almost certain that they do not. Homer's epics are a culmination of a centuries-long tradition of oral storytelling, and extensive cross-cultural studies of oral literature have established that such tales are unreliable as history. Homeric scholars believe that the epics were finally written down sometime in the 8th century BC, which means that the stories of Achilles and Odysseus would have been passed by word of mouth for half a millennium before they were finally recorded in what was, by then, a vastly changed Greek culture. Facts about the war and the people who fought it would have been lost or grossly distorted, as in a centuries-long game of "telephone." Scholars agree that the relatively simple and poor culture Homer describes in his epics is quite sharply at odds with the complex and comparatively rich Greek kingdoms of the Late Bronze Age, when the war would have taken place.

But even if the epics make a bad history of Greece in 1200 BC - in the sense of transmitting names, dates, and accurate political details - scholars increasingly agree that they provide a precious window on Greek culture at about the time the poems were finally written down. Moses Finley, who believed that the epics were "no guide at all" to the history of the Trojan War, did believe they were guides to Homer's own culture. And by turning an anthropological eye to the conflicts Homer writes about, we are now learning far more about what that culture was really like.

. . .

Reconstructing a prehistoric world from literary sources is rife with complications. But there are aspects of life in the Homeric era upon which most scholars agree. Homer paints a coherent picture of Greek attitudes, ideology, customs, manners, and mores that is consistent with the 8th century archeological record, and holds together based on anthropological knowledge about societies at similar levels of cultural development. For instance, we can trust that the Greeks' political organization was loose but not chaotic - probably organized at the level of chiefdoms, not kingdoms or city-states. In the epics we can see the workings of an agrarian economy; we can see what animals they raised and what crops, how they mixed their wine, worshipped their gods, and treated their slaves and women. We can tell that theirs was a warlike world, with high rates of conflict within and between communities.

This violence, in fact, opens an important window onto that world. Patterns of violence in Homer are intriguingly consistent with societies on the anthropological record known to have suffered from acute shortages of women. While Homeric men did not take multiple wives, they hoarded and guarded slave women who they treated as their sexual property. These women were mainly captured in raids of neighboring towns, and they appear frequently in Homer. In the poems, Odysseus is mentioned as having 50 slave women, and it is slave women who bear most of King Priam's 62 children. For every slave woman working a rich man's loom and sharing his bed, some less fortunate or formidable man lacks a wife.

In pre-state societies around the world - from the Yanomamo of the Amazon basin to the tribes of highland New Guinea to the Inuit of the Arctic - a scarcity of women almost invariably triggers pitched competition among men, not only directly over women, but also over the wealth and social status needed to win them. This is exactly what we find in Homer. Homeric men fight over many different things, but virtually all of the major disputes center on rights to women - not only the famous conflict over Helen, but also over the slave girls Briseis and Chryseis, Odysseus's wife Penelope, and all the nameless women of common Trojan men. As the old counselor Nestor shouts to the Greek hosts, "Don't anyone hurry to return homeward until after he has lain down alongside a wife of some Trojan!"

The war between Greeks and Trojans ends in the Rape of Troy: the massacre of men, and the rape and abduction of women. These events are not the rare savageries of a particularly long and bitter war - they are one of the major points of the war. Homeric raiders always hoped to return home with new slave-concubines. Achilles conveys this in his soul-searching assessment of his life as warrior: "I have spent many sleepless nights and bloody days in battle, fighting men for their women."

Historical studies of literature are sometimes criticized for ignoring, or even diminishing, the artistic qualities that draw people to literature in the first place. But understanding how real history underlies the epics makes us appreciate Homer's art more, not less. We can see Homer pioneering the artistic technique of taking a backbone of historical fact and fleshing it over with contemporary values and concerns - the same technique used later by Virgil in "The Aeneid," by Shakespeare in his history plays, and by Renaissance painters depicting the Bible and classical antiquity.

And understanding Homer's own society gives us a new perspective on the oppressive miasma of fatalism and pessimism that pervades "The Iliad" and, to a lesser but still palpable extent, "The Odyssey." While even the fiercest fighters understand that peace is desirable, they feel doomed to endless conflict. As Odysseus says, "Zeus has given us [the Greeks] the fate of winding down our lives in hateful war, from youth until we perish, each of us." A shortage of women helps to explain more about Homeric society than its relentless violence. It may also shed light on the origins of a tragic and pessimistic worldview, a pantheon of gods deranged by petty vanities, and a people's resignation to the inevitability of "hateful war."

Jonathan Gottschall teaches English at Washington & Jefferson College. He is the author of "The Rape of Troy: Evolution, Violence, and the World of Homer," and he is currently at work on a novel of the Homeric age called "Odysseus, A True Story."

© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.

New Artifact Found Near Bosnian "Pyramid"

The DailyGrail.com reported on this today, from Philip Coppens' website:

September 29, 2008
A small pyramid for science, a big discovery for the Bosnian Pyramid (from Road News)

An archaeological site in Donje Mostre, in the Bosnian Valley of the Pyramid, has unveiled a Neolithic artefact that has been dated to 6000-3000 BC. The discovery was made by students of the German University of Kiel on September 23, and was announced by Zilke Kujundžic, who is actually one of the main opponents to the pyramid project, having filed numerous petitions for the work to be stopped, claiming the entire project is a hoax. (Image from article).

We need to specify she actually labelled the object a pyramid. The small ceramic pyramid – in some reports also referred to as a benben stone, because of apparent visual similarities with such stones in Egypt – is a major discovery, showing that local people, millennia ago, created ceramic objects in the shape of a pyramid. One can only wonder why, noting that Donje Mostre is also the location where giant rectangular stone blocks have been found, some of which are definitely manmade. Nevertheless, being the extreme (one might argue irrational) critic she is, Kujundžic has refused to admit she might be wrong, stating that the find is “not related” to the nearby pyramids. Meanwhile, Kujundžic was also accused of not having shared the discovery with the local Visoko museum.

It is no doubt divine irony that some of the best archaeological evidence for the reality of the pyramids, has been unearthed by one of its fiercest opponents.

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Hmmmmm... I'm all for a more serious effort to investigate and excavate the "pyramid" shaped hill in Bosnia. On the other hand, showing us an artifact like this is distinctly NOT helpful, not even when publicized by Philip Coppens.

First of all, assuming this artifact is not a fake plant, it's pretty damn obvious from the photograph that it was scrubbed clean. Sacrilege! Second, no word at all about it's relative dimensions, although we can see it's about hand size - but who's hand? Third, what are those imprints? Is that writing? Art work? If it is writing, what kind of writing? What the hell does it say? Any guesses? Fourth, no link was given to a press release in the Bosnian press or a linked citation to a place where we can find further information on this object. Where was the announcement made? On e-Bay? Fifth, the photo is blurred. I cannot help but wonder whether that was done on purpose! Sixth, why the 3,000 year spread in the age of the object? Surely the initial field reports could narrow down this date range by an examination of the strata surrounding the excavation. Ridiculous!

This kind of flash and tease stuff does not help people interested in advancing a serious inquiry!

Now, about ben ben stones, here's a quick summary from Wikipedia:

The Benben stone, named after the mound, was a sacred stone in the solar temple of Heliopolis. It was the location on which the first rays of the sun fell. It is thought to have been the prototype for later obelisks, and the capstones of the great pyramids were based on its design. Their tips (pyramidia) were probably gilded. The phoenix, the benu bird, was venerated at Heliopolis, where it was said to be living on the Benben or on the holy willow. According to B. Kemp the connection between the benben, the phoenix and the sun may well have been based on alliteration: the rising, weben, of the sun sending its rays towards the benben, on which the benu bird lives. Utterance 600 of the Pyramid Texts speaks of Atum as you rose up, as the benben, in the Mansion of the Benu in Heliopolis (Hart, p.16). (Image from Paradigmshift, which has some interesting commentary and comparisons between the ancient Egyptian imagery and ancient Indian imagery of the creation myth; the stone is identified as a capstone found at Dashur and said to have been the capstone of the Bent Pyramid, no provenance given or where the photo was taken).

Auction Watch

What is this - one of only 64 known versions (tsk, tsk) of the painting "The Peaceable Kingdom" failed to sell at a recent Christie's auction (estimated value $4 million to $6 million USD). Are the uber rich feeling the pinch of the market crash, just like the rest of us poor schmucks whose 401(k) plans have tanked while the Wall Street Whizzes pissed all over us, laughing all the way to their numbered Swiss bank accounts? Ah, gee, poor babies.

Even the Sackler Trust is divesting some of its fine collection - they say that it is to acquire capital in order to explore possible new purchases (ahem). Yeah, right.

The world of Christie's and Sotheby's fine art and collectibles auctions are not for the likes of yours truly. But it's fun reading about them, sort of like reading about the discovery of new life on Venus or Pluto.

From The New York Times
Antiques
Lions Gather With Lambs at Christie’s and Sotheby’s
By WENDY MOONAN
Published: September 25, 2008

At Christie’s and Sotheby’s
It’s a big week for Edward Hicks at the auction houses. Christie’s had a version of his allegorical painting “The Peaceable Kingdom” (1835-40) for auction on Thursday. Estimated at $4 million to $6 million, it didn’t sell.

On Friday Sotheby’s will have a smaller, earlier one, from the collection of Edward Peerman Moore, a naval commander in the Pacific theater in World War II who died in 1968, and his wife, Barbara Bingham Moore, who worked during the war as a decoder for the cryptography department of the Navy. She died this year. The 127-lot sale is expected to total $7 million.

The Moores’ “Peaceable Kingdom” is dated 1829-30. On the painting’s left side Quakers hold banners proclaiming peace. On the right a sheep, fox, cow and leopard surround a child hugging a lion. (Later versions have more animals.) The picture has its original frame with an inscription in Hicks’s hand.

“There are 64 known versions of the painting but only five with this particular composition, and two of them are in museums,” said Nancy Druckman of Sotheby’s.

The Moore collection also features antiques from all the major colonial cabinetmaking centers. Highlights include, from Philadelphia, two sets of fine Queen Anne side chairs and a rare Queen Anne compass-seat footstool; from Massachusetts, a Chippendale mahogany chest-on-chest and Simon Willard wall clock; from New York, a spider-leg drop-leaf table; from Rhode Island, a Chippendale mahogany block-front desk and bookcase and several colorful maritime paintings by Thomas Chambers. (On Saturday the Philadelphia Museum of Art will open “Thomas Chambers, 1808-1869: American Marine and Landscape Painter.”)

For Lot 20 Sotheby’s removed the upholstery from a Philadelphia wing chair, from around 1770, so collectors could study its serpentine frame and flaring wings.

“People love to see the inside,” said Erik Gronning, an Americana specialist at Sotheby’s. “The chair is in amazing shape. There is no significant restoration.” He said it would have been considered a status symbol in its day: “It has bold claw feet, C-scroll arms, a high crest and strongly carved shells on the knees.” And, most important, it hasn’t been messed with. “Mrs. Moore left things as she found them, whatever condition they were in,” Mr. Gronning said. The estimate is $300,000 to $800,000.

SACKLER’S CHINESE AT AUCTION
Theow H. Tow, deputy chairman of Christie’s Americas and Asia, has announced an auction of 150 works of Chinese art from the Arthur M. Sackler collections in a single-owner sale at Christie’s in New York on March 18. Mr. Tow said the archaic jades, bronze vessels, ceramics, weapons, pieces of classical furniture and classical paintings had been in storage for years.

“We have a good working relationship with the trustees of the Arthur M. Sackler Collections Trust, and we will be part of the process of picking which things go into the sale and which will be loaned to other institutions,” he said. The sale is expected to raise $4 million.

Dr. Sackler (1913-1987), a New York research psychiatrist who made his fortune in medical advertising, medical trade publications and over-the-counter drugs, collected widely and developed a strong taste for Chinese art. He was also a philanthropist, endowing galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Princeton University, the Smithsonian and the Royal Academy in London. He established museums at Harvard and at Beijing University.

The trust, which includes members of the Sackler family, said it was divesting “to consolidate and redefine their holdings of art from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections” and was “selling this particular group of objects in order to explore options to make appropriate acquisitions.”

As a preview Christie’s is showing, by appointment, “Birds and Ducks,” a set of four large hanging scrolls by the painter Bada Shanren (1626-1705). Christie’s estimates the set will sell for $300,000 to $500,000.

“Bada is widely known — the Met has a couple of his paintings — and our scrolls are in very good condition,” said Elizabeth M. Hammer, Christie’s specialist in Chinese paintings. “The ink is not very faded, and the scrolls are satin, so the color didn’t change.”

A son and grandson of painters, Bada wanted to be a poet and painter, but as a member of the Ming imperial family, he had to flee to a monastery for safety when the Manchus took control in 1644. He served as a Buddhist priest for 30 years, then left the monastery to paint.

He was eccentric, perhaps mad, which may or may not explain the purposeful ambiguity in his work. The scrolls at Christie’s depict lotus, plantain and bamboo in a rocky setting populated by birds in different poses.

“Glaring eyes, the ‘white eyes’ of anger, stare out from fish, birds and animals,” Richard M. Barnhart writes about Bada’s style in “Master of the Lotus Garden: The Life and Art of Bada Shanren” (Yale University Press). “Fish are transformed into birds, rocks into lotus, ducks into plantain, and a bleak impassioned world of exiles in their own country is given form.”

Mr. Barnhart continues: “Trees are stunted and broken, like men’s lives, and the lotus holds within itself virtue, redemption and rebirth in another realm.”

Now widely admired in the West, Bada was only rediscovered by the Chinese after the fall of the Manchus in 1911. Mr. Barnhart called him a “major inspiration for Chinese masters of our time.”

Matilde of Canossa a/k/a Matilda of Tuscany

This image shows Matilde of Canossa (a/k/a Matilda of Tuscany), sometime during her life (1046-1115 CE) and some high bishop mucky-muck in the Roman Catholic Church sitting his bad old butt on the back of a dog. What a jerk! The caption on this image says "Enrico IV invoca l’abate di Cluny e Matilde perché intervengano in suo favore presso Gregorio VII a Canossa. Città del Vaticano, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana."

There were many very powerful women throughout history, and the late Middle Ages were no exception. Marilyn Yalom wrote about many of them in her informative and entertain book "The Birth of the Chess Queen."

It's not explicitly stated in the article, but I presume (given the title below), that this is a precise of a new exhibit being shown at the Casa Del Mantegna in Mantua, Italy.

From ArtDaily.org on September 21, 2008

Matilde of Canossa: The Papacy and the Empire Opened at Casa del Mantegna

MANTUA.- The two universal powers dominating Europe in the Middle Ages, the Empire and the Papacy, the bishops, the cities, the nobles, the peasants...

An insight into the society of the first two centuries after the year 1000 has been provided casting new light on the life of Matilda of Canossa, “la comitissa” or “the Great Countess” who kept control of the key territories between Rome and the Alps, including those at the heart of the Padan plain crossed by the Po River and the lands along the Apennines.

The strength and loneliness of this outstanding yet emblematic woman of this era may be the starting point for a line of reasoning leading to the discovery of a world of deep transformation through a suggestive visual narration unfolding into gemmed crosses, seals, tapestries, ivories, jewels, sculptures, altars, swords and tools from the Italian and European museums.

Through a display of archaeological finds which have never been shown before, paintings depicting scenes of the world and, not least, agricultural tools, this exhibition provides a picture of the landscape and living environment in the eleventh and twelfth century, also revealing the remains of the Roman roads, the route along the Po River and its affluents providing a network of navigable waterways, and the mountain passes of the Alps and Apennines.

Matilda of Canossa, an outstanding figure under many respects, albeit profoundly linked to her world — has been one of the more influential women of her age. She was the sole heiress of a great feudal dynasty and made crucial political decisions which contributed to signalling the end of an epoch and led to the rise of communal life, urban cities and individual freedom. The years running from Matilda’s birth in Mantua, possibly in 1046, to her death, in 1115, were marked by a ferment of revolutionary ideas underpinning the Church’s reforms, the struggle over investitures and the dispute between the Papacy and the Empire.

The blood relationship with the Imperial family, the marriage relationships with the Dukes of Lorraine and the House of Welf, the alliance with Pope Gregory VII, the contacts with the Abbot Hugh of Cluny and with Anselm, Bishop of Lucca, were the key factors making Matilda and her “court” the linchpin of military disputes, mediations, strategies and even episodes having a great symbolic impact, such as Henry IV’s penitence that moved the Pope to grant him absolution at the Castle of Canossa, in January 1077.

In Matilda’s life, her personal vicissitudes, the two unhappy marriages and the death of her baby daughter intertwined with succession and political decisions. By virtue of the unconditional support to the Papacy she is remembered, lonely and powerful, as a heroine of the Church of Rome deserving to be buried in St. Peter’s Basilica (after the transfer of her remains from the Polirone abbey church, where she decided to be buried). Yet, due to such backing, she became an easy target for calumny and allegations on her private life. However, an ambivalent myth was born and, growing through fascinating legends, celebrations and smear, it survived until this day.

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Hmmmm, sounds like I need to read up on this woman. You can find more information on the exhibit (there are three parts to it) andMatilda here.

Incredible Exhibit on Ancient Egypt

From ArtDaily.org

New Gallery at the World Museum Liverpool Looks at the World of the Pharaohs Opens in December
September 28, 2008

LIVERPOOL.- A major new gallery at the World Museum Liverpool looks at the incredible world of the Pharaohs and the remarkable culture that built the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Ancient Egypt, opening on December 2008, contains 1,500 fascinating exhibits from the museum’s world-class collections.

One of its great treasures – the vividly-coloured belt of the last great Pharaoh, Rameses III – is going on display for the first time since before the Second World War. Dating from 1180 BC, the monarch probably wore it in battle while riding his chariot. This is a unique survival from the ancient world – there is nothing like it even in Tutankhamen’s Tomb.

Among the items on display are the mummy said to have inspired H Rider Haggard’s classic fantasy adventure She, about a beautiful queen who lives 2,000 years waiting for her lost love before shrivelling up into a pile of dust. The best-selling Victorian author was a keen collector of artefacts and helped popularise Ancient Egypt.

Visitors can 'unwrap' a mummy without it being touched using a computer interactive. Ancient Egypt follows the development of the kingdom from the time of Menes, the first king of Egypt who reigned around 3000 BC, tthrough the days of the Pharaohs, up to the time of the last ruler – the legendary Queen Cleopatra, who died in 30 BC – into the Greek and Roman periods.
************************************************************************************* For the record, Rameses III's woven belt is 3,180 plus years old. It is absolutely incredible that it survived - thank Goddess for the dry Egyptian climate that made this possible. Ancient textiles can teach us a lot about a civilization, including if and whether its techniques of weaving and use of materials spread to other cultures. Another remarkable cache of preserved ancient textiles was found in the Tarim Basin in far western China on the preserved "Mummies of Urumchi." Experts examined the weaving in those textiles and concluded that it shared distinctive similarities with methods originated far to the west in eastern Europe more than 4,000 years ago, probably making its way through trade and settlers moving from the west into the forbidding territory of the Tien Shen.

I also spent some time, back in the '80's, (that's 1980's, not 1880's) reading a couple of H. Rider Haggard's novels, including "She." The linguistic phrasing is a bit antiquated (High Victorian), but the stories are absolutely fabulous and well worth reading. I have to say, though, that I DO NOT REMEMBER the Queen crumbling away into a dust pile at the end of the novel. Nope - I seem to remember that a young super hunky guy stayed behind and became her mate... I believe in one movie version Ursula Andress was actually played the Queen. she was hubba hubba back then.

The Secret Life of Used Clothes

Who knew? Wow!

From Reasononline.com
The Afterlife of American Clothes
Haitian entrepreneurs find value in our castoffs.
Joanne McNeil August/September 2008 Print Edition

When thrifty shoppers in Boston and Miami pick through secondhand shirts at local Salvation Army outlets or estate sales, they are as likely to meet Haitians as hipsters. Some of the immigrants will simply be collecting clothes to mail back to family in Port-au-Prince, but others are part of a large global network trading in used American goods. Haiti’s enormous, informal, and largely unregulated market in pepe—used items imported from abroad—plays an important role in the least developed country in the Americas.

In 2002 The New York Times reported that of the approximately 2.5 billion pounds of clothes donated to charity in America each year, as much as 80 percent is shipped globally. The Times article inspired filmmakers Hanna Rose Shell and Vanessa Bertozzi to research the history of recycled clothing. From 2003 to 2007 they visited rag yards in Miami, dug through archives in London and Washington, D.C., and traveled to Haiti to see the international secondhand markets for themselves. The result is the recent documentary Secondhand (Pepe), which explores the global trade in used clothing.

In the United States, demand for secondhand goods spiked during the Great Depression, but after World War II peddlers found themselves with excess supply. So the business went global. Third World countries arranged deals with U.S. thrift shops for items that otherwise would end up in the trash.

Haiti started receiving shipments in the early 1960s. With the benefit of cheap items came the cost of serving as a dumping ground. Shell has described the city of Miragoane, which receives new pepe nearly every day, as “blanketed, literally, by a downy coat of secondhand clothing. It grows out of the ground and into the street, onto every surface, a sartorial network—buildings, barrows, man and machine-made structures, everywhere.”

When you see a photo of Haiti, it likely depicts a street riot or some similarly violent situation—the island at its worst. Secondhand (Pepe) spends a great deal of time documenting the country’s landscape in more peaceful times: a spectacle of colors, rags strewn for miles all over the dirt roads like a college dormitory on laundry day. It is at once beautiful and messy, a reminder that the country has far worse problems to deal with than litter. Haitians, we learn, are extremely resourceful, finding new uses for items that might seem like rags to us but can be refashioned into tents or used as stuffing for upholstery.

They’re repurposed in other ways as well. A seamstress laments, “Pepe makes it hard to sell my garments.” But she also proudly displays the alterations she made to her blouse—darts in the front and shorter sleeves. Costing about 13 cents, her shirt looks like something that could be sold in Manhattan for $40.

“It’s all pepe, all the time,” one Haitian explains in the film. Almost everything they wear comes from the north. Pepe is sold on virtually every street corner in Haiti, yet it isn’t a free-for-all. Some vendors purchase goods by the bales for resale. Usually they have an agreement with an American charity shop, which sorts the items before making the sale. (Coats, for example, go to countries with colder climates.) Other dealers rely on relatives and friends in the United States and run off-the-books enterprises. One person combs the thrift stores for certain items, and another returns to Haiti several times a year to make the exchange. Some sellers specialize in a certain kinds of goods—just soccer jerseys, just sneakers, just bikinis.

The film interweaves the story of Haiti’s pepe dealers with the memoirs of Bernard Schapiro, a Jewish Austrian immigrant who worked as one of the once-ubiquitous shmatte zamlers (“rag collectors”) of a century ago. In 1907 Schapiro’s father, arriving in Baltimore and speaking little English, got an old pushcart and started selling used clothes on the streets. Bernard took over, managing a warehouse for sorting and distribution. Now his grandson is president and CEO of Whitehouse & Schapiro, a major global business operation that trades used clothing.

In Bernard Schapiro’s time, “fancy people” avoided the area around his warehouse. “In those days, it was believed that immigrants and their rags were contagious with all kinds of disease,” he explains. In Haiti, similarly, there is spiritual apprehension about the goods, fears that the previous owners are dead or even that they died in the clothes. As one woman explains in the film, “Women have had to face and dismiss a lot of very long-held beliefs that you couldn’t wear clothes that had been used before, that they had bad aura, had someone’s spirit…whatever it was that they carried with them. Especially if it was bad, because it was on their own shoulders when they did that.” To get over this fear, many buyers soak or dry clean the clothes (a wise procedure for secondhand shoppers in any country).

In Miami and Boston, both of which are home to large Haitian immigrant populations, the pepe market is intergenerational, with children of workers who started in President Kennedy’s day now responsible for sorting or arranging the shipment of the clothing. Schapiro’s grandson employs Haitians in his Miami warehouses. While their history and political situation is vastly different from those of the Jewish peddlers of the early 1900s, Shell told me she met Haitian factory workers in Miami who were “very ambitious.” Perhaps the grandchildren of Haitian immigrant pepe dealers may achieve the same success as Bernard Schapiro’s grandson.

It’s difficult to be as optimistic for the workers inside Haiti. During the food crisis of last spring, the Associated Press reported that some Haitians were surviving on cookies made of dirt and vegetable shortening. But a little industry is better than none. Those rags for sale on the streets of Port-au-Prince might pave the way for more trade and opportunity.

On March 15, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2008 (HOPE II), relaxing tariffs on Haitian textile exports. The legislation isn’t perfect; it’s bogged down with a provision requiring the amount of Haitian-made fabric to equal the amount of fabric woven in the U.S. But the initiative will create jobs and draw on the island’s great tailoring skills, acquired from years of altering secondhand clothes.

The seamstress in Secondhand (Pepe) had trouble selling her unique designs in her own country, but judging from what she did with an old shirt, she could find buyers in the U.S. And then, perhaps, her clothes will one day find their way back to Haiti.

Joanne McNeil blogs at tomorrowmuseum.com.

Russia's Scorched Earth Policy in Georgia

See "Book Burning" post below, for it is certainly related.

From The Wall Street Journal
SEPTEMBER 24, 2008
What the Russians Left In Their Wake in Georgia
By MELIK KAYLAN

Having devastated vast areas of its own lands in the Caucasus, such as Chechnya and Ingushetia, in order to "protect" them from instability, Moscow's obliterating shadow has settled deep over Georgia -- with the usual consequences. The full barbarism of Russian actions in Georgia may not emerge for years; much of the evidence lies behind the lines in terrain newly annexed by Russia. But some details are now beyond dispute. Alongside the various human atrocities, such as the bombing and purging of civilian areas, the invaders looted and destroyed numerous historical sites, some of which were profoundly revered by the Georgians as sacred building blocks in their national identity. This is especially true of the region around South Ossetia that served as a kind of cradle of early Georgian culture. The Georgian Ministry of Culture lists some 500 monuments and archaeological sites now mostly under Russian occupation and out of sight.

After the interminable Soviet decades, the Georgians from 1990 onward made a special push nationwide to reconsecrate churches and build local museums to revive their own interrupted national narrative. No doubt that in itself acted as a kind of provocation to Russia's hair-trigger sensitivities over loss of empire. Using satellite imagery and interviews with refugees from the August invasion, the Georgian government is in the process of identifying damage to the most important monuments.

Thus far the destruction includes severe bomb damage to the Museum of Prince Matchabelli, which housed the personal effects of the Georgian royal family's famed anti-Russian rebel, who was native to the region; destruction by arson of the church of St. George in Sveri, a rare 19th-century wooden structure; shelling damage to the 12th-century Ikorta church with its graves of revered Georgians; and extensive bomb damage to the monastery complex of Nikozi Church -- dating from the 11th century, it is perhaps the most important site of all. This is an extremely selective list, but it gives the reader an idea of why the area matters deeply to Georgians, and in a perverse way to Russian-backed militias allowed to plunder as they drove out residents at gunpoint and, according to eyewitness accounts, began looting buildings. Satellite imagery shows that specifically Georgian villages were extensively torched and in some places are being bulldozed flat.

Here one should firmly scotch any budding moral equivalency arguments comparing Russian conduct in Georgia with allied conduct in Iraq or Kosovo. Whatever other mistakes have been made, the U.S. has meticulously avoided bomb damage to ancient sites and never has encouraged any allies to attack or obliterate the culture of rivals. To be clear, the U.S. simply does not harbor that kind of targeted animus toward the cultural patrimony of others.

I was in the Georgian war zone during a chunk of August and with the help of local friends I was able to traverse occupied terrain via country roads and over hills on foot -- a highly dodgy undertaking as one moved into South Ossetia without Russian permits. Georgian refugees were still streaming out. Bodies and burned vehicles were left behind. To view the damage to Nikozi, my friends got me to a hillside at dusk for a short spell, before it got dark enough for night-vision lenses to pick us out, making it suicidal for us to move around. One could make out rubble and destruction in the village and the church complex. The church itself seemed unharmed, but the equally historic bishop's palace nearby appeared roofless and fire-damaged. In the advancing twilight, visibility was bad. But what I saw has now been confirmed by multiple eyewitness and other reports.

The site of Nikozi Church dates back to the fifth century and is known to Georgians as the Church of the First Martyr. The story goes that St. Rajdeny was a Persian soldier of high rank stationed in the area under the Sassanid empire. He converted to Christianity and was tortured to reconvert to Zoroastrianism. He refused and died under torture, and his grave became a center of pilgrimage around which a church was built by Vakhtang Gorgaseli, the fifth-century Georgian king who founded Tblisi. A bishop's palace was added and the church rebuilt in the 11th century.

The Soviets expunged all religious activity there with particular force because Stalin hailed from the nearby town of Gori, where they built the Stalin museum in his lifetime. At the Soviets' demise, Nikozi became again a center of pilgrimage for Georgians. And as the national church came back to life, Nikozi reacquired a bishop who revived the annual mid-August festivities in honor of St. Rajdeny.

The fiercest aerial bombardment of the village took place this year on Aug. 12 and 14. Bishop Andrea Gvazava of Gori, who was helping conduct services at the church at the time, later told me that he had organized the evacuation of villagers but the bishop of Nikozi had stayed to face further bombing. There is some confusion over the condition of the church -- some say it sustained some fire damage and little else -- but the medieval bishop's palace was gutted and everything inside torched. New outbuildings to house a school were destroyed. Bishop Andrea believes that the complex likely suffered looting, because in Gori and outlying villages he and other priests were later robbed at gunpoint by Ossetian militias.

In contrast, Stalin's museum in Gori, which I visited during the occupation, went unmolested except for the Georgian flag flying on the tower above -- a sniper had shot out its red St. George crosses. In fact, the museum became a center of pilgrimage for Russian soldiers who daily stood around having their pictures taken. The custodian, a sturdy elderly lady, also had refused to flee. She told me that teary-eyed Russian officers, drunk by evening as most Russian soldiers were, kept turning up and complimenting her for watching the place. They had hugged her and said: "He was a great man. He kept our country unified."

Had they mentioned that he'd done so by decimating an entire generation of Georgians and by settling Ossetians in and around Tskhinvali, the source of all the present trouble? "They were alcoholics," she sniffed. Why hadn't she fled? "Because it is a piece of history, whatever you think of Stalin," she said, "and we have a responsibility to preserve it."
Mr. Kaylan writes about culture for the Journal.

Book Burning

Burning books - the very thought raises the hairs on the back of my neck. I came out of the womb with a book in my hand, and I've never stopped reading. Reading is the primary way in which people take in knowledge. (Photo: Nazis burning books in 1933 Berlin, (c) Corbis)

The only defense we have against those who present lies as truth is our own personal knowledge store. It really is true that knowledge is power. Therefore, they who control the knowledge control the power - a primary tenant that leads to censorship and intellectual suppression in authoritarian governments and of religious fundamentalists (whatever creed) the world over. As dondelion told me years ago, media carries the message; control the media, control the message.

I gauge a person's character by how he/she feels about books. I look with suspicion and horror on anyone who talks about banning books in libraries just because they don't like the content. If John McCain wins the Presidential election in November and dies in office, our next President could ban books because she doesn't like their content. Now that is a thought more scary to me than Osama bin Laden or the threat of economic melt-down.

Into an environment that is ripe for book-burning these days (just ask the Taliban and Sarah Palin) comes "A Universal History of the Destruction of Books: From Ancient Sumer to Modern Iraq" (Atlas, 367 pages, $25), which was reviewed by Eric Ormsby at The New York Sun:

Book-Burning and Other Bibliocausts
By ERIC ORMSBY September 24, 2008

The clay tablets of the Babylonians seem clumsy and strangely vulnerable. They weren't gathered in books or protected by bindings; they crumbled easily. And yet, they had one great advantage over all our media, from parchment to CDs: When baked by the sun or fired in kilns, clay tablets become virtually indestructible. Neither fire nor water nor hungry worms can wreck them. If they break, the shards can be pieced together again. As a result, thousands of ancient records incised in clay, from bills of lading to personal letters to such literary masterpieces as the "Epic of Gilgamesh," survive to this day.

By contrast, of the 120 works attributed to Sophocles only seven complete plays and a handful of fragments are extant. Sappho wrote nine volumes of verse but only two whole poems of hers survive. And in fact, we ourselves aren't much better off than the Greeks. Books printed in the 19th century on acid paper crumble in our hands as we read them. Nor do we even know for sure what the actual life span of digitized records will be. To make matters worse, as Fernando Báez makes plain in "A Universal History of the Destruction of Books: From Ancient Sumer to Modern Iraq" (Atlas, 367 pages, $25), translated from the Spanish by Alfred MacAdam, the book has always been doubly inflammable. Its contents inflame hostile readers while its physical format is temptingly combustible.

When conquerors put vanquished peoples to the sword they destroy their books too. The Mongols under Hulagu sacked Baghdad in 1258 and devastated its centuries-old libraries; the Christian missionaries who accompanied the conquistadors made bonfires of the Aztec and Mayan codices. And as recently as August 1992, Ratko Mladic, the Serbian commander, ordered incendiary shells deployed for three days to destroy the National Library of Bosnia-Herzegovina in Sarajevo. In a perverse way, such murderous vandals paid tribute to the value of the book: They understood, however dimly, that conquest can't be complete until the entire written past of the conquered has been razed to the ground.

Mr. Báez is the director of the National Library of Venezuela, and so this melancholy history of destruction is close to his heart. His title makes ironic allusion to Jorge Luis Borges's "Universal History of Infamy." This is all the more fitting since Borges himself not only served as director of the National Library of Argentina but in one of his most famous fictions conjured up the shadowy "Library of Babel," a fabulous repository "whose extent is infinite." Unlike Borges, who delighted in inventing titles which don't exist (but should), Mr. Báez describes books and whole libraries that fell prey not only to fire and flood but to sheer human malevolence. He is an eloquent chronicler of such "bibliocausts."

Whether he is describing the systematic destruction of books carried out by the Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang in 213 B.C.E. — only works on agriculture, medicine, and divination were spared — or the conflagration which incinerated the famed library of Alexandria, probably at the hands of a zealous Christian mob, in the fourth century C.E., Mr. Báez sets each act of destruction in its historical context. And he provides an excellent, if harrowing, array of illustrations. Lurid photographs of Nazi book-burning are set against crude images of those earlier pyres on which the writings of outcast and "heretical" groups, such as the Albigensians in medieval France, were consumed.

Unfortunately, for all Mr. Báez's impassioned eloquence, this is an uneven book, and several chapters are marred by glaring errors. In the chapter on libraries in the Islamic world, for example, dates are given incorrectly, names are mangled beyond recognition, and historical events are misrepresented. Thus, the great wave of conquests that took early Muslim armies from the Arabian Peninsula to Spain in the West and India in the East within a century did not begin in 661 with the Umayyad dynasty — which Mr. Báez persists in calling the "Ommiads" — but was launched 30 years earlier; the great ninth-century translator from Greek into Arabic was Hunayn ibn Ishaq, not "Humayun Ibn Ishaq," and so forth. These are small mistakes but there are too many of them. Such breezy carelessness is especially disturbing in a book that laments the misuse of books.

To his credit, Mr. Báez is no mere academic chronicler of what he calls, somewhat awkwardly, "biblioclasty." He has stood amid the ruins of great libraries in Sarajevo and present-day Baghdad and he has been active in efforts to rebuild their ransacked collections. Still, his infamous history leaves a lingering puzzle: Why does the destruction of books — inanimate objects, after all — provoke such a distinct sense of horror in us? In many cultures, of course, the book has been revered as a sacred artifact and even today we feel this; we'd rather give a book away than destroy it. But the true reason may lie deeper. Books are made out of words and it is words that define us. We are the rational, the speaking, animals. To burn a book is to aim a blow at the very meaning of what we are.

The Riace Warriors

From Ansa.it
(Photo of the Riace warriors from the Reggio Calabria Museum, Warrior "B" is in the forefront, without the helmet described in the article).

2008-09-24 13:25
Riace riddle thickens
Photo of find 'shows shield handle, ' sleuth says

(ANSA) - Riace, September 24 - The riddle of an alleged theft from Italy's famed Riace bronzes has resurfaced 35 years after they were lifted from the Calabrian seabed.

A photo of the 1972 find has reignited speculation that the two figures were stripped of a shield and possibly other objects - and even a companion who has never been seen. The photo was put on display recently by a Riace cultural association and spotted by Riace bronze sleuth Giuseppe Bragho', an amateur archaeologist who has long been arguing that the site was raided by art thieves.

Bragho' says the snap, taken just after the statues were brought ashore, is ''unequivocal evidence'' that a shield was torn from the left arm of the so-called 'younger' statue.

''The photo clearly shows an object protruding from the statue's left hand. It's easy to guess that it was the handle of the shield that has never been discovered,'' Bragho' said. Bragho' said the photo should ''lend fresh impetus'' to an inquiry opened last year on the basis of his claims. The local sleuth, who has written a book outlining his suspicions, says he has ''tracked down and photographed a series of documents that indicate an alarming scenario''.

He says a third statue - ''completely different from the other two'' - as well as two shields and a lance, were seen lying on the seabed by the finder, scuba diver Stefano Mariottini.

Bragho' points to a statement made by Mariottini the day after he discovered the statues on 16 August 1972.In the statement, he refers to ''a group of statues''

Bragho' also highlights another section of Mariottini's statement in which he reportedly said he saw ''three statues, probably made of bronze...one of them lying on its side with a shield on its left arm''.

In addition, the expert has provided prosecutors with the name of a man who allegedly helped smuggle a shield and lance away from the scene of the discovery.

ONE OF ITALY'S MOST IMPORTANT FINDS OF THE LAST 100 YEARS.
The bronzes were discovered by Mariottini, an amateur scuba diver from Rome, during a holiday on the Calabrian coast.

They turned out to be one of Italy's most important archaeological finds of the last 100 years.

The statues are of two virile men, presumably warriors or gods, who possibly held lances and shields at one time. At around two metres, they are larger than life.

The 'older' man, known as Riace B, wears a helmet, while the 'younger' Riace A has nothing covering his rippling hair. Both are naked. Although the statues are cast in bronze, they feature silver lashes and teeth, copper red lips and nipples, and eyes made of ivory, limestone and a glass and amber paste.

Italy is renowned for its archaeological treasures but the Riace bronzes have attracted particular attention. This is partly because of their exceptionally realistic rendering and partly owing to the rarity of ancient bronze statues, which tended to be melted down and the metal reused. Mariottini, who spotted the statues 300 metres off the coast and eight metres underwater, said the bronze was so realistic he initially thought he'd found the remains of a corpse.

When they first went on display in 1981, a million people came to see them and the pair were even featured on a commemorative postage stamp. Today the statues pull some 130,000 visitors each year to the Reggio Calabria museum housing them.

How or when the statues sank to their watery resting place also remains a mystery, as divers uncovered no wreckage in the vicinity. While remains could have drifted to the seabed some distance away it is more probable that the statues were tossed overboard, either to lighten the ship's load in a storm or to prevent them falling into the hands of pirates.

Italian cultural authorities recently sent a fresh scientific mission to the area after a US ship reported detecting traces of underwater metal near the spot the statues were discovered.

More on the Fake Christian Amulet

From the Timesonline.uk

My suspicion is that the real problem is that the amulet is unique. Because it doesn’t fit their understanding of the period, they are determined to believe that it cannot be genuine.

Here's the original post.

Christian amulet that ruined my life is not a hoax
Andrew Norfolk
September 22, 2008

The archaeologist who discovered a silver cross exposed by scientists last week as a Roman “hoax” says he is convinced that the find is genuine.

Quentin Hutchinson has remained silent since he found the early Christian Chi-Rho amulet while excavating a 4th-century grave near the Somerset town of Shepton Mallet in 1990.

It was initially regarded as the earliest evidence of a Christian burial in Britain and was hailed as one of the archaeological finds of the century. But after tests by experts at Liverpool University, which concluded that the silver was of 19th-century origin, it has now emerged that doubts about its authenticity were voiced almost from the moment it was found.

Mr Hutchinson, 46, has never before spoken publicly about his discovery of the tiny cross on Sunday, July 15, 1990. But now he says that it has ruined his life and he wishes that he had never found it.

His integrity was called into question soon after the find, and the suspicion that he had planted the cross himself ended his professional career.

He denies playing any part in a hoax and maintains that it would have been impossible for anyone to plant the amulet without disturbing the soil. In the absence of such evidence, he is convinced that the cross could only have come to be underneath the right femur of the skeleton of a middle-aged man, possibly a priest, if it had been buried with its owner more than 1,600 years ago. He believes that the experts must reconsider because the find may yet prove to be of great importance.

In the summer of 1990, Mr Hutchinson, then 28, had been an archaeologist for four years and was a member of Birmingham University’s Field Archeology Unit. It had been asked to conduct a dig at the site of a proposed £6 million warehouse development. What they uncovered, beside the Fosse Way was evidence of a large Romano-British settlement, with roadside buildings, workshops, agricultural enclosures and industrial workings.

There were also three 4th-century cemeteries, one of which – where the graves lay east to west – was thought to be Christian. Mr Hutchinson was asked to complete the excavation of one grave, which had been left by a colleague with the upper half of the skeleton uncovered but the lower half still hidden beneath compacted soil.

“I began lowering the grave fill. You can always tell, from subtle differences in colour and texture, if there has been a disturbance. In this case, the soil was very clean, very compact. It did not look to have been disturbed in any way. The site director [Peter Leach] had already looked at it with me. There was absolutely nothing to suggest that it had been tampered with.”

When Mr Hutchinson reached the upper right leg bone, he noticed a fleck of black and a bead, embedded in the soil next to the bone. He gently removed a fist-sized clod of earth surrounding the object and lifted it out.

He found himself holding a small silver cross, 45mm long, and 39mm wide. The bead had been the tip of one of its four points. Heart racing, he hurried to Mr Leach, who wiped the remaining soil from the small disc at its centre.
This revealed the Chi-Rho marking, an early Christian symbol formed by superimposing the first two letters, X and P, of the Greek word Christos, “the anointed one”. He said: “I thought, ‘Oh my God, what have I found?’ It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Peter Leach said that nothing like it had ever been found in Britain. It was incredibly exciting.”

Within days, word spread of the amazing find and Shepton Mallet seemed destined for fame as one of Britain’s earliest centres of Christian belief. Mr Hutchinson left Britain on a short holiday two months later. When he came back, his world fell apart.

“My director called me into his office and told me that he had been asked by the British Museum to question my professional conduct because they were convinced that the amulet was a modern hoax.”

Mr Hutchinson was asked if he had planted it. He angrily denied the accusation. The find remained, officially, genuine until last week’s tests but passion for archaeology – and trust in Britain’s archaeological establishment – left its finder many years ago.

Shattered by the suspicions surrounding him, he resigned from the Birmingham team in 1991 and left the profession in 2000. He has subsequently worked as a teacher, in a post office and in a supermarket. He now wants a gathering of experts to thrash out the controversy.

“I’m not an expert on Roman silver, so in that sense I can’t say whether the amulet is genuine, but what I do know is that it came out of an untouched grave. My suspicion is that the real problem is that the amulet is unique. Because it doesn’t fit their understanding of the period, they are determined to believe that it cannot be genuine. The truth is I wish I’d never found it, because it ruined my life.”

Friday Night Miscellany

Hola darlings!

I had my last summer PTO day today, and it sure was gorgeous outside! Sunny, low dew point, and 80 degrees. I actually watered the lawn out back, it was so dry it was lying down flat and I want to cut it tomorrow, so I had to get it standing back up. Only way to do that is to water...

I rearranged the front room today and got the new lap top moved from the kitchen table to the desk overlooking the front window and the fireplace. Whew - what a chore that is, shoving heavy furniture around - and I moved the 8 foot tall curio cabinet! That baby hasn't been moved in probably 10 years! First, everything had to come out of it, a job in and of itself just trying to find places to stash the stuff it holds, geez! Then I had to remove the glass shelves; then I "walked" the empty hulk over from one side of the room to the other. Took 20 minutes just to do the "walking" about 15 feet. It was worth the sweat equity though, it looks real nice in its new position. After bumping and shoving the rest of the furniture around, positioning the desk just so, dusting, vacuuming, and beginning the laborious process of rearranging the accessories and artwork to fit the new furniture configuration, I ran out of steam. Then I had to run upstairs and clean up and make myself presentable - scrubbing off, hair, make-up, clean clothes.

A friend was coming by shortly after 6 to pick me up. She was shopping for her very first computer, she wanted a laptop, and she wanted me along for security I think, more than anything else. Also I can be very intimidating, particularly when I put on my glasses... When we were out at dinner a few weeks ago I mentioned the purchase of my new Toshiba laptop and the fantastic price I got it for, and she went WOW! That got her thinking she could afford one herself. As she didn't have much knowledge of laptops (neither did I, before I started shopping for one over a year ago), I scouted the ads for her and searched around online, and found a couple of good deals. She got a crash course in what is included and what is not in a sale price "basic" laptop. We went and inspected a laptop in person tonight, she checked out the keyboard (important to people who make their living doing lots of typing, like yours truly), we got a detailed list of the specs and went through them, she got answers to the questions she had about "what is this" and "what is that" from a knowledgeable manager, and she closed the deal! She's going wireless so we also picked up a router for her. Now all she has to do is get DSL. I showed her how to shop online for discounted software (she wants Microsoft Works) and we're practically good to go! I got her set-up for a net cost of a little over $500 (she does have to apply for a $100 rebate on the computer) including the $90 or so she'll have to pop for the Microsoft Works. Last night when she went to a place that shall remain nameless that was offering some months free financing in addition to a good sale price on a "brand name" laptop, they tried to job her for $1,000 for basically the same set-up we got tonight, scaring the crap out of her talking about anti-virus protection and security and extended service contracts. Did you know that viruses can grow inside of a computer while it's sitting in its box, unplugged and never used? Neither did I. That's what the sales kid at the unnamed store told my friend last night. Ohmygoddess!

So, tomorrow, the curio cabinet glass sides, shelves and mirrored back get thororoughly cleaned, the shelves put back in, and the contents dusted and/or washed before being replaced, including my precious collection of pink elephants. A good time to rotate things out and pack some stuff away.

I also unpacked and set up the new HDTV that arrived a few days ago. Can't get the damn menu feature to work right and channel 4 is coming in positively crappy, but as every other channel is coming in perfectly clear it must have something to do with the channel 4 transmission.

The Brewers beat the Cubs AGAIN tonight at Miller Park, whoopppeeee! If we win tomorrow and the Mets lose that means we're in the play-offs for the first time in 26 years! This city is excited. Poop noodle little Milwaukee with 636,000 people generated over 3,000,000 in attendance this year, cha ching!

Just a few things to mention tonight, I'm tired and it's way past bedtime!

What the hell is this b.s. about Sarah Palin, ex-mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, charging rape victims for their rape kits (used by the police to gather evidence of sexual assault). Fifi the Alaskan Attack Dog strikes again! What the hell - am I living in an alternate universe where the police charge the victims to do their job???

Weird, very very weird. The night terrors taken one step beyond. Yeah, I "see" things in my bedroom almost every night, but I've never eaten a cat...

Methane gas bubbling up from underneath "Arctic lakes" were either a symptom of or cause of the end of the last Ice Age, around 13,000 years ago (11,000 BCE, give or take a few thousand years). Guess all the hot air coming out of Washington these days is just speeding up our current melting of the ice caps. Will archaeologists soon uncover an archaic version of Washington, D.C. or the Kremlin, the poor suckers petrified in their seats forever with their mouths open, pumping out the last bits of hot air in their beings, as massive floods of water and mud swept down upon them...

14,300 year old poop proves the Bering land bridge theory of when man first arrived in the new world is full of crap...

On that note, darlings, I'm calling it a night. Sweet dreams.

Women's Chess in Barbados

From The Barbados Advocate
Keen action in ladies' chess
Web Posted - Fri Sep 26 2008

DEFENDING ladies chess champion, Corrine Howard, who is looking to make this her third consecutive title, has encountered some early turbulence in the BOA/CGI National Ladies Championship which is being played at Bridge House, Cavans Lane, The City.

From the first round the 6 finalists trying to take Corrine's crown showed they meant business. In her round one clash against the experienced Juanita Garnett, the defending champion found herself under tremendous pressure early in the game. However, she put up tough resistance and managed to salvage a draw.

Round three, however, proved to be a dramatic round as Cherie-Ann Parris of squash fame defeated the reigning champion in an intense battle. Parris, determined to make up for her round two loss against Comarie Mansour, played aggressively from the start and never relented until she claimed the full point inflicting a rare defeat on the defending Champion.

This has left the tournament wide open with only two rounds remaining and the action should be intense this weekend as the players jostle for the top spots.

Cherie-Ann Parris on four points, holds a slight 1/2 point lead ahead of Corrine Howard and Juanita Garnett, both on 3 1/2 points.

Comarie Mansour and former Ladies Champion Rashida Corbin, who has returned to competitive chess after a few years' break, are both on three points but still have a rescheduled game against each other. This a key game as the winner would join Parris at the top of the standings.

Katrina Blackman of Coleridge and Parry has two points and the baby of the competition, 10-year-old Cherise Austin is yet to score, although she has been playing well and missed an opportunity to draw against Mansour in round three.

Round six will be played tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Bridge House, Cavans Lane, The City. Entry is free to the public. The action can also be followed on the Federation's website, Barbados.org/Chess.ý

Ancient Metal Works Found in Bam

Ancient metal workshop found in Bam
Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:52:29 GMT

Archeological studies in the city of Bam have led to the discovery of a metal production center in Iran's southeastern Kerman Province. Excavations in the Darestan region, located some 22 kilometers to the east of the city of Bam showed that the area was once a rich metal production center.

“In the space of 3,400 to 3,500 BCE [this actually should be 3500 to 34oo BCE] the area was filled with metal workshops in which metals such as copper were extracted,” said team director, Omran Garajian. “The team found a number of honeycombed metal seals, which were popular around 2,600 to 2,100 BCE,” he added. “Similar seals dating back to 2,400 BCE were previously found in eastern Iran. The newly discovered seals were made in 3,400 to 3,500 BCE,” Garajian he said.

Archeologists also unearthed a skeleton, a skull and some jewelry.

TE/HGH

The Goddess Akka

Proto-indo-European word for water: ak(w)-a; important derivatives are island, aquatic, ewer, and sewer. 1. Island-from Old English ig, ieg, island, from Germanic *agwjo. 2. Aqua, Aquarelle, Aquarium, Aquatic, Aqui-, Ewer, Gouache, Sewer, from Latin aqua, water.

From Barbara Walker's "The Woman's Encylopedia of Myths and Secrets."

Akka
Eponymous ancestral Goddess of Akkad, called the Old Woman, the Grandmother, or the Midwife. She was the "Water-drawer" who brought gods to birth out of the primal deep - the feminine prototype of Aquarius. A similar Central-American Goddess figure had curiously similar names, Acat or Akna.(1) [Why curious? If the experts are correct, old world peoples populated the new world, and they would have brought the names of their gods and goddesses with them. The root word for "water" most likely goes back far far beyond proto-Indo-European, back to the time when language was just beginning.]

Akka had many related names. Greeks called her Acco or Acca, "she Who Fashions."(2) To Laps and Finns in northern Europe, she was Mader-Akka -- Mother Akka -- who created humanity.(3) To Romans, she was Acca Larentia, or Acca the mother of the Lares, which were archaic ancestral spirits left over from pre-Roman Latium.

Acca Larentia was variously called the first Vestal Virgin, or a temple prostitute, or a rich courtesan, or a virgin bridge of God -- roles tha may seem mutually contradictory but were not so (see Prostitution; Vestal Virgins). As the divine midwife, she helped Rhea Silvia give birth to Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome. She drew the divine twins out of the floating basket on the river tiber, just as Akka of Akkad drew Sargon out of his floating basket on the river Tigris, and "Pharaoh's daughter" drew Moses from the Nile.

Acca Larentia was honored every year at the roman festival of the Larentalia. She was assimilated to the cult of Heracles, who became one of her husbands. In his Roman temple, Heracles was mated to "Acca, the Maker."(4)

Notes:
(1) Larousse, 439.
(2) Graves, G.M. 2, 190.
(3) Larousse, 306.
(4) Graves, G.M. 2, 190.

The Great Ganges in Trouble

From The Times of India:

Save the river Ganga
23 Sep 2008, 0000 hrs IST, KAILASH VAJPEYI

Yoga guru Swami Ramdev has been campaigning to save the Ganga from pollution, as have so many others in the past including religious heads and members of civil society.

He wishes that the river that is considered holy by millions should be given heritage status. At least then, he reasons, polluting the river would be considered a punishable crime. Swami Ramdev started his campaign from Kanpur since it is here that the river receives large volumes of toxic effluents from the city's tanneries and other small-scale industries.

The Ganga is both goddess and river. Sitting on the banks of the Ganga is in itself an uplifting experience, as the ambience is rich with the meditations of sages from time immemorial. As the consort of Shiva, flowing from his matted locks as Shakti, her waters are believed to have the power to wash away all sin.
How the Ganga was brought down to earth is told in the story of Bhagiratha who obtained permission from the gods for the river to descend to earth so that the sacred waters might wash over the ashes of the sons of his ancestor, Sagar. The Ganga came down but Shiva absorbed the force of the mighty torrent by letting it flow through his hair. From the head of Shiva it flowed down as the Sapta-Sindhva or the seven sacred rivers.

The Ganga is also called Alaknanda - from the locks of Shiva; Deva-Bhuti - heavenly; Gandini - ever-shining; Hara-Shekhara - Shiva's crest; Jahnavi - from Jahnu; Khapaga - flowing from heaven; Kumarsu - mother of Kartikeya; Mandakini - gently flowing; and Tripathga - flowing through the three worlds of heaven, earth and hell.

If the Himalayas are supreme among mountains and Kashi is supreme among holy cities, the Ganga is supreme among rivers. Jawaharlal Nehru said: "The Ganga especially is the river of India's age-long culture and civilisation, ever changing, ever-flowing, and yet ever the same Ganga."

Poet Jagannath, in his poem, 'Ganga Lahri', approaches the Ganga with total surrender: "I come to you as a child to his mother/ I come as an orphan /To you, moist with love/ I come without refuge/ To you, giver of sacred rest/ I come a fallen man/ To you, uplifter of all./ I come undone by disease/ To you the perfect physician/ I come, my heart dry with thirst/ To you, ocean of sweet wine/ Do with me whatever you will."

It is not only in India but in other parts of the world also that rivers have been referred to as mothers. Volga is Mat Rodanya, that is, mother of the land. Ireland's river Boyne is worshipped as a goddess. The Thai river Mae-nau translates literally as Water Mother. In ancient Egypt, the floods of the Nile were considered the tears of the Goddess Isis.

The name of Ganga appears twice in the Rig Veda. We find references to the Ganga in the Valmiki Ramayana, the Brahmanda Purana, the Devi Bhagavatam and the Mahabharata. A number of Sanskrit poets, including Adi Sankara, have composed beautiful verses in praise of the Ganga.

Our great rivers, including the Ganga, are dying. If we do not succeed in a determined effort to save these important water bodies, we are risking the right of future generations to a healthy, life-enhancing environment. Veda Vyasa said: "Anyone who cuts trees and pollutes rivers commits suicide."

(The writer is member, executive committee, Sahitya Akademi)

Hales Corners Challenge VIII

10 Grand Prix Points!!!

Chessplayers !

Our popular Hales Corners Challenge (held each year in April and October) is coming soon.

Mark your calendar now ! Tournament information is below, and a flyer is attached to this email (or go to http://home.wi.rr.com/swcc/HC%20Challenge.htm )

NOTE !! NEW LOCATION THIS TIME !
Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel—4747 S. Howell Avenue—Milwaukee (Phone—414-481-8000; formerly known as Four Points Sheraton, across street from airport).

October 4, 2008 Hales Corners Challenge VIII GPP: 10 Wisconsin
4SS, G/60. Two Sections: Open & Reserve (under 1600). Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel—4747 S. Howell Avenue—Milwaukee (Phone—414-481-8000; formerly known as Four Points Sheraton, across street from airport).

EF: $35-Open, $25-Reserve, both $5 more after 10/1. Comp EF for USCF 2200+, contact TD for details. $$ Open (b/25)=1st-$325 (guaranteed), 2nd-$175 (guaranteed), A-$100, B & Below-$75; $$ Reserve (b/25)=1st-$100, 2nd-$75, D-$50, E & Below-$40. Reg.: 8:30-9:30, Rds.: 10-1-3:30-6. Ent: Payable to Southwest Chess Club, c/o Allen Becker, 6105 Thorncrest Drive, Greendale, WI 53129 (http://us.mc379.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=allenbecker@wi.rr.com). Questions to TD Gary Wright 414-226-5753.
http://home.wi.rr.com/swcc/

Hales Corners Challenge VIII
Sponsored by The Southwest Chess Club
http://home.wi.rr.com/swcc/

Sturday, October 4, 2008
Two Sections – Open & Reserve (Under 1600)

FORMAT: Four Round Swiss System - Four Games in One Day
USCF Rated
TIME LIMIT: Game in One Hour (60 minutes per player)
ENTRY FEE: $35 – Open; $25 – Reserve
Comp Entry Fee for USCF 2200+ (call TD for details)
both sections $5 more after October 1, 2008)
SITE REGISTRATION: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
ROUNDS: 10 am -- 1 pm -- 3:30 pm -- 6 pm
Pairings by WinTD---No Computer Entries---No Smoking

* Prize fund in each section is based on minimum of 25 players in that section; however 1st and 2nd prizes in Open Section are guaranteed

***Special Additional Prizes provided by Goddesschess.com***
Top Finishing Female Player--$50/Best Game by Female Player--$25/Best Game by Male Player--$25

Tournament Director: Gary Wright
Assistant Tournament Directors: Tom Fogec/ Allen Becker /Robin Grochowski

SITE: Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel—4747 S. Howell Avenue—Milwaukee—414-481-8000
(formerly known as Four Points Sheraton, across street from airport)

ENTRIES TO: Allen Becker —6105 Thorncrest Drive— Greendale , WI 53129 http://us.mc379.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=allenbecker@wi.rr.com
QUESTIONS TO: Gary Wright—414-226-5753

USCF I.D. Required -- Bring your own clocks – Sets and Boards Provided
Irrevocable half point bye available in any round, except round 4, if requested prior to first round
____________________________________________________________________

Checks payable to Southwest Chess Club
Please indicate section desired) __Open Section __Reserve Section

Name: __________________________________________________

USCF ID#: ________________ Rating: _______ Expire Date: ___________

Address: ______________________________________
City: _____________________ State : _______ Zip: _________

Phone: __________________ e-mail Address: _______________________

Southwest Chess Club of Hales Corners New Events

An announcement from my "adopted" local chess club for a new event!

Hello Chess Players,

This Thursday, September 25, marks the start of a new tournament, the Cool Autumn Breezes Blowing Swiss, a four round event with one game each night of the tournament. There will be two sections. Register at the playing site between 6:20 and 6:50 pm. If you know you will be late but wish to enter, please contact me in advance. Remember, we are now meeting at the Layton State Bank in Greendale, located at 5850 Broad Street (lower level). Details below.

Cool Autumn Breezes Blowing Swiss: Sept. 25, Oct 2, 9, 16 4-Round Swiss in Two Sections (Open and Under 1600). Game/100 minutes. USCF Rated. EF: $5 members, $7 others. (One ½ Point Bye Available for any round (except round four) if requested at least 2- days prior to round). TD is Fogec; ATD is Grochowski

Tom Fogec Southwest Chess Club 414-425-6742 tfogec@wi.rr.com

Did Government Pressure Lead to Poison Milk Cover-up?

Delay since as far back as December, 2007 and certainly since June, 2008 in reporting to government officials evidence of widespread milk poisoning and ordering product recalls may have been due to pre-Olympics government pressure that no bad news be released.

China Says Complaints About Milk Began in 2007
By DAVID BARBOZA
Published: September 23, 2008
SHANGHAI — One of China’s biggest dairy producers received consumer complaints about its baby milk formula as early as December 2007 — much earlier than previously thought and 10 months before the producer ordered a nationwide recall because of concerns that the formula had been adulterated with a toxic industrial chemical, state media said Tuesday.

The disclosure, in a government report publicized by the official Xinhua News Agency, is the latest indication that the producer, Sanlu Group, had repeatedly tried to hide information about its contaminated dairy supplies from the public.

Powdered milk formula in China tainted by melamine, a chemical compound, has already sickened more than 53,000 infants and killed three children nationwide, according to the Health Ministry, leading to recalls of Chinese-made dairy products in China and other parts of Asia, devastating this nation’s huge dairy industry and casting a renewed pall over the quality of Chinese food production. Officials at the Sanlu Group, which is based in northern China’s Hebei Province, could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

The government report did not include details about the nature or number of consumer complaints but put the timing of when they began at least six months earlier than first reported.

Earlier this month, government investigators said that Sanlu officials had delayed acting on consumer complaints and warnings in June, and that local government officials in Hebei knew of the problems in early August, just before the Olympic Games opened in Beijing.

Sanlu announced a nationwide recall in early September.

The Fonterra Group of New Zealand, which is one of the world’s biggest dairy exporters and has a 43 percent stake in Sanlu, says it pressed its Chinese partner to announce a recall in August, but company and local government officials refused.

Food safety experts say the delays may have allowed the tainted powdered milk supplies to spread more widely, making tens of thousands of children ill.

The delays have led to widespread speculation in China that Sanlu and some government officials were trying to cover up the problem during the Olympics because Beijing had pressed Chinese journalists and companies not to release negative news.

In the two weeks since reports spread about the contamination and sickness, though, the milk recall has mushroomed, with worried parents rushing to hospitals, supermarket chains pulling dairy products off shelves and dairy farmers dumping milk because no one is willing to drink it.
China’s dairy industry has been booming for more than a decade, with the aid of a government initiative to get Chinese to drink more milk.

But worries about baby formula tainted with melamine, which is used to produce plastics and fertilizer, led to government checks that uncovered evidence that products made by 21 other dairy producers, including some of China’s best known dairy brands, have also been tainted by melamine.

On Monday, the government announced that the head of the nation’s quality watchdog had been forced to resign for failing to properly supervise the dairy market. Several government officials from Hebei Province have also been forced to step down, along with the chairwoman of the Sanlu Group.

The government announced Tuesday that more than 7,000 tons of dairy products had been removed from store shelves. Also on Tuesday, the Ministry of Agriculture said the nation’s dairy collection system was “out of control,” The Associated Press reported, making it possible for unscrupulous businesses to intentionally spike dairy supplies with melamine, which can be used to illegally and artificially inflate the protein count in milk and other foods.

Ancient Writing Sample Found in Philippines

From www.Malaya.com
Shard find in Intramuros shows early form of writing
September 22, 2008

A NATIONAL Museum team has dug up a pot shard with an inscription around its shoulder, similar to the world-renowned Calatagan pot, at the San Ignacio archeological site in Intramuros.

The find, lying 140 centimeters below the surface at the ruins of the San Ignacio church, is seen as evidence of another ancient form of writing in the Philippines.

Most of the writing systems in the Southeast Asian region are derived from an ancient script used in India.

In contrast to other countries, the Philippines has very few artifacts that provide evidence of the earliest form of writing. These include the Laguna copper plate (900 AD), Butuan ivory seal (9th to 12th centuries), Butuan silver strip (14th to 15th centuries) and the Calatagan pot (15th century).

When Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi came in 1567, he observed that inhabitants read and wrote in their own system of writing using an alphabet.

The Tagalogs had their own alphabet, the baybayin, which was similar to those used by people in the South. The baybayin was in wide use in the 16th century, but its users began to wane in the following century.

Among ethno-linguistics groups in the Philippines, only three have retained the use of their syllabic scripts: the Hanunoo and Bahid Mangyan of Mindoro, and the Tagbanwa of Palawan.

The archaeological excavation at San Ignacio is another project being implemented jointly by the Cultural Properties and Archaeology Divisions of the National Museum and the Intramuros Administration.

This project is undertaken in connection with the plan of the IA to develop the area where the church ruins stand into an ecclesiastical museum.

Digging was started in June by the National Museum team made up of curator Angel P. Bautista, researchers Alfredo Orogo and Carmencita Mariano, artist Ernesto Toribio Jr., and Jimmy Fingcale.

Excavation in five squares yielded 500 pieces of archaeological material, of which the pot shard with inscription is considered the most significant find.

********************************************

What an exciting discovery. I hope more will be published on this find. I continue to find it amazing how much history has been lost in recent historic times. It's a sad testiment to our lack of care, prejudice and ignorance.

Treasure Trove in India!

From The DeccanHerald.com
September 19, 2008

131 Mughul period gold coins unearthed in TN village
Dharmapuri (TN), PTI:
A treasure of ancient gold coins dating back to the Mughul period was unearthed at a village near Dharmapuri.

The coins numbering 131 and kept in a earthen pot came to light when Nadumadhu (40) and his wife Kannammal of Kalkundapatti village, 47 km from here, were digging their piece of land for constructing a house, officials said.

On being informed about the treasure, a team of revenue officials led by Palacode Thasildar T Duke Ponraj rushed to the village yesterday and took possession of the coins, each of which weighed around six grams.

A pair of ear rings was also recovered from the site.

As the coins had markings in Urdu it was beleived to be of the Mughul period, officials said.

The couple were questioned by the revenue and police officials.
The coins and the ear rings, seized under the Indian Treasure Act, were handed over to the District Collector for further action.

*********************************

Did the finders notify the authorities of the find, or did someone else turn them in? Why were the couple questioned by revenue and police officials? Do the authorities think the couple who found this treasure trove have more hidden away somewhere??? Will the couple who uncovered these coins receive a percentage of their value under the Indian Treasure Act? What "further action" will take place - an inquest (similar to what they do in England when treasure trove is found)?

The Man Who Saved The World

From TheFirstPost.com/uk
The Soviet chess enthusiast who saved the world
September 23, 2008
Twenty-five years ago this week, a Russian soldier averted a nuclear holocaust, writes Philip Jacobson

When Lt Col Stanislav Petrov arrived to work the graveyard shift at the secret command bunker near Moscow from which the Soviet Union's early warning satellites were monitored, he was anticipating another routine stint of checking screens and communications systems, with a few chess problems to help pass the time.

But shortly after midnight on September 26, 1983, alarms started blaring and a red button on the console in front of Petrov began to flash the single word: "Start". This signified that an American ballistic missile had been launched and was heading towards the USSR: then the computers linked to the satellites reported that four more missiles were on the way.

As commander of the bunker, Petrov, a 44-year-old rocket specialist, was responsible for deciding whether the horrifying launch data was accurate. If it was, standing orders required immediate notification of the Soviet high command, which would then consult the Kremlin about initiating a swift and massive retaliatory strike against the US. "For 15 seconds we were all in a state of shock," Petrov recalled years later. "We needed to understand with absolute certainty what came next."

After five minutes of frantic activity, with his staff begging him to stay cool, Petrov concluded that the incoming launch reports were almost certainly false. A central tenet of the USSR's Cold War strategy held that any nuclear attack by America would involve the simultaneous launch of hundreds of missiles. In Petrov's judgment, nobody would carry out a first strike with just five: he was also aware the system had a history of malfunctioning. "My gut feeling was that we were experiencing another systems failure, so I made the decision to report a false alarm."

Petrov's hunch was subsequently confirmed by an official investigation: the satellite alerts that might have created a nuclear holocaust were triggered by an unusual combination of sunlight and high-altitude cloud formations, wrongly interpreted by the computers as a missile launch.

But although Petrov's conduct under intense pressure initially drew high praise from superiors - there was talk of a medal - an official investigation later accused him of serious disciplinary offences. Petrov was formally reprimanded, demoted and shuffled into a much less responsible post. Convinced he had been made a scapegoat for exposing flaws in the early warning network, he chose to take early retirement and, by some accounts, suffered a nervous breakdown.

It was not until the late-1990s, as President Gorbachev's policy of glasnost (openness) took hold, that the story of that dramatic night in the bunker became public knowledge in Russia. An American expert on Soviet defence doctrines during the Cold War described the incident as "the closest we've come to an accidental nuclear conflict". Contemporary US intelligence reports indicated that the then Soviet leader, Yuri Andropov, and his top brass were extremely nervous about the possibility that President Ronald Reagan might authorise a devastating first strike against what he had famously dubbed "the evil empire".

By then, Petrov was surviving on a meagre military pension in a squalid apartment block in a town near Moscow, drinking too much and mourning the death of his devoted wife from cancer. He would tell Western journalists that he did not consider himself a hero, just a conscientious officer who did his duty at a moment of great peril for mankind.

Yet within a few years, as word spread of his role in averting what could have become a global catastrophe, he was being feted in the West. In May 2004, the US-based Association of World Citizens awarded him a trophy and $1,000: two years later, health seemingly restored, he was invited to UN headquarters in New York to receive a second award.

Twenty-five years on, a documentary film about Petrov - working title The Man Who Saved The World - is being prepared. It is due for release next summer.

FIRST POSTED SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

Christ the Magus

An interesting article only in Spanish (couldn't find an English translation online). I'm no linguist but I could make out a few words and checked a few more with the aid of Alta Vista's Babelfish translator. Of main importance is that this cup or small bowl, found in Alexandria, Egypt (possibly under water?), has a notation in Greek "Dia Chrstou o Goistais," translated into Spanish for the article ""por Chrestos el mago" -- my take on this is FOR CHRIST THE MAGICIAN. Wow! I confirmed that "mago" in Spanish means magus, magician, the same as the title given to the ancient Persian wise men. Since I don't read Spanish, I'm guessing that the references to 50-51 CE are references to the age of the artifact. If that proves to be correct, I believe this could be the earliest reference ever found to the historical name of Jesus Christ.

Here's the article:

PODRÍA SER LA REFERENCIA MÁS ANTIGUA A JESUCRISTO
La vasija de 'Cristo, el mago'
--Hallan entre las ruinas de Alejandría un tarro con una enigmática inscripción
--La leyenda fue tallada en el año 50 y probablemente alude al Mesías
--La valiosa pieza se expondrá en Madrid hasta finales de noviembre
Actualizado viernes 19/09/2008 17:14 (CET)
CHANO MONTELONGO

MADRID.- Un equipo de arqueólogos y egiptólogos acaba de descubrir, entre las ruinas sumergidas de la mítica ciudad de Alejandría, una vasija de cerámica con una enigmática inscripción en griego que podría ser la referencia más antigua que existe de Jesucristo.

Según explicó a elmundo.es Franck Goddio, uno de los arqueólogos submarinos más prestigiosos del mundo y el responsable del hallazgo, el objeto muestra una inscripción en griego, 'Dia Chrstou o Goistais', que se interpreta como "por Chrestos el mago".

Entre las teorías que se barajan, "bien podría tratarse de una referencia a Jesucristo, en aquel tiempo el máximo exponente de la magia blanca", indicó el investigador francés.

El valor del descubrimiento se incrementa al comprobarse su antigüedad, ya que los egiptólogos que han estudiado la pieza aseguran que la vasija, procedente de Asia Menor, es del siglo I a.C. y que la inscripción fue realizada antes del año 50 d.C. Esto convertiría el hallazgo en la primera referencia del mesías que se conoce, honor que hasta ahora ostenta una carta del apóstol San Pablo del año 51 d.C. en la que habla de "su maestro".

No obstante, ésta no es más que una de las dos o tres teorías que barajan los expertos sobre el origen y el significado de esta valiosa pieza.

El descubrimiento se produjo el pasado mes de junio cuando su equipo trabajaba en uno de los yacimientos situados en la zona oriental del Portus Magnus de Alejandría, concretamente dentro de un templo situado cerca de la isla de Antirhodos, muy cerca de la costa.

"Las excavaciones presentan varios estratos que coinciden con una fecha concreta en el tiempo. Esta vasija fue hallada en el piso correspondiente al siglo I d.C., aunque pruebas posteriores han confirmado que su antigüedad se sitúa un siglo antes de nuestra era. Se encontraron junto a varios objetos y columnas del templo", explica Goddio.

Durante los últimos meses, los mejores egiptólogos del mundo han trabajado en esta pieza y han dado varias teorías sobre ella. Se cree que la vasija se utilizaba en ritos adivinatorios. Se vertía en él una fina capa de aceite cuyas huellas se interpretaban por un mago en forma de predicciones futuras.

elmundo.es fue testigo, en un acto privado, de la llegada a Madrid de este objeto, donde permanecerá expuesto al público dentro de la muestra 'Tesoros Sumergidos de Egipto', en el Matadero Legazpi, hasta el próximo 26 de noviembre.

Entre fuertes medidas de seguridad y ante la supervisión de egiptólogos y representantes del Gobierno de Egipto, propietario de la pieza, Franck Goddio extrajo de una caja fuerte el objeto y lo depositó en una urna de cristal instalada al final del recorrido de la exposición, que contiene más de 500 piezas procedentes de tres yacimientos sumergidos del Antiguo Egipto.

En la inscripción en griego 'Dia Chrstou o goistais', la palabra 'goistais' significaría «mago», mientras que Chrstou designaría el nombre del celebrante, aunque también podría significar el Mesías. En este caso, la vasija habría sido utilizada por un mago que, para legitimar sus poderes sobrenaturales, habría invocado a Cristo.

«No es descabellado pensar esto, ya que hay que tener en cuenta que en la época de la que estamos hablando, en el primer siglo de nuestra era, la comunicación del Portus Magnus de Alejandría con la región de Palestina era muy fluida, con barcos que llegaban de allí a diario. Es muy probable que en Alejandría estuvieran al corriente de la existencia de Jesús y de los milagros que estaba obrando no muy lejos de allí y que los magos realizaran ritos en su nombre», explicó Goddio.

A pesar de que la vasija está expuesta en Madrid, un gran equipo de expertos investigadores continúa investigando sobre la pieza y su origen y, es probable que en los próximos meses, las teorías sobre el significado de la inscripción se simplifiquen.

Texto íntegro de este artículo

"Braided Lady" Mummy to be Examined

Here's another interesting article -

Associated Press - September 20, 2008 7:14 PM ET

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - An ancient cold case has brought a leading Egyptologist to Wichita this weekend.

Bob Brier plans to study a mummy on display at the Museum of World Treasures to see if she was connected to a 3,000-year-old murder plot involving an Egyptian pharaoh.

Brier, a Long Island University professor, is sometimes called "Mr. Mummy" after a television special he made a few years ago.

The mummy he's studying at the Wichita museum is known as the "Braided Lady" because of her hairstyle.

Museum officials say the woman stood about 4 feet, 10 inches when she was alive and suffered from a curvature of the spine. But little else in known about her.

Brier says he plans to closely examine the Braided Lady's teeth, bones and fingernails in an attempt to learn more about her life.

Information from: The Wichita Eagle, http://www.kansas.com/
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Sasanian Burial Practice Indicates Special Status for Women

Interesting -

CAIS NEWS ©
Latest Archaeological and Cultural News of Iran and the Iranian World
Discovery of a New Sasanian Burial Method in Pahlauj
21 September 2008

LONDON, (CAIS) -- An anthropologist said that the nails around the ancient Pahluj skeletons imply an unknown style of burial carried out for females during the late Sasanian or early post-Sasanian era (650-851 CE).

“We face an unknown style of burial, in which nails have been located upside down on the earth, maybe in order to hold a sheet of wood above the bodies in the graves,” Farzad Foruzanfar told the Persian service of CHN on Saturday.

“The bodies have not been buried in coffins because no remains of wood have been found under the skeletons. However we have found a brown powder of wood on some of the nails’ points,” he added.

The graves were discovered during the rescue excavation, which has begun at the site near the village of Mirar-Kola in northern Iran in late August. Pahluj, which is home to several sites dating back from 1000 BCE to 9th century CE, will be completely submerged under water and mud when the Alborz Dam becomes operational. Pahluj is located in the Savadkuh region of Mazandaran Province.

“The nails have been used in the females’ burial and they have not been found in the males’ graves. This indicates that females were buried in a unique manner during that period of the times,” Foruzanfar explained.

“The nails were located parallel at specific points at the same distances,” he added.

Mehdi Abedini, the director of the archaeological team working at the 3000-year-old site had previously said that the bodies were buried with nails beside their knees and beside their left shoulders, and bunch of nails over and under their heads and feet.

“The existence of bunch of the nails over and under the bodies’ heads and feet is very strange indeed and we have no explanation for them yet,” Foruzanfar said.

The archaeologists have also discovered silver spoons, bracelets, and beads made of lapis lazuli at the graves. Due to the discoveries, experts believe that women enjoyed a special status during the late Sasanian, early post-Sasanian period in the region.

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These burials are well within the historical period, and yet there evidently is no written record of this particular burial practice and its meaning! Will it ever be known?

Here is an initial report of the discovery on September 10, 2008 from the Fars News Agency:

Pre-Islamic Necropolis Found in Northern Iran
TEHRAN (FNA)- Archeologists have discovered a burial ground and a unique burial ritual dating back to Sassanid and post-Islamic eras in northern Iran.

Recent excavations in the northern province of Mazandaran uncovered a burial ground, and brought to light a unique burial ritual. Nails were discovered around the ancient bodies, but archeologists say that these did not come from any coffin. The nails were found in a deliberate pattern. One nail was found beside the knee, one beside the left shoulder, some on top of the head and a few others under the feet, CHN reported. The specific practice has not been observed in any other historical study. Archeologists therefore believe the discovery of the burial ground could be of great importance.

The graves all belong to young people and children, and the nail patterns have turned into a puzzle which archeologists are keen to try and solve. Silver spoons and bracelets, as well as turquoise beads were found near graves. Further studies of the burial site and the relics are expected to reveal more clues as to the meaning behind the nails, and the identities of those buried.

Khazar Capital Found (Maybe)

Scholar claims to find medieval Jewish capital
By MANSUR MIROVALEV, Associated Press Writer
Sat Sep 20, 2:13 PM ET

MOSCOW - A Russian archaeologist says he has found the lost capital of the Khazars, a powerful nation that adopted Judaism as its official religion more than 1,000 years ago, only to disappear leaving little trace of its culture.

Dmitry Vasilyev, a professor at Astrakhan State University, said his nine-year excavation near the Caspian Sea has finally unearthed the foundations of a triangular fortress of flamed brick, along with modest yurt-shaped dwellings, and he believes these are part of what was once Itil, the Khazar capital.

By law Khazars could use flamed bricks only in the capital, Vasilyev said. The general location of the city on the Silk Road was confirmed in medieval chronicles by Arab, Jewish and European authors.

"The discovery of the capital of Eastern Europe's first feudal state is of great significance," he told The Associated Press. "We should view it as part of Russian history."

Kevin Brook, the American author of "The Jews of Khazaria," e-mailed Wednesday that he has followed the Itil dig over the years, and even though it has yielded no Jewish artifacts, "Now I'm as confident as the archaeological team is that they've truly found the long-lost city,
The Khazars were a Turkic tribe that roamed the steppes from Northern China to the Black Sea. Between the 7th and 10th centuries they conquered huge swaths of what is now southern Russia and Ukraine, the Caucasus Mountains and Central Asia as far as the Aral Sea.

Itil, about 800 miles south of Moscow, had a population of up to 60,000 and occupied 0.8 square miles of marshy plains southwest of the Russian Caspian Sea port of Astrakhan, Vasilyev said.

It lay at a major junction of the Silk Road, the trade route between Europe and China, which "helped Khazars amass giant profits," he said.

The Khazar empire was once a regional superpower, and Vasilyev said his team has found "luxurious collections" of well-preserved ceramics that help identify cultural ties of the Khazar state with Europe, the Byzantine Empire and even Northern Africa. They also found armor, wooden kitchenware, glass lamps and cups, jewelry and vessels for transporting precious balms dating back to the eighth and ninth centuries, he said.

But a scholar in Israel, while calling the excavations interesting, said the challenge was to find Khazar inscriptions.

"If they found a few buildings, or remains of buildings, that's interesting but does not make a big difference," said Dr. Simon Kraiz, an expert on Eastern European Jewry at Haifa University. "If they found Khazar writings, that would be very important."

Vasilyev says no Jewish artifacts have been found at the site, and in general, most of what is known about the Khazars comes from chroniclers from other, sometimes competing cultures and empires.

"We know a lot about them, and yet we know almost nothing: Jews wrote about them, and so did Russians, Georgians, and Armenians, to name a few," said Kraiz. "But from the Khazars themselves we have nearly nothing."
The Khazars' ruling dynasty and nobility converted to Judaism sometime in the 8th or 9th centuries. Vasilyev said the limited number of Jewish religious artifacts such as mezuzas and Stars of David found at other Khazar sites prove that ordinary Khazars preferred traditional beliefs such as shamanism, or newly introduced religions including Islam.

Yevgeny Satanovsky, director of the Middle Eastern Institute in Moscow, said he believes the Khazar elite chose Judaism out of political expediency — to remain independent of neighboring Muslim and Christian states. "They embraced Judaism because they wanted to remain neutral, like Switzerland these days," he said.

In particular, he said, the Khazars opposed the Arab advance into the Caucasus Mountains and were instrumental in containing a Muslim push toward eastern Europe. He compared their role in eastern Europe to that of the French knights who defeated Arab forces at the Battle of Tours in France in 732.

The Khazars succeeded in holding off the Arabs, but a young, expanding Russian state vanquished the Khazar empire in the late 10th century. Medieval Russian epic poems mention Russian warriors fighting the "Jewish Giant."

"In many ways, Russia is a successor of the Khazar state," Vasilyev said.
He said his dig revealed traces of a large fire that was probably caused by the Russian conquest. He said Itil was rebuilt following the fall of the Khazar empire, when ethnic Khazars were slowly assimilated by Turkic-speaking tribes, Tatars and Mongols, who inhabited the city until it was flooded by the rising Caspian Sea around the 14th century.

The study of the Khazar empire was discouraged in the Soviet Union. The dictator Josef Stalin, in particular, detested the idea that a Jewish empire had come before Russia's own. He ordered references to Khazar history removed from textbooks because they "disproved his theory of Russian statehood," Satanovsky said.

Only now are Russian scholars free to explore Khazar culture. The Itil excavations have been sponsored by the Russian-Jewish Congress, a nonprofit organization that supports cultural projects in Russia.

"Khazar studies are just beginning," Satanovsky said.

********************************

The romantic Silk Road, ahhhh. According to the traditional view of chess history, a form of proto-chess was spread by travelers along the Silk Road. Most say it went from India to Persia, and then from Persia to China. China says it went from China to Persia, or perhaps from China directly to India, and then to Persia. Most historians (except the Chinese historians and Joseph Needham) discount this theory. Personally, I think both are wrong :)

Computer, Oh Computer...

Hola darlings!

Whew! I've spent the better part of the day doing yardwork and trying to get a file and printer sharing network going between my desktop (which I'm working on now), and my brand new beautiful Toshiba laptop (situated downstairs on the kitchen table for the moment). The yardwork went much better than the fledgling network. I haven't been able to get that going yet, despite trying several different fixes. Drat!

It's hot and humid here - 80 degrees today and 62 dewpoint. I ran out of steam about 3:15 after cutting the front lawn, putzing with the computers, cleaning the deck, putzing with the computers, cutting the backyard, putzing with the computers, eating a very late lunch (4 p.m.) and sacking out in the recliner for awhile. I didn't fall asleep but it sure felt good! But then I felt guilty because the lawnmower had run out of gas in the middle of the backyard. Should I finish up the final third of the yard? Nah. I'll do that tomorrow. The rain that was forecast failed to materialize and now it looks like clear skies until Wednesday. So, instead I just put my feet up out on the deck under the umbrella and fed peanuts to the chipmunks and squirrels. It's depressing that it's twilight before 7 p.m., and dark by ten after, but today wasn't so bad because it was sunny; the tail-end of twilight is flickering in the window in the den here and that night hush has fallen. It's stuffy in the house even with the windows open, but it's been dropping into the 50's at night, very comfortable sleeping weather.

I love this kind of weather and this time of year, even though the day lilies are dying off and the leaves are already turning on the trees. The squirrels have been doing double time squirreling away the approximate ton of peanuts I've fed them the past couple of weeks - which scares me because I'm thinking it's going to be another long, hard winter and the squirrels know it and we dumb humans don't!

Soooo, now I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong in trying to set up file sharing and printer sharing. Thank goddess, the wireless network is working flawlessly. Now, to the next batch of contradictory internet research on how to set up file-sharing...

I Have a Problem with This Story...

From The Times Online.UK

September 19, 2008
‘Ancient’ Christian amulet exposed as modern hoax
Simon de Bruxelles

A silver cross regarded as one of the most important early Christian artefacts found in Britain is a modern fake, scientists confirmed yesterday.

The Chi-Rho Amulet, which bears an early Christian symbol incorporating the first two letters of Christ’s name in Greek, was found in a 4th-century Roman grave near the Somerset town of Shepton Mallet in 1990.

Tests carried out by Dr Matthew Ponting, from the University of Liver-pool, revealed that the silver used to make the cross is of 19th-century origin. The test, using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), examined impurities in the metal. It also established that silver used to make the cross and the pierced disc that bears the Chi-Rho inscription comes from two sources.

Suspicion is focusing on protesters who opposed construction of a vast drinks warehouse on the site beside the Fosse Way, an Ancient Roman road. The discovery of the amulet 18 years ago caused a sensation in Shepton Mallet. An entertainment complex and a street were named after it and a replica was presented to George Carey (now Lord Carey of Clifton), who wore it at his enthronement as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1991.

Marsh, deputy leader of the town council, said: “It’s like the magic has been removed from Shepton Mallet. I’m not sure there’ll be any need to change any names in the town but it’s a shame the myth of the amulet has now burst.

“It was part of the town’s claim to fame, though the revelation that it’s a fake won’t come as a surprise to many people. When the amulet was first discovered it was felt it may have been placed there as a joke. But we’re still proud of Shepton and its Roman heritage.”

Stephen Minnitt, acting head of the Somerset museum service, said: “Following detailed analysis of the Shepton Mallet amulet Somerset County Council can confirm that the artefact is almost certainly not the rare Christian artefact it was first believed to be. Experts are now 99 per cent certain the amulet is not genuine.”

He appealed for the faker to come forward to solve the mystery. “It was deliberately planted. It didn’t get there by accident. There was a lot of local concern over the fact that the site was being destroyed and there was quite a lot of local opposition.”

He said the hoaxer would not be punished. “There is no threat to them. They haven’t committed a crime or anything. It would be good to bring the story to a conclusion. We would be delighted if someone came forward and told us why and what happened.”

The amulet is believed to have been copied from a genuine but little-known Roman brooch presented to the British Museum in 1954, implying a degree of specialist knowledge.

The amulet was found in the grave of a man in one of 16 burial plots in the Roman cemetery. Peter Leach, who led the Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit that carried out the excavation, said that he did not suspect any of his 40-strong team of planting the amulet.

“There is absolutely no question it was anybody to do with the archaeological team,” he said. “I was there when it was found. There was never any doubt about its provenance as it was in a genuine Roman burial.“A local group might have had an agenda to place an object there in the hope that an archaeological find would stop the development.”

*******************************************

This cross was found at a bonafide archaeological dig in 1990. How the heck did it get there? Was it just left behind on the surface one night by a prankster and the next day the diggers showed up and said oh lo and behold, a new artifact? Hmmm..... So perhaps it was buried underground in - as it turns out - a 4th century Roman grave. Coincidence?

And why did the people working on excavating this particular grave NOT NOTICE that the dirt had been disturbed? I mean, darlings, don't you think the dirt would have been disturbed if you were intent on burying an object in a grave that wasn't there originally??? How else could it have been done - was it shot into the ground with a gun? (That's a joke). So, you're brushing away on this grave for weeks and weeks (because that's what the "diggers" often use - brushes) and you don't notice any disturbance in the dirt at your dig that suddenly shows up overnight? Hmmm....

Ayatollah Sistani Gets Hacked Off!

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy... tee hee hee.

From The Los Angeles Times blog, Babylon and Beyond, September 19, 2008:

Babylon & Beyond
IRAQ: The ayatollah gets hacked

Shiite Muslims who check Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani's website, sistani.org, for advice on everything from chess to sex were in for a shock today. Hackers attacked the site of the spiritual guide to millions of Shiites and slapped a video showing comedian Bill Maher poking fun at Sistani's advice-giving on the home page.

A group calling itself Group-XP claimed responsibility, according to a statement on the hacked site, which normally invites visitors to write in with questions on what is permitted under Shiism, and to get advice on how to be a better Muslim. Sistani is Iraq's most revered Shiite religious leader and though he stays mostly out of politics, his words hold immense sway.
Iran's Fars News Agency said the hackers had shut down about 300 Shiite websites and were Sunnis based in the United Arab Emirates. It described the attack as the most serious of its kind in years.

For several hours, visitors to the Sistani site were greeted with what appeared to be a video of the white-bearded cleric and a statement written in red lettering scrolling down the screen. "Did you think you were alone on the Internet and nobody was capable of hacking your site?" the statement reads. It went on to make fun of Sistani and his sexual pronouncements, referring to him as Sextani and urging people to click on the video.

That launched several minutes of Maher joking about the site's advice on what is haram, or forbidden, and what is allowed. Chess is deemed haram, apparently because it requires so much mental concentration that players are distracted from thinking about anything else, including prayer. [Does that mean that Iranian chess players are BAD Muslims? Then why haven't they been arrested and whipped for crimes against Allah?] Backgammon also is not permitted, nor are most forms physical contact between unmarried men and women.

Late Friday, the site was off-line altogether, or so it seemed. But the incident generated chatter among Arabic-language websites, and one cyber sleuth wrote that the hack was not successful the world over. The writer said the site had been redirected, not hacked, and that if readers went to http://66.230.195.121/ and did not use the domain name, it would work. Indeed, it did.

There was no reaction from Sistani, who rarely speaks publicly and almost never talks to the media. The last time he met with reporters was last month, when Sistani summoned some journalists to his home to refute reports he was gravely ill.

— Tina Susman and Caesar Ahmad in Baghdad

******************************

September 20, 2008, Tehran Times: Iran's Grandmaster Ehsan Qaem Maqami beats Ronald Bancod from the Philippines in the fourth Prospero Pichay Cup International Chess Championship.

So much for Ayatollah Sistani's advice on chess...

Kosteniuk "Not Just a Chess Kournikova"

By Dylan Loeb McClain at The International Herald Tribune:

Dylan Loeb McClain: Chess
Published: September 19, 2008

Alexandra Kosteniuk can no longer be called the Anna Kournikova of chess. For years, Kournikova, the tennis player, was more noted for her looks than her accomplishments on the court.

Like Kournikova, the 24-year-old Kosteniuk, a Russian grandmaster, has traded on her looks, modeling for magazines like the European editions of Vogue and Marie Claire, and selling bikini-clad images of herself through her Web site. Kosteniuk, however, bristles at comparisons with Kournikova. "I think I've won enough chess competitions not to be compared to her," Kosteniuk said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.

Her argument is now beyond doubt. That interview took place barely an hour after she became the 14th women's world champion by winning a tournament in Russia.

Kosteniuk's victory was a bit of a surprise. She had not played much since giving birth to a daughter two years ago. "I wanted to have some time," she said.

Once she decided to return to tournament play, Kosteniuk found it difficult to regain her competitive form.

But, she began working intentively with four grandmasters, and the work paid off. Kosteniuk, who is ranked No. 10 among active women players, played exceptionally well during the championship, beating Pia Cramling of Sweden, No. 6, in the semifinals and Hou Yifan of China, No. 4, in the final.

Kosteniuk said Hou will dominate women's competitions in a few years. Hou certainly learned some valuable lessons in her match with Kosteniuk, who had the upper hand in every game. Still, she only managed to win the first, while the other three ended in draws.

In that first game, Hou played 8 a3 to avoid the Marshall Attack, which arises after 8 c3 d5. The position was fairly balanced until Hou lashed out with 17 g4, an impetuous move; 17 Ng3 was more circumspect. Kosteniuk immediately took advantage, launching an attack with 17 ... h5.

Hou managed to hold on until Kosteniuk broke through, first with 33...Nd3 and then 36 ... Nf3 and 37 ... Bg4. The point was that White could not play 38 Qg4 because of 38 ... Qg4 39 Ng4 d1/Q, while 38 Ng4 would lose to 38 ... Qf3 39 Kf3 d1/Q.

Hou resigned after 48 ... fg because she faced certain checkmate.

Praise for Indiana Jones

From Biblical Archaeological Review (you'll love the visual review of various hats worn by real life archaeologists all around the world :) )

BAR 34:05, Sep/Oct 2008
In Praise of Indiana Jones!
By Aren M. Maeir

I went to see the newest Indiana Jones filma with two of my sons, and, to tell you the truth, I really had a good time! What can I say? Spielberg, Lucas and Ford still have it in them to put together a very enjoyable and stimulating film. And needless to say, as an archaeologist I felt totally at home; this is what archaeology really looks like!

I would like to come to the defense of my colleague Jones. In a recent op-ed in The Washington Post (May 25, 2008), Neil Asher Silberman wrote a scathing attack on the message behind the movie. Silberman claimed that Dr. Jones presents a warped image of archaeology, interested only in finding unique artifacts, while at the same time chasing, and being chased by, the bad guys (or gals). According to Silberman, the image of an archaeologist that Dr. Jones portrays is one of a swashbuckling adventurer, whose main tools of the trade are his bullwhip and pistol!

Silberman complains that this completely reverses what a true archaeologist is—and does. Rather than running around looking for unique objects, he points out, today’s archaeologists work in the context of a single site, using interdisciplinary teams and sophisticated methods, attempting to understand in a holistic manner what ancient societies are all about.

But I beg to differ! First of all, who says that archaeology is not about running around, being chased by Nazis (or Soviets), shot at with poison arrows and saving the world (and not to mention, winning the pretty girl)? Ask anyone who has been on an archaeological dig, and he or she will tell you that is exactly what goes on—day in and day out!

What? Multi- and interdisciplinary science? What is that? All I need is my hat and a bag to put the goodies in. And of course, I don’t have to search for the Ark of the Covenant or the Crystal Skull: I’ve already found them!

But really, c’mon, let’s get serious. Does Silberman really think that the image of the profession of archaeology, and of archaeologists, in the public’s eye is based solely on Dr. Jones? Of course not! Just like the public’s images of physics and physicists are not based on Dr. Strangelove, the public has the sense to tell the difference between a movie and real life. I don’t think that the public believes that there are crystal skulls connected to alien beings—just because they were mentioned in the recent movie.

Of course archaeology is a multifaceted, interdisciplinary science. In fact, it is even more so than Silberman knows. We, the archaeologists out in the field, do not learn our methods from Dr. Jones, nor does the public really think that he represents what we do.

Rather, I see a much more important contribution in the acts, deeds and endeavors of Dr. Jones. This is bringing the very term—archaeology—to the public’s awareness and, in particular, to children and youth.

Dr. Jones has, over the past few decades, done a tremendous service to archaeology and archaeologists all over the world. He has ticked the public’s interest in our profession. In a world where concentration spans are so short, and where public interest, even fleeting, can make or break the funding of important scientific work, he has done more than most archaeologists I know of to kindle an initial interest, and even fascination, in what we do and why we do it.

Dr. Jones, to a large extent, serves as our most important ambassador to the public—one whose work must be followed by real archaeologists who can explain their work and their reasoning to the educated lay public. Dr. Jones is our wake-up call to the fact that we, as responsible and morally committed archaeologists, must turn more of our attention, and our explaining, to the lay public—not only to our academic colleagues. If we want to make a dent in the public’s understanding of the past—and the importance of preserving and studying it—we must find multiple channels in which to communicate this to the public.

And this is why, in my opinion, there is no doubt at all that Dr. Jones deserves tenure at “Marshall College”—even if his list of peer-reviewed publications is not that long.

And now, if you will excuse me, I have to go get my hat and chase off some bad guys ...

Russian Markets in Free Fall

Russian Exchanges Remain Closed a Second Day
September 18, 2008
The New York Times

MOSCOW — The Russian government will inject up to $20 billion into domestic stocks in an effort to halt the free fall of the Russian stock markets, President Dmitri A. Medvedev said Thursday, in the most direct effort yet to use oil profits to ease a deepening stock market crisis here.

The two main Russian stock exchanges remained closed Thursday after authorities halted trading Wednesday afternoon. By that time, they had each lost about 57 percent since their peaks in May — the steepest fall of any major stock market since the current financial crisis erupted from Wall Street.

In addition to fallout from turmoil in New York and declining oil prices, the Russian market has been weakened by poor corporate governance standards here and investor concerns about a breach in relations with the West after the war in Georgia.

But unlike the American financial institutions that were bought up or declared bankruptcy this week, Russia has plenty of capital. The question is whether injecting some of it into the stock market will be enough to restore investor confidence — or whether it will be perceived as a sign of official desperation and perhaps even reason to flee Russian securities.

Authorities used the market holiday to unveil measures intended to restore confidence in what had been until this year one of the world’s best-performing emerging markets.

Under the plan, the government will directly invest 250 billion rubles, or about $10 billion, in domestic stocks in an effort to raise prices, Aleksei L. Kudrin, the finance minister said, according to Interfax. If that is not enough to stave off a market collapse, the government will amend the budget to free up another 250 billion rubles for investment.

Eventually, he said, the government will seek to resell the shares for a profit if markets rise. Until then, Russian taxpayers will effectively hold them.

The plan mimicked an effort by the government of Hong Kong to invest directly in the local stock exchange during the so-called Asian contagion of the late 1990s, when many Asian markets plunged more than 60 percent. In that case, the Hong Kong government later bundled its investments into a fund that made a profit as the market rebounded.

The Russian government also announced lower oil export tariffs than had been expected, a move that should increase investor interest in energy companies.

The tariff will be lowered on Oct. 1 to $50.70 a barrel, as opposed to the $66.20 a barrel that was expected. The government had set oil tariffs based on average prices in previous months. Under the adjustment, the government used only the sharply reduced oil prices of the first weeks of September to calculate the tariff, according to an investor note from Citibank.

Also on Thursday, three Russian banks that had been given access to $44 billion in government money said the capital would be made available to other banks and brokerage companies investing in the stock exchanges.
The measures underlined an assessment offered by the International Monetary Fund that the Russian economy has “buffers” that should prevent a repeat of the 1998 financial crisis here.

“Over all, the macroeconomic situation remains strong and the country will maintain a current-account surplus even with lower oil prices,” a fund spokesman, David Hawley, told a news conference in Washington.

In one positive sign, some Russian company shares that are traded as global depository receipts in London and New York rose on Thursday. Mr. Kudrin, the finance minister, said markets would reopen Friday morning.

*****************************

They think this is going to work, heh, closing the markets down for a day and a half? Bwwwwaaaaahhhhh!!!!

Four Babies Now Dead from Melamine Poisoning

Four babies are now dead in China due to consuming melamine poisoned milk, and thousands more are hospitalized - and the response of the Chinese government is to fire a mayor? Gee, that must really make the Chinese citizens feel secure and confident in their government's ability to police the food supply and punish criminals.

Mayor in China Fired in Milk Scandal
By EDWARD WONG
September 19, 2008
(The New York Times)

BEIJING — China’s adulterated milk scandal continued to widen Thursday, as authorities arrested a dozen people, fired a senior government official and acknowledged that a wider range of milk products showed traces of a chemical used to disguise its poor quality.

Officials said a fourth infant had died from tainted baby formula, while health regulators in neighboring Hong Kong announced a broader recall of mainland Chinese-made milk, yogurt and ice cream contaminated with the chemical melamine.

Tainted milk is the latest in a long string of food and drug safety problems that have caused consumers in China and in the country’s major export markets to worry about the quality of some Chinese goods.

Shoddy infant formula was at the center of another scandal in 2004 that prompted a crackdown on rogue suppliers. But the new safety problems are much more widespread, involving at least 22 dairy companies and contaminated milk products that have appeared nationwide.

China Central Television, the main government network, reported Thursday night that melamine had been found in some liquid milk from three major brands.

The authorities also announced that Ji Chuntang, the mayor of Shijiazhuang, a city whose officials have been accused of failing to deal with reports of tainted formula, had been dismissed. He was the most senior official to be punished so far.

Sanlu Group, one of China’s largest dairy companies and the first company that was found to be selling contaminated formula, has its headquarters in Shijiazhuang, which is in the northern province of Hebei. Investigators have discovered traces of melamine, an industrial chemical, in batches of powdered baby formula made by the 22 dairy companies, all of which have said they were recalling their milk products.

Producers trying to cut costs often dilute milk with water, which lowers the nutritional content. But the addition of melamine, which is high in nitrogen, helps the milk appear to meet nutrition standards by artificially raising its protein count.

Mr. Ji was dismissed in the investigation of what appeared to be a chain of neglect and a cover-up that began with Sanlu. Sanlu received complaints months ago about suspected problems in the formula, but the company waited until Aug. 2 to tell the Shijiazhuang city government, Hebei’s deputy governor said Wednesday. City officials waited until Sept. 9 to tell provincial officials, who did not inform the central government until the next day.

Sanlu finally recalled 700 tons of the formula on Sept. 11.

Mr. Ji’s firing indicated that the political consequences of the scandal could increase as more information emerges on the role played by officials and as the death toll climbs. Four city officials were fired before Mr. Ji’s dismissal. The general manager of Sanlu, Tian Wenhua, has also been fired and was detained by the police.

The police in Hebei Province have arrested 18 people, including six who sold melamine to milk producers, the official news agency Xinhua reported. The others were milk producers who added melamine to their products and then sold the milk to dairy companies.

On Thursday, Hong Kong ordered the recall of the dairy products of Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group after tests found melamine in 8 of the company’s 30 products. The police are seeking a milk seller named Xue Jianzhong, who is accused of adding melamine to his milk. Mr. Xue was put on a wanted list late Wednesday, Xinhua reported.

United States Food and Drug Administration officials said they had been reassured by manufacturers of infant formula for the American market that they did not import products or ingredients from China.

An F.D.A. official said the agency was also inspecting bulk shipments from Asia to examine milk-derived ingredients, like milk protein concentrate and whey powder, in order to determine if they were contaminated with melamine. So far all the samples have shown no contamination.

Andrew Martin contributed reporting from New York. Huang Yuanxi contributed research.

Ringing Endorsement for "The Eight"

Marcus Brewster proposed the top 10 best pre-"DaVinci Code" type books of all time - he calls them "millenial thrillers." The top ranked book is Katherine Neville's "The Eight."

Marcus Brewster
18 September 2008 04:11

(1) Katherine Neville "The Eight". Long before there was Dan Brown, a female writer Katherine Neville penned a spirited debut novel, "The Eight". Published in 1988, Eight is a quest for the legendary Montglane chess service and the earth-shattering secret it reveals when all the pieces are assembled on the board. Eight's spirit is closer to "Romancing the Stone" in that it has a female protagonist, an unusual conceit even pre the boom in airport reads which are traditionally testosterone fuelled. Whereas many millennial thrillers have a historical prologue as a scene set for the modern quest, much of Eight is set in the last few centuries as Neville describes how the greatest minds of preceding generations were tantalized by the mystery of the Montglane set and sought it for themselves. Neville's cunningness brings to life everyone from Catherine the Great to Napoleon, from Jacques-Louis David to Wordsworth and makes you wonder if their contribution to history hasn't been mis-stated. Endlessly diverting and full of charm, Eight is the gold standard against which all others should be measured.

Local Libraries: Bastions of Chess Activity

It's become very apparent since I've started publishing local chess announcements at this blog that libraries are chess magnets. Most of the announcements I publish here feature free chess clubs and chess events hosted at local libraries. (Photo by Laura Archazki-Pacter: Homeschool student Hannah Smith contemplates her next move during a free chess program at the Golden Gate Children’s Library. Designed especially for children, the program will be held from 3-4 p.m., Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 and is open to the public. The brand new library offers an expanded childrens section with a variety of programs.)

Here is an article about one such program:

From the Collier Citizen (Florida)
Learning chess is no ‘checkmate’ at library
By LAURA ARCHAZKI-PACTER
4:20 p.m., Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Kings, queens, bishops and knights will command youthful attention during special chess classes at the new Golden Gate Library.

A first for the community, the free chess classes and competitions will take place from 3-4 p.m., Thursdays, Sept. 25 and Oct. 2, as the library provides youngsters a chance to learn and participate in this strategic game.

Children’s Librarian Kathy Hemmat chiseled chess into the library’s free program schedule, complete with a volunteer chess coach to oversee activities for children ages seven and older.

“In the age of television and Internet, it’s good for children to be here to play chess,” she explains. “Parents have looked all over Naples and tell me it’s hard to find places to play chess, so we’re providing the place to play. It’s something they can do together.”

Hemmat credits local homeschool mom Gena Smith with bringing the chess program to Golden Gate. Smith wanted a place for her children, Carly, 13; Hannah, 10; Carter, 8 and Michael 5, to practice and play chess together, but she hit a roadblock when local parks charged fees for room use.

Smith’s chess pieces fell into place at the Golden Gate Library, when Hemmat agreed to offer room in the Children’s Library.

Why chess?

Smith says she was pleased when Hannah expressed an interest in learning the game because chess provides an excellent work-out for critical thinking skills.

“When you make a mistake, you learn from it, and you can try something different next time,” she says.

Jonathan Corbblah agrees. He’s taught more than 8,000 students to play chess over the years. As a senior instructor, and Candidate Master, in the game, Corbblah has played since he was six years old. For him, chess is not just a game, but his career. Corbblah was a lead chess instructor at the Community School of Naples this summer and he travels throughout the United States with USA Chess Camps to introduce parents and children to the basics of the game.

“I do think chess has a great deal of benefits,” he says. “Chess improves spatial reasoning and logic. It trains you for learning. The way that chess players get better is by analysis of mistakes. They emulate what excellent players do, and study things players have done in the past.”

To Corbblah, chess means more than improved thought processes, though.

“Really, by far, it helps self esteem, and there’s a positive stigma with chess. It’s a natural sort of feelgood game. Hopefully, that success will continue into math, humanities, and science, with the same confidence to accomplish anything. Chess also teaches kids to learn how to win and lose gracefully,” he said.

For more information on the chess camp, go online to http://www.usachess.com/

Alexandra Kosteniuk at Rightfielders, Oh My...

I'd never heard of this website but when I was doing a chess news search tonight, up popped this website. Oh my.

Well, it IS news and it IS introducing chess and, in particular, female chessplayers, to a whole different kind of audience than normally follows the game.

The biographical information presented at the website is accurate and correctly pointed out that Kosteniuk is the first ethnic Russian to win the WWCC title since Elizaveta Bykova.

Did a Shortage of Women Cause the Viking Age?

Viking Age Triggered by Shortage of Wives?
Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News

Sept. 17, 2008 -- During the Viking Age from the late eighth to the mid-eleventh centuries, Scandinavians tore across Europe attacking, robbing and terrorizing locals. According to a new study, the young warriors were driven to seek their fortunes to better their chances of finding wives.

The odd twist to the story, said researcher James Barrett, is that it was the selective killing of female newborns that led to a shortage of Scandinavian women in the first place, resulting later in intense competition over eligible women.

"Selective female infanticide was recorded as part of pagan Scandinavian practice in later medieval sources, such as the Icelandic sagas," Barrett, who is deputy director of Cambridge University's McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, told Discovery News.

Although it's believed many cultures throughout world history have practiced female infanticide, said Barrett, he admits that "it is difficult to identify in the archaeological record," so the claim "must remain a hypothesis."

To strengthen the argument, however, Barrett has reviewed and dismissed several other proposed causes for the Viking Age.

Improved seafaring technologies are often cited as the trigger, but he points out that an earlier migration from Scandinavia to Britain took place in the fifth and sixth centuries.

"Thus the development of the Viking ship cannot have been a cause of movements of this kind," he said. "Ships capable of carrying warriors over long distances are a necessary pre-requisite for the Viking Age, but clearly they did not cause it."

What's more, he points out, the sailing time from Norway to Ireland is quite short -- perhaps a week using vessels of the time -- so the Vikings were probably capable of raiding Ireland well before the official start of their reign of terror.

The study is published in the current issue of Antiquity.

Barrett also dismisses other proposed causes of the Viking Age, such as climate change, overpopulation in Scandinavia, economic woes and more.
An intriguing archaeological clue is that much of the bounty plundered from Britain -- particularly from monasteries -- wound up later in the graves of Viking wives. The items included precious metals, fine cloth, jewelry and other handicrafts.

Barrett's analysis of Nordic historical records found that Scandinavian men often served as warriors, frequently forming "military brotherhoods," until they were able to marry and establish their own households, which were key to prestige and power.

According to Barrett, honor and religious fatalism -- the idea that the time and manner of death is predestined -- also fueled the Vikings, helping explain why men were willing to risk death in violent battles and risky seafaring. The Viking religion held that "the cosmos began in the frozen emptiness...and will end in fire with the last battle," said Barrett.

Despite the infanticide, he still believes the Vikings "highly valued" women. Aside from lavishing bridal prospects with plundered goods, they held solemn burials at sea for women. In fact, one of the most important known Viking Age burials, involved numerous goods and two female skeletons encased in a ship called the Oseberg.

Soren Sindbaek, assistant professor of medieval and Renaissance archaeology at Denmark's University of Aarhus, told Discovery News that the new paper "is very right in pointing out the inadequacy" of former explanations for the Viking Age.

"We need indeed to seek for an individual, social motivation behind the fact that a large number of young men chose to set out on extremely risky voyages in hopes of acquiring wealth and esteem in foreign lands," Sindbaek said.

"Barrett points to the wish of disadvantaged young men to acquire resources necessary to set up a family as crucial," he added. "This is the 'marriage imperative,' which I think Barrett succeeds in substantiating within the limitations of the evidence."

Barrett suggested additional studies on the Vikings since would help "to understand how small-scale societies -- and issues of a very human scale -- can have a large impact on world history, positive and/or negative."

*********************************

Female infanticide is practiced in India and China (I've posted about that here before) because of a cultural bias for males. In India, although the practice has been outlawed by the national government, female fetuses are identified through walk-up ultrasound vendors and aborted. In China, ultrasound has caught on among the emerging middle class, but China is still mostly rural and in the rural areas they don't have ultrasound vendors and even if they did, the rural poor can't afford it. If a female child is born and is unwanted its neck is broken at birth by the midwife or the child is left outside away from the village to die of exposure and be scavenged by wild animals and carrion eating birds. The "lucky" ones are given over to state orphanages where they languish from lack of care and often die before they are two.

The imbalance between the ratio of males to females has become acute in both countries. Government policies to "encourage" couples to produce and nurture female infants have not been able to remedy the imbalance.

What happens to a society when there aren't enough females for men looking for mates?

Fed to Rescue AIG with $85 BILLION

Well, this is very interesting. What amounts to the Government of the United States of America (that is, all U.S. taxpayers) is purchasing an $85 billion stake in AIG, the world's largest insurer, in hopes of rescuing it from going into bankruptcy. Hey - where are my shares???

Story exerpted from The New York Times
September 16, 2008
Fed’s $85 Billion Loan Rescues Insurer
U.S. to Get a Stake in the Troubled Giant A.I.G.
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS, MICHAEL J. de la MERCED and MARY WILLIAMS WALSH

WASHINGTON — Fearing a financial crisis worldwide, the Federal Reserve reversed course on Tuesday and agreed to an $85 billion bailout that would give the government control of the troubled insurance giant American International Group.

The decision, only two weeks after the Treasury took over the federally chartered mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, is the most radical intervention in private business in the central bank’s history.
With time running out after A.I.G. failed to get a bank loan to avoid bankruptcy, Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. and the Fed chairman Ben S. Bernanke convened a meeting with House and Senate leaders on Capitol Hill about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to explain the rescue plan.

They emerged just after 7:30 p.m. with Mr. Paulson and Mr. Bernanke looking grim, but with top lawmakers generally expressing support for the plan. But the bailout is likely to prove controversial, because it effectively puts taxpayer money at risk while protecting bad investments made by A.I.G. and other institutions it does business with.

What frightened Fed and Treasury officials was not simply the prospect of another giant corporate bankruptcy, but A.I.G.’s role as an enormous provider of financial insurance to investors who bought complex debt securities. That effectively required A.I.G. to cover losses suffered by the buyers in the event the securities defaulted. It meant A.I.G. was potentially on the hook for billions of dollars worth of risky securities that were once considered safe.

If A.I.G. had collapsed — and been unable to pay all of its insurance claims — institutional investors around the world would have been instantly forced to reappraise the value of those securities, which in turn would have reduced their own capital and the value of their own debt.

“It would have been a chain reaction,” said Uwe Reinhardt, a professor of economics at Princeton University. “The spillover effects could have been incredible.”

Financial markets, which on Monday had plunged over worries about A.I.G.’s possible collapse, reacted with relief to the news of the bailout. In anticipation of a deal, stocks rose about 1 percent in the United States on Tuesday and were up about 2 percent in early trading in Asian markets Wednesday morning. [HERE'S THE RUB - WHO LEAKED THE NEWS OF A POSSIBLE BAILOUT AND WHEN??? Reading this report tonight at the New York Times was the first I heard about it, long long after markets closed to trading by regular small fry like me.]

2008 Women's World Chess Championship

I did a Google news search tonight under Hou Yifan's name to see if any English-translated newspapers are picking up on her battle for the WWCC in Nalchik (where?) - and didn't find a damn thing!

Chessbase reports, The Hindu reports, The Daily News and Analysis (India) reports, even USCF reports - but nothing in Xinhua showed up.

See the Game 3 report from Chessbase on the final between Hou (white) and Kosteniuk (black) that took place earlier today:

Nalchik Final: Kosteniuk leads 2:1, needs just a draw17.09.2008 – The third game of the Women's World Championship Final was a tough, 72-move draw. That left Russian GM Alexandra Kosteniuk in the lead with 2:1 points. On Wednesday the 14-year-old Chinese has to win with black in the last game to force a tiebreak. Kosteniuk can pick up the title with a draw. The game starts at 15:00h local time (GMT +3). You can watch it on the Playchess server. Photo: Final, Kosteniuk behind the black pieces on move 12.

A Great Experience for a Paralympian Chess Player

The translation is a bit ragged in places, but the experience is very real.

Indonesian Paralympian wowed the grand Game
Xinhua
Updated: 2008-09-16 14:12

JAKARTA -- Dati Sosiawan Putra of Indonesia, who just returned from the Beijing Paralympic Games, said that he really could not imagine how the government of China has made a wonderful success of world events, Beijing 2008 Olympics and Paralympics.

Sosiawan is a disabled-seeing Indonesian athlete, namely chess-board games. Born in Bandung, 120 kilometres from the capital city of Jakarta, he has just returned from Beijing after representing the national Paralympic Committee of Indonesian (NPC) and traveling together the whole contingent of Indonesian.

"Although three Indonesian Paralympian failed to earn medals, but our participation in Beijing would attribute to bilateral relationship and friendhsip between Indonesian and Chinese sports committee, particularly Paralympic," he told Xinhua during a recent interview in Jakarta.

He persistently praised China with not only the success of organizing the sport events, Olympics and Paralympics but the booming economy and the generous feeling of the people.

"Wherever we went to some tourist destinations in China, I felt a kind of generous feeling of Chinese people," he said.

Sosiawan said that after the games, the whole Indonesian contingent spare time for sight-seeing. They went to see historial ancient mosque in Beijing, and also visited the Great Wall. Wherever he went, his assistant led him due to seeing disability condition. His assistant, wearing Moslem veil led him patiently by grasping his hand.

Sosiawan is extrovert. He told Xinhua that he had suffered seeing disability since he was five years old.

"I was bornt in 1966. I started to feel something different with my sight-seeing in 1971. Since that, I struggled to keep survive, and started to play chess-board. I guess, my achievement is not too bad, by earning silver medal in Thailand 2007. And I am looking forward to Malaysia 2009 for gold medal during the Fespic Games X," he said with optimism.

He felt the Chinese people's support for Beijing 2008 was really extraordinary. "The people were willing to stay tuned to the games and supported their athletes with enthusiasm. But they still regard foreign Paralympians with full respect and warm welcome," he said.

"Volunteers also respected all foreign athletes. They refused any generous tipping, yet it had become habitual in most countries throughout the world," he said.

What Women Want

Both Sides Seeking to Be What Women Want
By KATE ZERNIKE
Published: September 14, 2008

What Women Want
By Julia Baird NEWSWEEK
Published Sep 13, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Sep 22, 2008

It's big news - the politicians are trying to figure out what I - a real, live, flesh and blood 57 year old woman - wants! Ha! Why don't they just ASK ME. BUT I NEVER get a telephone call from a political pollster (and yes, I do vote). Just who the hell are they talking to? Are they just pretending they're talking to REAL women, and making it all up?

This question is not rocket science. All they have to do is ask more than a "cross-section" of 100 women what they want, and they'll get the right answers - provided they actually do read them and accurately compile the information. Geez!

ECONOMIC SECURITY
We want our Social Security. We've worked for it all our lives - we've earned it.

We want to get equal pay for equal work. We still haven't achieved that and, in fact, many of us are falling farther and farther behind because our annual wage increases are less than the rate of inflation.

HEALTH CARE
We don't want to go bankrupt caring for a sick child or elderly parent. We ALSO don't want the minimum care that Medicaid provides, particularly for our elderly parents, in sub-standard under-staffed nursing homes, over-crowded, smelly, with undertrained, uncaring, minimum wage staff. The government can do better for us - and for our most fragile citizens.

We want the companies that promised our husbands health care when they took retirement to own up to their promises and not be able to weasle out of their commitments by filing bankruptcy.

PERSONAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS
We want the government to stay out of our bedrooms and medicine cabinets. If we get a prescription for birth control pills, no one should have the right to deny us the right to purchase our prescription. We believe in personal choice with regard to abortion, even if we wouldn't choose abortion for ourselves. That decsion should be between us and our doctors only and private.

Keep your noses out of our churchs and our charities.

INTERNATIONAL POLICIES
We want illegal aliens caught, arrested, and shipped back across the border, no matter what. Solve the problem, whatever it takes.

Bring our troops home. If we have to fight a "war against terror" they can do it better by protecting us here.

Institute really fair trade policies. We're sick of seeing our brothers, nephews, husbands and sons lose their jobs because of unfair international competition.

Stop raping the Earth. Our children and grandchildren will need clean air and water to live, and food from the oceans and the land to eat.

This is what this woman wants. Not amazing to me, this is pretty much what every woman I've talked to where I work discussing these topics wants, too. They are all ages and races, some married, some divorced, some never married, some widowed, some mothers, some without children. Some are college-educated, some are not. I work in a law firm. I've talked to attorneys, mail room clerks, secretaries, messengers, paralegals, billing clerks, Trust accountants, and kitchen attendants. I don't know - or care - what political party any of these women belong to or identify with, if any. I know what concerns unite us. When you peel down the layers of the onion and get past the 60-second sound bite crap, what I've written above is what these women want.

I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, middle-town USA. Politicians, are you really listening to US?

The Secret to a Long Life...

Ah yes, the power of el vino...

Chianti: Secret to Long Life, Says Ancient Recipe
Rossella Lorenzi, Discovery News

Sept. 15, 2008 -- The elixir of life may be a concoction of honey, cherries and secret herbs infused in a full Chianti wine, according to a centuries-old recipe discovered in one of Italy's oldest pharmacies.

The 18th century-old recipe was discovered in an old manuscript found among the shelves of a pharmacy in Asciano near Sienna dating back to 1715.

"My ancestors left several manuscripts with formulas for digestive drinks, but this one struck me because of its ingredients. I knew it had strong scientific basis," said pharmacist Giovanni De Munari, who found the old recipe from behind a small shelf in his Tuscany pharmacy.

Upon finding the recipe, De Munari brewed the beverage, and came up with a "low-calorie, highly digestive alcoholic infusion which tasted delicious."

The main ingredient in the elixir is the Sangiovese grape, which is the soul of Chianti wine. Until the middle of the 19th century, Chianti was based uniquely on Sangiovese grapes. Around 1850, Baron Bettino Ricasoli codified the Chianti formula and called for as much as 15 percent white grapes like malvasia.

"In our recipe, we only have Sangiovese grapes. This is much more like the famous Brunello variety which grows in this area," De Munari said.

The elixir's formula echoes recent scientific studies that credit resveratrol, a compound which is found in the skins of red grapes, with helping to prevent heart disease and other age-related illnesses.

"Researchers are currently investigating whether resveratrol acts like a longevity molecule that mimics the effects of a calorie-restricted diet," De Munari said. "My ancestors may not have known the names of the chemicals, but they knew that red wine, and Chianti in particular, had therapeutic properties."

The other ingredients in the infusion are regional natural products, and all have antiseptic and antibacteric properties, according to the pharmacist.

"They combine with resveratrol to achieve such a convincing result. We are so impressed that we are now working with a distillery in northern Italy to make the elixir on a commercial scale," De Munari said.

The elixir will be presented to the scientific community at the "Wine and Health" congress in Montalcino next month.

However, not all the ingredients will be revealed.

"It's a secret formula, like Coca Cola's recipe. Indeed, pharmacists can create great drinks," De Munari said.

Antiquities Smuggling

Antiquities smuggling: Growing problem at US ports

By TAMARA LUSH, Associated Press Writer
Sun Sep 14, 2:55 PM ET

MIAMI - Three years ago, an elderly Italian man pulled his van into a South Florida park to sell some rare, 2,500-year-old emeralds plundered from a South American tomb. But Ugo Bagnato, an archaeologist, didn't know his potential customer was a federal agent.

Bagnato flashed the green gems, which were as large as dominoes, and explained to the immigration and customs agent that he had bribed South American authorities and used fake paperwork to smuggle the highly illegal goods into the United States.

Authorities discovered Bagnato had a cache of more than 400 artifacts from Peru and Colombia, all predating Columbus' arrival in the Americas: burial shrouds, jewelry, terra cotta pots and other treasures were wedged in boxes in his van and kept in a storage unit.

Bagnato was arrested, charged with the sale and receipt of stolen goods, and in 2006, pleaded guilty. He was later deported.

It was one of the largest antiquities smuggling cases ever prosecuted in the U.S., but federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement authorities say smuggling of rare artifacts from around the globe into the United States is on the rise — up from 63 cases in fiscal year 2006 to 134 this fiscal year, which ends in two weeks.

Such looting robs countries not only of treasures, but of their heritage — and archaeologists say it also destroys valuable research opportunities.
"A nation's culture is not for sale. These are not souvenirs to be displayed at someone's house," said Anthony Mangione, a special agent in charge of the Miami office of the agency also known as ICE.

But that's exactly what's happening, as artifacts from around the world are surreptitiously carried into the United States and sold by dealers, on eBay or, in the case of Ugo Bagnato, out of the back of a van.

There are several recent cases:

• On Monday, federal authorities will repatriate some 1,000 items, including a rare temple marker worth $100,000, to Iraq. On June 7, 2001, ICE agents in New York received information from the Art Loss Register that a Sumerian Foundation Cone, buried under a Babylonian temple, was being sold by auction at Christie's New York. ICE New York agents seized the artifact from Christie's and discovered that it, and several other items in the U.S., had been stolen from the Baghdad Museum and other locations at the end of the first Gulf War.

• In May, four tons of fossils from Argentina — including 200-million-year-old dinosaur eggs, egg shell fragments, petrified pine cones and fossilized prehistoric crabs — were seized by federal agents in Tucson, Ariz. Authorities said a corporation based in Argentina had brought the fossils into the country. No arrests have been made, but the fossils were repatriated.

• In February, an Army pilot was arrested and charged with stealing 370 pre-dynastic artifacts from the Ma'adi Museum near Cairo, Egypt, and selling them to an art dealer in Texas for $20,000. The artifacts, dating to 3000 B.C. and earlier, were originally discovered during excavations in Egypt in the 1920s and 1930s. The pilot, Edward George Johnson, pleaded guilty in June and is awaiting sentencing.

"This whole market is driven by the demand for all kinds of antiquities, and the demand is constantly increasing," explained Robert Sharer, curator of the Americas section of the University of Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia.

Adding to the problem, too often people who live in poor areas of Latin America, the Middle East and Africa are willing to loot ancient graves for cash.

"A lot of pieces are disappearing," said Edouard Planche, an assistant program specialist for UNESCO in France. "And these poorer countries have less capacity to control the illegal smuggling."

Many of the smuggled goods are intercepted at U.S. airports and cargo ports.
Sometimes Customs and Border Protection agents find antiquities in suitcases. At other times, agents will get tips about smuggled items from confidential informants or by trolling sites such as eBay.

If agents are suspicious, they call academic experts for help.

Carol Damian, interim director of the Frost Art Museum at Florida International University in Miami, said she's gotten a steady stream of calls in recent years to examine Pre-Colombian artifacts smuggled into South Florida.

Sometimes the goods are fake, but occasionally, the rare treasures are breathtaking.

Once in the late 1990s, she was called to assess 15 crates smuggled from Peru — and they contained mummies, shrunken heads and gold.

"It's the past, it's exotic, it's mysterious," said Damian.

The cases can be difficult to prosecute.

Federal officials say it's sometimes hard to prove a person or company knew they were smuggling illegal items.

"It's very difficult to prove criminal intent," said Joseph Cangro, a cultural artifact expert at ICE.

Museums and galleries, meanwhile, are trying to slow the tide of cultural artifacts entering the United States.

This summer, the American Association of Museums released guidelines that said institutions should make ownership history records publicly available for all ancient art and archaeological artifacts in their collections and rigorously research new acquisitions. Similar guidelines were published earlier by the Association of Art Museum Directors.

Museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, have agreed in recent years to return artifacts to Italy that its government says were looted or stolen.

"Each piece represents a building or a site or a tomb and the complete destruction of it and all the information it could have given us," said Karen Olsen Bruhns, a professor emeritus in anthropology at San Francisco State University. "It's gone forever."

Koneru Out of 2008 Women's World Chess Championship: The Aftermath

From dnaindia.com
Humpy Dumpty had a big fall…

Rajesh Pansare
Monday, September 15, 2008 04:16 IST

MUMBAI: During an interview last year, Grand Master Koneru Humpy tipped Chinese sensation Yifan Hou to match the heights reached by Judith Polgar, the first women’s Grand Master and the highest-rated women’s player.

At the Women’s World Championship in Nalchik, Russia, we came to know why Humpy spoke so highly of the 14-year-old Hou. The Chinese denied the top-rated Indian player a place in the final. Humpy has never won the World championship and this time it was Hou who came in the way.

Humpy is the best thing going around in women’s chess. She has an ELO rating of 2,622 but Hou is not a walkover. Hou has the fourth-best rating among women (2,557). But what titled the game in favour of the Chinese?

Experts believe Humpy has the tendency to choke under pressure, especially when she is a favourite at a tournament.

Grand Master Abhijit Kunte said, “Humpy puts a lot of pressure on herself to win the World championship and though she won the early rounds with ease, she buckled under pressure against her Chinese opponent in the first game. Though she won the second game, she never played her normal game from there on.”

After being knocked out in 2004 in the semis and 2006 in the second round, Humpy had trained all her energies towards clinching the World title, the only trophy missing from her cabinet. But like in the previous editions, she failed to deliver. She even withdrew her name from the Indian squad to take part in the Olympiad, to can concentrate on this event.

And though, she had achieved her peak rating in July this year, she was not in the best of form going in this tournament.

Dronacharya awardee and chess coach Raghunandan Gokhale has an interesting take. “Humpy likes to take part in the men’s tournament because she is an underdog with no pressure on herself. But that’s not the case in the women’s tournament, where everyone expects her to win. Being the highest rated women’s player automatically puts a lot of pressure on her. As a result she doesn’t perform to the best of her ability.”

Humpy’s loss means India were denied the distinction of having reigning champions in all the major categories. She could have joined the list of other champions like men’s world champion in Viswanathan Anand, men’s world junior champion in Abhijeet Gupta and the women’s U-20 champion in Dronavalli Harika.

So how can Humpy crack the code? “Maybe change her coach,” Gokhale felt. “She has been coached by her father (Koneru Ashok) for a long time, who is a good coach, but if she has to improve her game further, she has to train with a foreign coach, maybe a Russian. She has to change her outlook towards the game.”

But Abhijit Kunte has a complete different take on Humpy’s game. “She is a pretty strong player and will bounce back from this loss. It’s just a one-off game. She doesn’t have to make any drastic change. She just has to be mentally more strong,” Kunte said.

Kosteniuk - American Resident

Chess
By Lubomir Kavalek
Special to The Washington Post
Monday, September 15, 2008; Page C10

Florida attracts not only hurricanes. Many excellent foreign tennis players found a second home there, and chess players were not far behind. The Russian grandmaster Alexandra Kosteniuk also lives in the Sunshine State.

Last week, she made it to the final of the FIDE Women's World Championship in Nalchik, Russia. Her decisive quaterfinal victory against Ukraine's Anna Ushenina came in a Nimzo-Indian variation that debuted in a world championship match in 1993 in London. By slightly tweaking the move order, Kosteniuk created a perfect storm.

Ushenina-Kosteniuk
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 c5 7.dxc5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Ne4! 10.e3 Qa5! (I found this precise move order when I was preparing Nigel Short for his world championship match against Garry Kasparov in 1993. It improves on 10...Nc6 11.Nf3 Qa5 12.Nd2! Nxc3 13.bxc3 Bxc3 14.Rb1 Qxc5 15.Rb5 Qa3 16.Rb3 Bxd2+ 17.Qxd2 Qa5 played in the game Spassky-Fischer, Belgrade 1992.)

11.Be5 (The bishop move was also Kasparov's first reaction against Short. After he had time to analyze it, he came up with 11.Nge2.) 11...0-0 12.Bd3 Nc6 13.Bxe4 Nxe5! 14.Bh7+ ?! (A suspect move. After 14.Bxd5 Bg4! the game Kasparov-Short, London 1993, went 15.Nf3 Bxf3 16.Bxf3 Nxf3+ 17.gxf3 Rac8 18.0-0 and draw was agreed. As later games confirmed, black is already better after 18...Rxc5. Instead of 15.Nf3, grabbing the pawn 15.Bxb7 led to a disaster in the game Carlhammar-Kosten, Villeurbanne 2003, after 15...Rad8 16.Be4 Nc4 17.Rc1 Nxb2 18.f3 Nc4 19.Nge2 Nxe3 20.Qb1 Be6 21.Kf2 f5 and white resigned.) 14...Kg7 15.Bd3 b6! (Kosteniuk finds an improvement to 15...d4 16.exd4 Nxd3+ 17.Qxd3 Re8+ 18.Nge2 b6 when white can try to escape with 19.0-0-0.)

16.cxb6? (Loses by force. After 16.0-0-0 Bxc3 17.Qxc3 Qxc3+ 18.bxc3 Nxd3+ 19.Rxd3 Bf5 20.Rd2 [On 20.Rxd5 Be4 wins.] 20...bxc5 black has the edge.) 1 6...d4! 17.exd4 Nxd3+ 18.Qxd3 Re8+ 19.Kd1 (After 19.Nge2 Ba6 wins.)

19...Bf5 20.Qd2 (20.Qf3 only transposes to the game after 20...Bxc3 21.Qxc3, since 21.bxc3? allows 21...Qa4+ 22.Kd2 Qc2 mate.) 20...Bxc3 21.Qxc3 Qxb6 (21...Qa6! 22.Kd2 Rac8 23.Qb3 Qa5+ also wins.) 22.Ne2 Rac8 23.Qa3 Rc2 (Almost everything wins here, for example 23...Qc6 24.Rc1 Qe4!; or 23...Rc4 24.h3 Rxd4+ 25.Ke1 Rxe2+! 26.Kxe2 Qb5+ 27.Ke1 Re4+.) 24.Re1 Rd8 (24...Rc4 is also good.) 25.Qe3 Qxb2 26.Rc1 Re8 (27.Qxe8 allows 27...Rd2 epaulet mate.) White resigned.

This and That

A new Random Round-up is running at Goddesschess - from Mehen to particle accelerators, it's spooky physics all around. Located in the right-hand column down below Axis Mundae.

I don't remember if I told you - my August/September column is now up and running at Chessville.

And I've done some updating at Chess Femme News on the Women's World Chess Championship. I've got a lot to catch up on there!

2008 Women's World Chess Championship

An interesting development! Susan Polgar's blog reports that Hou lost behind the White pieces to Kosteniuk in Game 1 of the WWCC finals (4 games total, plus play-offs if needed).

Chessdom has lost interest in reporting currently on the WWCC - wonder why, when they were doing such a good job the first several rounds? Did all of their favorites go home too?

The official website isn't any better - no current news, although supposedly you can follow the games there live (I haven't tried it). Instead, it features an article by GM Sergey Shipov (September 14, 2008) stuffed full of sexist stereotypes. Geez! He also included comprehensive analysis of the four semi-final games played between Kosteniuk-Cramling, and Hou-Koneru, so he partially redeemed himself from being a total schmuck.

Supporting Local Chess: Some Announcements

TEXAS
From Fort Worth Star Telegram
Northeast Tarrant community calendar
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS — Watauga Chess Club, 7 p.m., North Richland Hills Parks and Recreation, 6720 NE Loop 820. Free. www.wataugachess.thinkhost.com.

ILLINOIS
From The Southtown Star
Thursday, September 18, 2008
chess club
The Oak Lawn Park District offers a free Chess Club for ages 16 and older from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Fridays at Oak View Center, 4625 W. 110th St.

Saturday, September 19, 2008
chess/scraBble
Homewood Public Library, 17917 Dixie Highway, hosts open chess and Scrabble for participants of all ages and abilities from noon to 4 p.m. the first and third Saturdays of the month. Information: (708) 798-0121, Ext. 222.

GEORGIA
From the Savannah Morning News
LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS:
Savannah Association for the Blind
The organization is looking for volunteers to help at the agency, located at 214 Drayton St., as well as in the homes of some of the group's clients. Some activities volunteers participate in include manning the Talking Books Library, bowling with clients, playing chess and other board games, writing grant proposals for the agency, grocery shopping, assisting with writing and paying bills and more. Call 232-6048.

Unusual Sarcophogi Uncovered on Cyrus

From SignOnSanDiego.com

Cyprus dig finds 'very rare' ancient coffin
ASSOCIATED PRESS
11:05 a.m. September 12, 2008

NICOSIA, Cyprus – Cyprus' top archaeologist says a chance dig has unearthed a “very rare” 2,500-year-old marble sarcophagus in the shape of a woman.

Antiquities Department director Pavlos Flourentzos says the coffin found at a construction site in the southern coastal town of Larnaca has a “strong classical Greek influence.”

Flourentzos said Friday the coffin's rarity rests on the fact that the marble used to build it was imported because none exists on the Mediterranean island.

The faint traces of paint the coffin retains are also rare. Flourentzos says a second marble coffin found at the site was meticulously crafted in the “form of a temple”.

Flourentzos said tests will determine from which country the marble was imported.

***************************

Arrrgggh! What about what was INSIDE of these coffins? Anything? The article doesn't say a word about it!

The Goddess Osun

From Afrik.com

Nigerians flock back to their deserted gods Austrian leads the religious revolution
It appears the western and eastern gods no longer appeal to some Nigerian natives of the Yoruba tribe as the annual Osogbo festival of the river-goddess Osun has had increasing participation by the year.
Sunday 14 September 2008, by Konye Obaji Ori

Surprisingly, thousands of people attended this year’s festival at the sacred grove to seek Osun’s blessings. The turn out is reported to have surpassed that of the previous year.

With fasting and prayers not seeming to bring prosperity, healing and blessings amongst the citizens of an economically crawling country ravaged by corruption and mismanagement, some people have given up on the wait for a heaven promised after death, to seek the earthly blessings of the once charitable river goddess.

The goddess, despite being abandoned by her people when foreign gods were enforced on them could have been more than happy to receive back her lost flocks.

The followers were reported to scramble down to the river’s edge in the sacred grove, to drink of its water and be blessed by the white-robe-wearing priestesses of the dust-brown river.

It is rather Ironic that the priestess of the goddess is someone whose people had come between the goddess and her people in the past. The 94-year-old Austrian who has lived in Osogbo for 58 years and has become a high priestess of Osun was glad to see the natives scuttle back to their original deity.

The followers at the shrine offered sacrifices of goats, cows, chickens, rams, palm oil, yam tubers, kola nuts and everything they could offer at the feet of wooden built statues of the spirits in the grove.

The goddess main blessing is said to be fertility and children who were born after sacrifices were made to her were brought back to the river for baptism.

As the offerings were made, people cleansed themselves of bad spirits by passing their hands over their heads and clicking their fingers while professing good tidings on themselves.

A native servant of the shrine took the offerings to the waters’ edge and tipped them in. The people screamed in excitement because it meant that their connection with the spirit world was renewed for another year. They could now hope the ritual will guarantee them prosperity and success.

So if the social system, political and economic policies favour the masses and brings about prosperity, their prayers would have been answered.

The Kumari - From the Other Side

From The Sunday Tribune of India
Sunday, September 14, 2008

Hope for the goddess
Nepal’s Kumaris, who are shunned and denied basic rights when they lose their ‘divine’ status, can now look forward to a better and normal future, thanks to a ruling by the country’s apex court, writes Sudeshna Sarkar

WHEN Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, chief of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), the country’s former guerrilla party, was sworn in as the young Himalayan republic’s new prime minister, the event was hailed internationally as the climax to an amazing revolution that had ended the reign of the 239-year-old dynasty of the Shah kings, once regarded as incarnations of Vishnu.

Along with that momentous event, Pundevi Maharjan (30) also quietly ushered in another revolution in a country that has been ruled by tradition and strong religious beliefs. The young lawyer has won a battle against Nepal’s famous Kumari tradition, setting in motion a change that will in future end the myth of virgin goddesses.

"I come from the Shakya Bajracharya clan," Maharjan says. "They are Buddhists who were also the first inhabitants of the Kathmandu valley. Though Buddhists, it is the priests of this community who choose the Kumaris — Nepal’s living goddesses."

After Mt Everest, the highest peak in the world, the Buddhist shrines of Swayambhunath and Boudhanath, and the Hindu temple of Pashupati, the Kumari is probably the best known image of Nepal. The young girl wearing a crown and with a third eye painted on her forehead, who gazes out impassively from an intricately carved wooden window, draws tens of thousands of tourists as well as devotees every year.

Regarded as an incarnation of Taleju Bhawani, the goddess of power, as well as the protector of the royal family, the Kumari was believed to have divine powers. She is also the only living being before whom the kings of Nepal bowed in obeisance.

Nepal boasts of 11 Kumaris, who are chosen by priests from the Bajracharya community on the basis of certain criteria. The chosen one’s horoscope has to be compatible with the reigning king’s and she has to be free from any physical blemishes. The Kumari also has to be a prepubescent girl who loses her divine status once she begins menstruation. She is then succeeded by a new Kumari.

Once selected, the Kumari leaves her family to go and reside in the Kumari Ghar — the palace designated for her in Kathmandu — where she has her own retinue. She is not allowed to leave the palace on her own and she must not walk on the ground. The most important of the 11 Kumaris is taken out in a chariot and has a red carpet placed before her so that her feet don’t touch the ground.

"When I was in college, I began to marvel at the Kumaris," says Maharjan, who had filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court three years ago, saying that the Kumaris’ rights as children had been grossly violated.

Once they lost their divine status and had to leave the palace, most found it hard to assimilate. Some had no education and had to start school at the age of 11, when they were placed in the same class with five or six-year-olds. They were also the victims of superstitions, like the belief that if a man married a Kumari, he would die. But no one ever thought of the trauma a former Kumari undergoes.

A glaring example of the restrictions the Kumaris suffered is, Maharjan says, the case of Sajani Shakya, who until recently was the Kumari of Bhaktapur town. In an unprecedented move, her priests sacked the nine-year-old after she went to the US to attend a documentary festival that also screened a film on the Kumaris, including herself. Sajani’s priests said she had lost her holiness by going abroad and eating "impure" food.

After fighting the suit for two years, Maharjan got a shot in the arm when she joined the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD), a leading NGO in Nepal that has been fighting for the abolition of anti-women laws and for protection of women. Nepal’s apex court recently ordered the government to protect the rights of the Kumaris.

"Though the convention of child rights and interim constitution of Nepal have guaranteed minor girls the right to education and health, only some Kumaris enjoy these rights," judges Balaram K.C. and Top Bahadur Magar said. "There should be no bar on Kumaris going to school and enjoying health-related rights. They should not be treated as bonded labourers and there should be no restriction on their free movement."

The judges have ordered the government to form a five-member committee from related ministries that would study the condition of the Kumaris and submit its report within a year. In addition, they have asked the Ministry for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation to draw up a second committee to recommend schemes for providing former Kumaris with social security.

Maharjan says she faced ostracism and harassment from her community when she filed the suit. She was accused of trying to humiliate her own people and of destroying a tradition that was the backbone of national culture. "I did not seek to have the Kumari tradition abolished," she says spiritedly. "I only want it to be modernised and freed from harmful practices. Instead of being treated like divine beings, the Kumaris should be seen as cultural icons that are unique to Nepal."

Sapana Pradhan Malla, one of the founders of FWLD and currently a Member of Parliament (MP), who has been entrusted with the task of drafting a new constitution for Nepal, says the community should be asked to modernise the Kumari tradition.

"There are other traditions related to women and religion that are harmful to women," she says. "Like Deuki (akin to India’s devdasi tradition in which a young girl is offered to a god and who finally ends up as a sex worker) and Jhuma (the tradition of a Buddhist family offering at least one girl child to become a nun without considering her wishes). While the Kumari is not like that, yet, it has to be viewed with different eyes."

"Nepalis decided to abolish monarchy," says Janardan Sharma, one of the deputy commanders of the People’s Liberation Army, the Maoists’ guerrilla army, who is now a legislator. "We need to abolish all institutions associated with the crown. There is no need for Kumaris, Jhumas or Deukis."

But the moderates in the party have decided to skirt the issue for now, fearing a public outcry. "The Kumari is not just associated with the king as his protective deity," says Dinanath Sharma, another Maoist lawmaker. "She is also a cultural symbol." — WFS

Tomb of Eve?

An interesting money-making scam for the local community... (Image: Eve, the Serpent, and Death, by Hans Baldung Grien c. 1520-25 (National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa).

From The New York Times
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: September 10, 2008
Filed at 10:09 a.m. ET

JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- On a sweltering August morning, a small group of Iranians crowded outside the green metal door of a cemetery. They wanted to go in to look at the remains of one particular tomb: the tomb of biblical Eve.

Like hundreds of Muslims who visit Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage in nearby Mecca, the Iranians had heard the legend that Eve was buried in that spot. The two blue signs inscribed with ''The Graveyard of our mother Eve'' flanking the cemetery entrance appeared to add credibility to a story passed on by generations of Saudis but never scientifically proven.

''We hear this is the tomb of Eve,'' said Minoo Ghadimkhani, 45. ''That is why we want to go in.''

There is no archaeological evidence old enough to authenticate the story of Eve's burial in Jiddah, according to many Bible experts. But that hasn't kept the legend from persisting.

Some say that the city's name, when pronounced as ''Jaddah'' -- an Arabic word that means grandmother -- is a reference to Eve. No one really knows how the story originated, and many in this Red Sea port city dismiss it as a myth.

''It's a legend, but it is one mentioned by many scholars,'' said Sami Nawar, general director for culture and tourism. Nawar, an expert on the history of old Jiddah, likes to lace a bit of the legend into his presentations on the city to visiting foreign dignitaries and journalists.

''Jiddah is the most feminine city in the whole world because it has Eve,'' Nawar says.

The Quran, Islam's holy book, talks about Adam and Eve's expulsion from paradise after eating from the fruit of the forbidden tree. It does not say where they appeared on earth.

But Arab tradition puts Adam in the holy city of Mecca, which is 70 kilometers (43 miles) east of Jiddah, where God ordered him to build the Kaaba, the sacred stone structure that Muslims face during their five daily prayers, according to Nawar.

God then told Adam to go to a hill in Mecca to repent for his sins, said Nawar. After he repented, God sent him Eve, and the hill became known as Mount Arafat, from the Arabic word that means to know, he added. That story places Eve, Hawwa in Arabic, in the vicinity of Jiddah, which is the entry point for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca. It could explain how the legend of her burial began.

Arab and Western historians and travelers have described a tomb outside the walls of old Jiddah that they referred to as Eve's Graveyard.

Historian Hatoon al-Fassi said 9th century Mecca historian al-Fakihi reported that two of Prophet Muhammad's companions, Ibn Abbas and Ibn Massoud, mentioned Eve's tomb. The prophet died in 623.

Writing about Jiddah in his ''Travels,'' Ibn Jubayr, a 12th century geographer, traveler and poet, born in Valencia, then the seat of an Arab emirate, says that ''in it is a place having an ancient and lofty dome, which is said to have been the lodging place of Eve, the mother of mankind, God's blessing upon her when on her way to (Mecca).'' The passage was quoted by the Arab News, a Saudi paper.

The tomb no longer exists. And it's not clear how it was destroyed. Those who have been inside the cemetery say that in its place is a row of unmarked tombs, and there's nothing to indicate the tomb had been there. (The Wahhabi strain of Islam bans the marking of tombs, and women in the Saudi kingdom are barred from entering cemeteries.)

William Dever, a professor emeritus of Near Eastern studies at the University of Arizona and a prominent U.S. archaeologist, said there just isn't any archaeological evidence going back far enough to back up the claims.

''The problem is that these are all legends, these are all myths and we can't date them,'' said Dever, who specializes in the history of Israel and Near East in biblical times. ''My guess is the story could go back two or three thousand years, but we don't have any archaeological proof.''

''There are lots of traditional tombs of saints of various kinds in the Middle East,'' he added. ''But they are never excavated or investigated scientifically.''
Asked if he had heard of any other final resting place for Eve, Dever said, ''No. There are tombs of Abraham all over the place, but I don't honestly know in Israel or the West Bank or Jordan of any Eve tomb in these places.''
On the quiet street of the cemetery, which faces low-rise, rundown buildings, the Eve legend remains alive even though those who grew up with the story don't really believe it.

Ahmed Bakoudij, a 32-year-old mechanic, said he called his garage ''Hawwa's Garage'' despite his skepticism.

''I've been hearing about Hawwa's grave since I was a kid,'' said Bakoudij. ''But no one believes it. I have to see it with my own eyes to believe it.'' ''But,'' he added, ''if I ever have kids, I'll pass on the legend to them.''

Grocer Saleh Ba-Aqeel said hundreds of Muslim pilgrims from Iran, Indonesia and other countries visit the cemetery, especially before and after the annual hajj pilgrimage.

''When they come and ask me if Eve is really buried here, I tell them, 'God only knows,''' said Ba-Aqeel.

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"Jaddah" is grandmother in Arabic - interesting. The connection of Adam/Eve to the kaaba is also interesting, since Mecca (Makkah) is an ancient center of goddess worship (the Triple Goddess) prior to the advent of Islam. It goes without saying that the black granite square built on the site of the original goddesses' temple (now inside a giant courtyard enclosed by a mosque) incorporates a sacred meterorite (like the meteorite that was worshipped as the Goddess Diana in ancient Ephesus) was NOT built by Adam who, if he existed, lived hundreds of thousands of years before its construction!

Walker's "The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets" contains a lengthy entry on Eve, which I won't post in full here, just some interesting pieces from which I've omitted footnoted references:

The biblical title of Eve, "Mother of All Living," was a translation of Kali Ma's title Jaganmata. She was also known in India as Jiva or Ieva, the Creatress of all manifested forms. ...

The original Eve had no spouse except the serpent, a living phallus she created for her own sexual pleasure. Some ancient peoples regarded the Goddess and her serpent as their first parents. [for instance, the most ancient myths of China point to a half-human/half-serpent Empress and Emperor who created all living things and all useful arts and crafts for mankind]. Sacred icons showed the Goddess giving life to a man, while her serpent coiled around the apple tree behind her. Deliberate misinterpretation of such icons produced ideas for revised creation myths like the one in Genesis. ... [Eve was sometimes named] Nahemah, Naama, or Namrael, who gave birth to the original man and woman. One of Eve's Tantric names was Adita Eva: "the Very Beginning." In northern Babylonia, Eve was known as "the divine Lady of Eden," or "Goddess of the Tree of Life." Assyrians called her Nin-Eveh, "Holy Lady Eve," after whom their capital was named. ...

The secret of God's "Name of power," the Tetragrammaton, was that three-quarters of it invoked not God, but Eve. YHWH, yod-he-vau-he, came from the Hebrew root HWH, meaning both "life" and "woman" - in Latin letters, E-V-E. [Compare to Arabic "Hawwa" mentioned in the article above]. With the addition of an I (yod), it amounted to the Goddess' invocation of her own name as the Word of creation, a common idea in Egypt and other ancient lands. ...

Gnostic scriptures ... said Eve not only created Adam and obtained his admission to heaven; she was the very soul within him, as Shakti was the soul of every Hindu god and yogi. Adam couldn't live without "power from the Mother," so she descended to earth as "the Good Spirit, the Thought of Light called by him 'Life' (Hawwa)."

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Where did the horrid fear of women (and their subsequent subjugation and persecution that such fear engenders) that permeates so much religion today come from? Why, for instance, would the particular brand of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia ban women from cemeteries (see article above)!?! Perhaps it is because, like all mother goddesses, Eve not only had the power to create and give life, she had the power to destroy and take life away. In other words, the Mother reflected the natural cycle of all living things: creation/birth, coming to fruition/reproduction, old age/decay, death, reincorporation into the earth/resurrection (reincarnation) into new life.

Walker puts it this way: "This was the real origin of the church fathers' fear and hatred of women, which expanded into a sexist attitude that permeated all of western society: Woman was identified with Death. Her countervailing responsibility for birth was taken away, and the creation of life was lad to the credit of the Father-god, whose priests claimed he could remove the curse of death. ... Medieval theologians said Adam was forgiven (for his original sin). ... but for Eve there was no forgiveness. No peace was offered to her or her daughters. Presumably, they were left behind in hell. Christian theologians espoused the same theory as Persian patriarchs, that heaven was closed to all women except those who were submissive and worshipped their husbands as gods."

Personally, I'd rather go to hell.

Learn more about Eve from Christopher Witcombe.

Chess on Television

From Fitchburg Pride (Massachusetts) online newspaper:

On Monday, September 15, 2008 FATV, Channel 8, will broadcast at 7 p.m. another episode of "Chess Chat," a program hosted by Martin Laine and George Mirijanian, members of the Wachusett Chess Club at Fitchburg State College. The program's subject will be the 2008 New England Open Chess Championship, held over the Labor Day weekend in Boxborough, and will feature some of the local players who competed.

A Disappointing Loss for Koneru

There was plenty of game by game coverage in the Indian press during the Women's World Chess Championship as several Indian players participated in the knock-out event. The highest rated player at the WWCC and the second highest-rated female player in the world (behind only Judit Polgar), GM Koneru Humpy, lost during a second round of play-off games to 14 year old GM-elect Hou Yifan of China:

• Humpy out of world championship (9/12/08) - Grandmaster Koneru Humpy bowed out of the World Women Chess Championship succumbing to 14-year old Yifan Hao of China in the blitz tiebreak games of the semi-finals
• Yifan in final (9/13/08) - Chinese prodigy Hou Yifan inflicted a heart-breaking twin-defeat on second seed K. Humpy in the two five-minute blitz games for a 4-2 victory in the semifinals of the Women’s World chess championship...

It seems probable at this point that Hou will overtake Koneru on the women's ratings list by the end of 2008 and will storm toward 2700, much as another teen "prodigy" has - Magnus Carlsen (now storming toward 2800). Will Hou be unstoppable? If she wins the women's title, will she gun for the "men's" title? Hey Topalov, Aronian, Carlsen, Anand, et al., watch out boys!

Well, okay, maybe not. I don't think Hou is the best female player in the world - she's still extremely unseasoned and she hasn't had enough experience playing against higher-rated male players. Her results over the past couple of years have been highly inconsistent. Let's see what happens over the next three years or so.

Accused Killers of Chess Player on Trial

From website of Union for Councils of Jews in the Former Soviet Union

Trial Begins of Moscow Neo-Nazis Accused of Killing Chess Player (September 12, 2008)
The trial of a neo-Nazi youth gang accused of killing the internationally known chess player Sergey Nikolaev has begun in Moscow, according to a September 12, 2008 article in the national daily "Kommersant." The 13 defendants, aged 16-18, face between five and 22 years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors accuse the youths of two murders, ten attempted murders, and hate crimes. The trial is closed to the public, due to the under-aged status of most of the defendants. Moscow's chief prosecutor Yuri Syomin, referred to the gang's leader as "mentally retarded" but it is unclear if that is true, in which case it may have an impact on potentially sentencing, or if he meant it as an insult.

Friday Night Miscellany

Hola!

Ohmygoddess! Humpy lost the second game of the second set of play-off games today in Nalchik (where?) and has been eliminated from the Women's World Chess Championship by 14 year old Hou Yifan. So, it's Hou Yifan v. Alexandria Kosteniuk for the final. Now that every last one of my favorite players is out of the championship, I've totally lost interest. But I must - I simply must - suck it up and report on it at Chess Femme News. And I will - I swear. I will.

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There's a long involved story about how I decided to set up a wireless computer network at home - I should have done it LONG ago! But, being technologically challenged I finally did not get serious about the idea until Sunday, when I purchased a new laptop computer. I'd been pricing them and doing comparison shopping for months, and finally pulled the trigger on a nice Toshiba for a great price. That got me thinking about how I'd be using this laptop at home. One modem - one desktop connected to modem, connected to the one and only phone jack upstairs. Where would I connect the laptop to the internet? Oops! Time to go wireless, Jan.

And so I did some research online and it looked like a relatively simple procedure to hook it up, I just had to get the right components (wireless router and, for the desktop which I purchased in 2003 without wireless capability, a USB wireless adaptor). Purchasing the stuff was the easy part - I had a list of my top 3 picks and went to the OfficeMax in the mall on my lunch hour Wednesday. Ta da, less than an hour later, I had the top picks on my list for under $100 (tax included).

The procedure for hooking everything up sounded easy enough too, reading it online. Hmmm....well, it's a lesson worth learning all over again. NEVER trust any directions about how to do something you read on the internet! NEVER!

Soooo, I get my wireless components home Wednesday night and set things up in less than an hour. WRONGO! When I tried to go online last night, I had no internet connection! LOL! After trying various remedies and the SBC diagnostic tool (which told me I had no internet connection, duh), in desperation I re-connected the network cable that I had removed the night before from the back of the router to the computer ethernet port and voila! The internet connection was restored. However, that cable isn't supposed to be there! Obviously I'd done something wrong, but I was too tired to putz with it. The USB wireless adaptor wasn't able to connect to the router, either. Oh crap! I checked and double-checked the settings and the instructions on the DVD that came along with the little thingy (it looks like a zip drive) and thought I'd done everything a-okay, but obviously - NOT!

So, today is one of my last day offs before the official end of summer (September 21) and I tackled the re-install of the router and adaptor before 9 this morning. What a comedy of errors! Trying to be "smart" (I should know better by now, wouldn't you think?) I thought "I must delete the prior installation information and start from scratch." So, I pull up my programs, and I can't find the router stuff anywhere. I did delete something - it turned out to be my ethernet drivers - but I didn't discover that until later on. Much later on...

Two tries later I'm practically in tears (why is it that women start to cry when we get frustrated? Well, at least this woman does). I know I must do the dreaded call to "tech support" and speak to someone with an accent so heavy I won't be able to understand what he is saying. I pick up the telephone and dial. A mere 30 minutes later I have successfully manuevered myself past never-ending menus and mechanical voices and reach "Danny" who was either from India, Bangladesh or Pakistan judging by the accent; it wasn't as heavy as some tech support helpers I've talked to in the past, I could understand him and only had to ask him to repeat himself about half a dozen times during our 30 minutes on the telephone. Success! Danny got my ethernet drivers restored (all it finally took was a reboot of the machine, geez!) so I could get back on the internet and figure out how to "restore default settings" to my router. Arrrgggghhhh.

After several attempts I was able to finally restore the default settings to my router and after that, I got it installed! (I hoped it was successfully installed, but I wouldn't know until I reinstalled the USB wireless adaptor if it really worked).

Then I tackled the USB wireless adaptor. Oh my. I put in the DVD and follow the directions, but then in the middle of everything up pops this screen that says I have to download this other Linksys program - and although I tried and tried I couldn't get out of the screen; when I exited out of the DVD and tried re-running it, the same thing happened again at the same point in the installation. So, 45 minutes later, after this program had finished installing itself, I was able to complete the installation of the adaptor. Only - it didn't work!

After several fruitless tries, it was sheer luck that led me to use the same password for the adaptor that I had selected as my "security key" for the router and it worked! Instantly there was the connection - all the little green lights on the modem and router were glowing!

To make sure I had it right (finally), I cut the front lawn in a soft rain, took a long nap, and then I disconnected the network cable and powered everything up again. It all worked!

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The Chinese are at it again. It wasn't bad enough that they killed thousands of Americans' beloved pets with pet food poisoned with melamine. Nope - now they're poisoning their own children with baby formula adulterated with melamine. The Chinese officials are "investigating." So they'll chop off the heads of a few peasant farmers and confiscate their land, and that will be the end of that. Geez.

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Mother Nature flexes her muscles. New Orleans emptied out (good thing, actually), in the face of Hurricane Gustav; now Galveston is in the sights of Hurricane Ike. I LIKE the fact that these two devastating storms are named after guys. Ha ha. But I sure don't like the devastation that this storm is sure to bring, not to mention a big jump in gasoline prices. That affects me even though I don't own a car. It seems, unfortunately, that about 90,000 people were stupid and stayed behind on Galveston Island. Geez!

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A tart that is sweet - yet savory. Hmmm....

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Fascinating - the White Priestess of Yoruban Black Magic.

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The appearance of The Goddess (in the form of the Virgin Mary) at Lourdes celebrates its 150th anniversary. Is the Pope still holding secret revelations that Bernadette gave him prior to her death???

Indians Training Hard for 2008 Chess Olympiad

From The Hindu.com
Indians training hard for Olympiad
Arvind Aaron
September 12, 2008

CHENNAI: The Indian team’s training camp for the Chess Olympiad is on in full swing in Chennai and New Delhi. For the first time, both the men’s and women’s teams will field Grandmasters on all boards.

Senior Grandmaster Lev Psakhis of Israel is training the men’s squad here and Elizbar Ubilava, who was with the men’s team at Calvia 2004 and Turin 2006, has been assigned the task of handling the women’s side. The camp, which began on September 9, will run till 23.

“Such camps are required as the team members should know each other better. I have some material and want to analyse that with the five boys,” said Psakhis.

The men’s team comprises Krishnan Sasikiran (TN, captain), P. Harikrishna (AP), Surya Sekhar Ganguly, Sandipan Chanda (both Bengal) and G.N. Gopal (Ker). The women’s side has Dronavalli Harika (AP), Tania Sachdev (Del), Nisha Mohota, Mary Ann Gomes (both Ben) and Swati Ghate (Mah).
The players have been training for seven hours a day and the focus has been on endings so far, according to Harikrishna.

“A role of a coach is to make the player think and play better. Success rests with the concerned player,” said Psakhis, the key man behind India’s gold medal winning performance at the 2006 Doha Asiad.

Psakhis expects India, minus Viswanathan Anand, to match a team like Israel. About the placing one can expect, he said it would depend on how well the boys play.

“India is already a top nation and in four years it will equal Russia in terms of quality of play at the top,” said Psakhis about India’s growing presence in the game.

Predictions can go awry in a Chess Olympiad. A strong Russian team with Vladimir Kramnik, Alexander Morozevich and other strong players could finish only sixth.

“I am giving the boys a lot of work and I am trying to make them think. Computers are not there at the camp since we are not analysing the openings and what we learn today can become out of fashion when the games begin on November 12,” said Psakhis.

New rules
The Chess Olympiad to be held at Dresden (Germany) will see many changes.

By increasing the players from four to five and boards from three to four, women’s chess stands to benefit. On the contrary, the numbers came down from six to five in the men’s event with the same four playing members.

One important rule is that the players have to be at their table five minutes before the start of play. Also, a player cannot leave the table without the permission of the match arbiter when it is his turn to move.

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Did GM Koneru Humpy decline the invitation to a board on the Indian Men's Olympiad Team because she thought she'd still be playing in Nalchik while the "mandatory" Olympiad training camps were being held?

The Indian Women's Team is a powerful one: Dronavalli Harika, Tania Sachdev, Nisha Mohota, Mary Ann Gomes and Swati Ghati. I would not be surprised if the Indian women place higher in the final standings than the Indian men.

Gruesome Evidence of Human Sacrifice

Peru archaeologists find pre-Inca sacrificial tomb
By ANDREW WHALEN – 1 day ago

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Archaeologists in Peru say they have discovered the jawbone of a fetus among the remains of a sacrificed woman in a pre-Inca tomb, suggesting the Lambayeque culture practiced the atypical sacrifice of pregnant women and their children.

The remains of the woman and unborn child were found in a tomb with three other sacrificed women and several sacrificial llamas, lead archaeologist Carlos Wester La Torre told The Associated Press.

In all, Wester La Torre's team reported finding the remains of seven women in two tombs at the Chotuna Chornancap archaeological site, each showing signs of having been cut at the throat.

The sacrifice of a pregnant woman "is very unusual" in the pre-Inca world, said respected Peruvian archaeologist Walter Alva, who was not involved in the discovery. [Maybe they should re-examine prior finds and recalibrate earlier assumptions about what the pre-Inca did and did not do!]

"The concept of fertility was well respected, so this could represent a sacrifice for a very important religious event," he said Wednesday.
Chotuna Chornancap is a sacred site of the Lambayeque culture, which flourished in northern Peru between 800 and 1350 A.D.

Wester La Torre said he believes the sacrifices were made to honor the reconstruction of the temple at Chotuna Chornancap or an important member of the Lambayeque culture possibly buried nearby.

The archaeologist said his team plans to continue excavating the site and hopes to find a possible central tomb.

Also Wednesday, archaeologist Luis Guevara said that eight tombs containing the remains of 21 bodies were discovered in a separate dig, in a temple in the Sacsayhuaman fortress in the ancient Inca capital of Cuzco.

Guevara said the largest of the tombs contained 10 bodies, probably servants to Inca royalty buried in the temple.

Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

New Treasures Uncovered at Grecian Burial Site

Greece unearths treasures at Alexander's birthplace
Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:15pm EDT
ATHENS (Reuters) - Archaeologists have unearthed gold jewellery, weapons and pottery at an ancient burial site near Pella in northern Greece, the birthplace of Alexander the Great, the culture ministry said on Thursday.

The excavations at the vast cemetery uncovered 43 graves dating from 650-279 BC which shed light on the early development of the Macedonian kingdom, which had an empire that stretched as far as India under Alexander's conquests.

Among the most interesting discoveries were the graves of 20 warriors dating to the late Archaic period, between 580 and 460 BC, the ministry said in a statement.

Some were buried in bronze helmets alongside iron swords and knives. Their eyes, mouths and chests were covered in gold foil richly decorated with drawings of lions and other animals symbolizing royal power.

"The discovery is rich in historical importance, shedding light on Macedonian culture during the Archaic period," Pavlos Chrysostomou, who headed the eight-year project that investigated a total of 900 graves, told Reuters.

Pavlas said the graves confirmed evidence of an ancient Macedonian society organized along militaristic lines and with overseas trade as early as the second half of the seventh century BC.

Among the excavated graves, the team also found 11 women from the Archaic period, with gold and bronze necklaces, earrings and broaches. Nine of the graves dated to the late classical or early Hellenistic period, around the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. [This is a bit confusing; the photo above seems to describe this archaic period jewelry. Did 11 graves date to the archaic period? Or were there a total of 11 graves, 9 of which date to the late classical or early Hellenistic period? There's about 500 years difference!]

Alexander, whose father Philip II unified the city states of mainland Greece, conquered most of the world known to the ancient Greeks before dying at the age of 32 in Babylon. Educated by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, Alexander was never defeated in battle.

Reporting by Daniel Flynn and Renee Maltezou; editing by Elizabeth Piper)

2008 Women's World Chess Championship

Humpy Koneru won with white today against Hou, forcing a play-off tomorrow. Pia Cramling wasn't as fortunate, only managing a draw against Kosteniuk, who now advances to the final.

So, who's it going to be tomorrow - Humpy or Hou?

I've got off tomorrow, so I'll be able to watch the games live! Yippee!

Temple of Athena Found in Turkey

From TurkishPress.com
Ruins Of Temple Of Athena Found In Bodrum
September 10, 2008

BODRUM - Ruins of the Temple of Athena have been found in the popular resort town of Bodrum in western Turkey.

In an interview with the A.A, Profesor Adnan Diler, who leads the archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Pedasa, said, "we found the Temple of Athena, one of the most important works of arts in Anatolia, in Konacik hamlet in Bodrum. The findings we have unearthed so far showed that we finally found ruins of the temple belonged to the civilization of the Leleges around the 6th century B.C."

"We found walls of the temple and an inscription. Our excavations will continue to bring the temple into daylight," Diler added.

Athena, was the shrewd companion of heroes and the goddess of heroic endeavour in Greek mythology.
(UK)
(CUL)

Russia's Actions Have Consequences

Well, Miniputin, don't say I didn't warn you, darling!

The Russian stock market has been on a crash course since the ill-advised invasion of Georgia, and no end in sight now that commodities prices are beginning to moderate. The New York Times reported on 9/5/08 about it - the "summer sell-off" they called it. Some people may blow off a report in The New York Times because it's that "liberal" newspaper. But today none other than The Wall Street Journal reported on the Russian market crash - the CONTINUING Russian market crash, tee hee hee. I don't have a subscription to the online Wall Street Journal - I read it in the print edition at the office this morning. But Pravada speaks in the words of the Russians and THEY said it too!

Decreasing oil prices destroy Russian stock market
10.09.2008
Source: Pravda.Ru
The Russian stock market went lower than 1,400 points due to the reduction of the oil prices and the ongoing of outflow of capital, which investors currently conduct. Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin added more fuel to the fire when he said that Russia’s oil companies would not be provided with an additional reduction of tax burden.

The RTS index dropped by 7.51 percent to 1,395.11 points. This level was previously reported in June 2006. MICEX index dropped by 9.08 percent to 1,158.07.

The price of a barrel of oil reduced to $104.23, having lost $1.25 in comparison with Monday.

Rosneft’s shares slipped by 9.54 percent, Gazprom – by 8.47, Lukoil – by 9.29 and Surgutneftegaz – by 6.16 percent.

Ore-mining companies followed the oil sector. The shares of Norilsk Nickel reduced by 12,76 percent.

Russia’s Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin said in Moscow during the annual Reuters Investment Summit that there would be no additional tax concessions made for oil companies in the nearest future because the concessions from 2009 would be enough.

“As an economist, I can say that Russia has reached the line when we can not reduce taxes anymore. I hope the president will put an end to the tax debate in September,” Kudrin said.

The opening of US stock exchanges exacerbated the situation on the Russian market even further. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 0.23 percent to 11483,95. Standard & Poor's 500 lost 0.55 percent and made up 1260,78 points.

The positive effect from the news about the nationalization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lasted for only one day.

It became clear to everyone that it was short-term news that would only give the market a short break. Market members paid attention to the general situation on the market, which remains negative.

*******************

Tee hee hee. Just how many billions of foreign capital have fled the Russian markets, heh???

And darling Miniputin, don't say I didn't warn you when I did - quite clearly - about the folly of your actions. What was this I saw today at The New York Times? Oh my goddess - it's an article about how the Russian government's RECOGNITION of two break-away areas in Georgia, a sovereign state, have now given Russia's own break-away areas NEW HOPE. Gee whiz, who could have ever predicted that, heh?

“In the long term, they could have signed their own death warrant,” said Lawrence Scott Sheets, the Caucasus program director for the International Crisis Group, an independent organization that tries to prevent and resolve global conflicts. “It’s an abstraction now, but 20 years down the road, it won’t be such an abstraction.”

Moscow’s position is that South Ossetia and Abkhazia were extreme situations, in which decisions were driven by the threat to the lives of its citizens. Russian troops poured across the border early in August, after Georgian forces attacked civilian areas in the city of Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital, with rocket and artillery fire. [NOT TRUE - 43 people were killed in South Ossetian action BEFORE Russians rolled in and started targeting civilian populations OUTSIDE OF SOUTH OSSETIA.] Anyone who reads a newspaper or a non-biased source online knows for a fact that the Russians lied about the number of casualties used as an excuse for this invasion. And the separatists in the areas just itching to break away from Russia realize it too. Duh!

*****************

To add yet more pain to the international humiliation being heaped upon Russian where it hurts much (their foreign reserves), the US Dollar is strengthening against both the Euro (chicken-sh*ts who could have but refused to give Russian a well-deserved spanking) and even more against the Ruble. Bwwwwwwaaaaaahhhhhhh!

2008 Women's World Chess Championship

Dylan McClain reported on the final four of the WWCC.

Today was the first game of the semi-final. Both Koneru and Cramling lost with the black pieces, so tomorrow they MUST win with the white pieces in order to force play-off games against, respectively, Hou and Kosteniuk.

Unfortunately, Chessdom.com stopped doing blog-by-blog reporting, which I thought was very exciting. Susan Polgar has picked up the resulting slack and today did a periodically updated analysis blow-by-blow of the Hou-Koneru game.

My personal thoughts - not necessarily reflective of any kind of logic!!!!

• I think Hou is far too young to win this title, I don't care how "good at chess" she is; she's not ready to handle it.
• I don't think that Kosteniuk deserves to win this year, having sat out too many events and not performing all that well in the ones she played in! It seems she did some kind of MONDO prep and training for this event, which is all fine and good. But does being the champion only mean that you train like hell for six weeks before the event and sluff off before and after? I think being a champion requires more commitment than Kosteniuk is willing to give.
• I have followed Koneru's career since 1999, nearly 10 years! For the first several years of my advent onto the internet and into chess and the women who play the game at this level, Pia Cramling was absent. I did not see her name start to crop up in chess tournaments again until 2004 and then, it was very sporadic. It's only since 2006 that she's really started playing again (more events each year), the way she used to do in the "old days" - before marriage and children. I'm really torn as to whom I'm rooting for at this point (since my American players have been eliminated). On the one hand, I really want Koneru to win; on the other hand, I think it would be absolutely fabulous for Cramling to win the title so many years after earning her GM title and showing that yes, a 45 year old mom CAN do this.
• By expressing these thoughts I don't mean to take anything away from Hou and Kosteniuk as chessplayers; I'm trying to balance competing emotions and preferences honed over the course of many more years than any of the final four can boast, so I'm leaning toward the player who have shown the most commitment to the process (Koneru) and the player who has the most overall experience (Cramling).

What will happen tomorrow? I've no idea, darlings! Stay tuned!

2008 Hales Corners Challenge

Yaaahhhhhh! My adopted local chess club is hosting a USCF Grand Prix event:

Our popular Hales Corners Challenge (held each year in April and October) is coming soon.

Mark your calendar now! Tournament information is below, and a flyer is attached to this email (or go to http://home.wi.rr.com/swcc/HC%20Challenge.htm )

NOTE !! NEW LOCATION THIS TIME !
Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel—4747 S. Howell Avenue—Milwaukee (Phone—414-481

October 4, 2008 Hales Corners Challenge VIII GPP: 10 Wisconsin
4SS, G/60. Two Sections: Open & Reserve (under 1600). Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel—4747 S. Howell Avenue—Milwaukee (Phone—414-481-8000; formerly known as Four Points Sheraton, across street from airport). EF: $35-Open, $25-Reserve, both $5 more after 10/1. Comp EF for USCF 2200+, contact TD for details. $$ Open (b/25)=1st-$325 (guaranteed), 2nd-$175 (guaranteed), A-$100, B & Below-$75; $$ Reserve (b/25)=1st-$100, 2nd-$75, D-$50, E & Below-$40. Reg.: 8:30-9:30, Rds.: 10-1-3:30-6. Ent: Payable to Southwest Chess Club, c/o Allen Becker, 6105 Thorncrest Drive, Greendale, WI 53129 (http://us.mc379.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=allenbecker@wi.rr.com). Questions to TD Gary Wright 414-226-5753.
http://home.wi.rr.com/swcc/

Hales Corners Challenge VIII
Sponsored by The Southwest Chess Club
http://home.wi.rr.com/swcc/
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Two Sections – Open & Reserve (Under 1600)

FORMAT: Four Round Swiss System - Four Games in One Day
USCF Rated

TIME LIMIT: Game in One Hour (60 minutes per player)

ENTRY FEE: $35 – Open; $25 – Reserve
Comp Entry Fee for USCF 2200+ (call TD for details)
(both sections $5 more after October 1, 2008)

SITE REGISTRATION: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

ROUNDS: 10 am -- 1 pm -- 3:30 pm -- 6 pm

Pairings by WinTD---No Computer Entries---No Smoking

PRIZES
OPEN RESERVE
1st—$325* 1st—$100
2nd—$175* 2nd—$75
A—$100 D—$50
B & Below—$75 E & Below—$40

* Prize fund in each section is based on minimum of 25 players in that section; however 1st and 2nd prizes in Open Section are guaranteed

***Special Additional Prizes provided by Goddesschess.com***
Top Finishing Female Player--$50/Best Game by Female Player--$25/Best Game by Male Player--$25

Tournament Director: Gary Wright
Assistant Tournament Directors: Tom Fogec/ Allen Becker /Robin Grochowski

SITE: Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel—4747 S. Howell Avenue—Milwaukee—414-481-8000
(formerly known as Four Points Sheraton, across street from airport)

ENTRIES TO: Allen Becker —6105 Thorncrest Drive— Greendale , WI 53129 http://us.mc379.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=allenbecker@wi.rr.com
QUESTIONS TO: Gary Wright—414-226-5753

USCF I.D. Required -- Bring your own clocks – Sets and Boards Provided
Irrevocable half point bye available in any round, except round 4, if requested prior to first round
_____________________________________________________________________________
Checks payable to Southwest Chess Club
(Please indicate section desired) __Open Section __Reserve Section

Name: __________________________________________________

USCF ID#: ________________ Rating: _________ Expire Date: ___________

Address: ______________________________________
City: _____________________ State : _______ Zip: _________

Phone: __________________ e-mail Address: _______________________

*******************

P.S. Also a $25 prize from Goddesschess to the best female finisher in the U1600 Section.

In July, 2008 Goddesschess sponsored a $100 prize to the "most improved" player at the 2008 Canadian Open Chess Championships held in delion's home city of Montreal, Quebec. The winner was Kelly Wang. See details at Goddesschess' Random Round-up Coverage of August 3, 2008 (scroll to date).

We're still looking for a local chess event in or around Las Vegas, Nevada that would like $100 for prizes from Goddesschess.

Goddesschess will be sponsoring more prizes for local events in 2009, in addition to its third special prize for the 2009 U.S. Women's Chess Championship to be held in St. Louis, Missouri in May, 2009!

EU Individual Open Chess Championships 2008

Billed as the "strongest-ever chess tournament held in Britain" (I find this rather amazing, actually), 138 players will test their skills and wits for prizes totalling 30,000 BPS in the 2008 EU Individual Open Chess Championships September 9 - 18, 2008. Here are the chess femmes playing:

43 13600168 Arakhamia-Grant, Ketevan m wg 2452
47 723916 Dembo, Yelena m wg 2431
52 405094 Houska, Jovanka m wg 2405 (British Women's Champion)
56 1607456 Moser, Eva m wg 2383
70 1210246 Motoc, Alina wg wg 2303
87 12802506 Limontaite, Simona wf wf 2200
102 4628730 Von Herman, Brigitte wf wf 2085
114 411000 Wilson, Alexandra wf wf 2059
134 406830 Bentley, Emma (Emma is 10 years old and the youngest player in the event) 1740*

Marostica: Living Chess Game

I wrote about this waaayyyy back in 1999 when Goddesschess was new-born! Check it out.

Boardgame Travel: Pawns, Kings and Queens Gather in Italy
Where: Marostica, Italy
9/08/2008 at 9:30 AM

This week in the town of Marostica in Italy, a chess game will take place that is so much more civilized than the sport of chess boxing that we recently discovered.

Marostica, northwest of Venice, is home to the biannual Living Chess Game, when live people and animals adorned in medieval costumes play a game of chess on a giant board in front of the local castle. It's based on a tale of a love triangle from the 1400s when two men had to play chess to decide who would win the fair damsel.

These days there are no women at stake and it's more a matter of pure entertainment for the four thousand-plus spectators who crowd around the board. If you've seen it before, that doesn't matter--the script (and game play) changes every year. First pawn moves on September 12 with replays on September 13 and 14. If they don't get to checkmate too fast then it's bound to be a good night's entertainment.

Related Stories:· Marostica Living Chess Game [WEG]

2008 Women's World Chess Championship

And then there were four...

Kosteniuk defeats Ushenina and Cramling draws with Stefanova. Both Ushenina and Stefanova have been playing excellent chess all year (I have to say, though, so has Cramling). Kosteniuk and Cramling in the final four, this has shaped up to be one excellent world championship, despite the absence of 20% of the invited players. That is a dirty rotten shame - a shame on FIDE, and I will continue to remark upon it as long as I write about women's chess.

Here are the final four and their match-ups tomorrow:

GM P. Cramling (2544) - GM A. Kosteniuk (2510)
GM H. Koneru (2622) - GM-elect Y. Hou (2557)

I have no idea what will happen when these players face-off tomorrow. Could Susan Polgar be right, thinking that perhaps this is finally the veteran Cramling's year to win it all? At 45, she is (and was) the oldest player in the entire field - she's been a GM since 1992 and, like Koneru and now, Hou, she earned her GM the hard way - playing against men.

Here are the results from the second game of Round 4:

GM Cramling (2544) 1/2 - GM Stefanova (2550) 1/2
GM-elect Hou (2557) 1 - IM_Mkrtchian (2436) 0
WGM Shen (2445) 0 - GM Koneru (2622) 1
WGM Ushenina (2476) 0 - GM Kosteniuk (2510) 1

Humpy crushes Shen Yang; semis beckon

Another enthusiastic article title from the Indian press which, according to reports at the official website of the WWCC, turned out in force at Nalchik to report on the Indian chess femmes who went to the WWCC. Only Humpy is left, and she carries the hopes and aspirations of more than a billion people on her shoulders in this Championship, being the only Indian player to have survived the previous rounds. It actually contains a report on all of the others games from Round 4 Game 1, too.

From Press Trust of India
Sunday, September 7, 2008 (Nalchik (Russia))
Grandmaster Koneru Humpy on Sunday outclassed Shen Yang of China with some brilliant manoeuvres in the first game of the quarterfinals and now needs just a draw in the second game to advance to the semifinals of the world women's chess championship, underway here.

The highest rated player of the event, Humpy displayed some excellent attacking chess well compiled with fine positional ideas and Yang was outdone in all departments of the game.

The victory gave Humpy a crucial 1-0 lead in the two games mini-match of this knockout championship. It was a Slav defense by Yang that spelt doom for her. Going for a not-so-popular variation the Chinese was in troubles right in to the early middle game when Humpy unleashed a king side attack.Yang is considered to be a fine talent from the Chinese factory but Sunday turned out to be a bad day in office as she just could not produce any counter play with black pieces. Humpy to her credit, played some positional moves before uncorking a piece sacrifice on the 21st and black's position collapsed in quick time thereafter.

Yang lost her extra material a few moves later but her king's position had become vulnerable. On the 27th move, Humpy came up with another knight sacrifice and it was curtains for the Chinese four moves later.

In the other games of the quarterfinals former world champion Antoaneta Stefanova suffered a major setback when she was beaten by Pia Cramling of Sweden.

Stefanova also faced a Slav defense but failed to produce the magic of Humpy with white pieces. Cramling gained ground in the middle game and knocked down a pawn, won an exchange in late stages of the middle game and thereafter salvaged a desperate onslaught by Stefanova to emerge a winner after 54 moves. Cramling now needs a draw with white pieces in the return game.

Lilit Mkrtchian of Armenia was quite content taking a draw against Yifan Hao of China who played black. The Nimzo Indian by Yifan led to a balanced queen-less middle game wherein Yifan went for some regulation exchanges to spilt the point.

The other game of the quarterfinals between Alexandra Kosteniuk of Russia and Anna Ushenina of Ukraine was apparently heading for a draw at the time of going to press.

Results quarterfinal game 1: Koneru Humpy (Ind) beat Shen Yang (Chn); Antoaneta Stefanova (Bul) lost to Pia Cramling (Swe); Lilit Mkrtchian (Arm) drew with Yifan Hao (Chn); Alexandra Kosteniuk (Rus) playing Anna Ushenina (Ukr).

7,000 Year Old Female Icon Discovered

Archaeologists find unique 7000-year-old statue
By ČTK / Published 5 September 2008

Masovice, South Moravia, Sept 4 (CTK) - Czech archaeologists have uncovered a torso of a unique female statue created about 7000 years ago near Masovice, which is the second similar find in this locality, Zdenek Cizmar, head of the archaeological research, told CTK Thursday.

The woman's statue found in the area last summer was given the name "Hedvika of Masovice," while "her sister" is called "Johanka," according to the female names in the calendar on the days when the artifacts were found, Cizmar added.

"Though the statues come from the same period, each of them is different and exceptional," Cizmar said.

Both sculptures, created by people of the Moravian Painted Ceramic culture, probably served as idols, symbolising life and fertility.

The lower part of the half-a-metre tall "Hedvika" statue is the oldest sculpture of such a large size found in central Europe.

The torso of "Johanka," measuring "mere" 35 centimetres, consists of four fragments of the body that were put together. The legs are missing.

"It has a realistically shaped face. Distinctive ears with holes are also interesting features. Hands, chest and lap are very well apparent. Moreover, Johanka was completely white," said Cizmar.

He added that the statue was polished with a resin base covered with a white colour finish.

Masovice is a significant archaeological site where remains of prehistorical settlements as well as a high number of artifacts have been found.

Among other rarities from the locality is the "Masovice rondel," of which a double circular ditch with a 110 metres in diameter has been preserved. It served as a ritual place and possibly as a calendar.

Czech archaeologists, slightly exaggerating, call it a Moravian predecessor of the famous Stonehange in Britain.

*****************************
This is what I found on "Hedvika:"

From Radio Praha
Archaeologists in Moravia discover 7000 year-old sculpture
[19-10-2007 13:40 UTC] By Jan Richter

The find of the century is what Czech archaeologists are calling the discovery of a 7000 year-old statue in Masovice, a village just west of Znojmo, South Moravia. Although only the lower parts of the sculpture have been found, experts say that Hedvika, as the statue has been named by those who discovered it, is a unique find in a European context.

On Wednesday, experts from the Brno Archaeological Institute marked a discovery that could change the way historians look at the era of 7 000 years ago, known as the Neolithic Age. During an emergency survey on a building site in the community of Masovice, some 8 km north of Znojmo in South Moravia, they discovered fragments of a ceramic female sculpture. Archaeologist Zdenek Cizmar, who was the first to lay his hands on this unusual find, explains the significance of the discovery.

"The sculpture is unique for two reasons; one of them is its size. The fragment we have found is 30 centimetres tall, from its feet to the waistline. We therefore estimate its overall original height to be 55 to 60 centimetres; this means that it is the largest statue of the Moravian Painted Ware culture ever found in the whole Middle Danube Basin".

The people of the Moravian Painted Ware culture formed a part of the Neolithic civilization of central Europe in the period between 5000 and 4000 BC and they were particularly distinguished for their pottery skills. Many other figurines have been found in sites across Moravia, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria, but the recently discovered statue is different in yet another way - it is hollow. As Zdenek Cizmar says, archaeologists are still not quite sure why.

"We have two possible explanations. It could either be some sort of a technological issue to make sure the statue was easier to dry and burn. It is also possible that the sculpture, which surely served some ritual purposes, could also be used as a vessel to pour liquid from during ritual ceremonies."

Following an unwritten rule of their profession, archaeologists from the Brno institute gave the statue the name of Hedvika, as Wednesday was Hedvika's holiday in the Czech Republic. Now the experts are hoping to find the rest of the figurine in remaining parts of the survey zone that are yet waiting to be uncovered and explored. The fragments of Hedvika are currently being studied by scholars from the Brno Archaeological Institute but they promise that next year, it will be displayed at the South Moravian Museum in Znojmo.

2008 Women's World Chess Championship

Humpy Koneru is cruising along, as is Pia Cramling. Who will win the championship title this year? I don't have a clue!

Here is Round 4 Game 1 action from official website:

Two wins, two drawsSeptember 7, 2008

In the first day, quarter final matches brought long battles as predicted here and only two ended with victories. Koneru (India) played her quiet, positional style and gradually has overcome her opponent. Once again, the opponent was deprived of the counter play opportunities and had to resign.

Cramling (Sweden) played with Black against former World Champion Stefanova (Bulgaria) and achieved a good position at the end of the opening. But thereafter as she told us in the press conference, somehow she let the opponent to regain territory and nearly to equalize the game. Then again, she could strengthen her game and went with a substantial advantage into the Queen/Rook against Queen/Bishop endgame with even a pawn plus. Move by move, she increased the pressure on the White, gained more advantage and won the game at move 54th.

Anna Ushenina (Ukraine) started the game very well, had a slight advantage after the opening but gradually she lost it and had to cope with a little bit worse position in the endgame. The agreement of the players on the draw came at move 57th.

Hou Yifan (China) reached a draw quite early (29th move) against Mrktchian (Armenia) in a Queen Indian with Black.

RUS Kosteniuk, Aleksandra 2510 ½/ UKR Ushenina, Anna 2476 ½
IND Koneru, Humpy 2622 1/ CHN Shen, Yang 2445 0
ARM Mkrtchian, Lilit 2436 ½/ CHN Hou, Yifan 2557 ½
BUL Stefanova, Antoaneta 2550 0/ SWE Cramling, Pia 2544 1

What Does This Mean?

Undeciphered languages - they fascinate me. There are, for instance, the mysterious symbols of the Indus Valley civilization which the ancient Sumerians called "Melluah"; there are the symbols on both sides of the Phaistos Disc; and then there is Linear A, the script of the ancient Minoans. (Image: Linear A Tablet, End of Late Minoan IB (ca. 1450 B.C.), clay, mended, Palace at Kato Zakros, Archive, Siteia Archaeological Museum)

What does it mean? What were they saying?

Last Days to See From the Land of the Labyrinth: Minoan Crete at Onassis Cultural Center

NEW YORK.- The exhibition "From the Land of the Labyrinth: Minoan Crete, 3000–1100 B.C." presents more than 280 artifacts and works of art from the ancient land of Crete, most of which have never been shown outside Greece. These fascinating objects seen together bring to life the story of Crete’s luminous Minoan culture, the first palatial civilization to establish itself on European soil.

The exhibition brings to light aspects of Minoan daily life during the second and third millennia B.C., including social structure, communications, bureaucratic organization, religion, and technology.

In eleven thematic sections, the exhibition maps chronologically the establishment and great achievements of Minoan culture. Here the viewer can explore the historical and cultural context of this celebrated society and gain insight into its mysteries, such as the legends surrounding the reign of King Minos of Knossos, who commissioned the fabled Labyrinth of Greek mythology.

Information gathered from the study of the Early, Middle, and Late Minoan periods—also known as the Prepalatial, Protopalatial, Neopalatial, and Postpalatial periods—is largely based on objects excavated from the island’s burial grounds and settlements. The exhibition pieces together the culture’s past by focusing on such objects as gold jewelry deposited in the rich tombs of the elite, inscribed clay tablets that reveal the basic elements of the Minoan economy, ceremonial vessels found in both palaces and tombs, and votive figures of clay, symbolic offerings to protective deities. All of these intriguing objects are on loan from the archaeological museums in Crete, in collaboration with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.

The island of Crete is equidistant from the three continents of Africa, Asia, and the European mainland. As a result of this advantageous location, the Minoans experienced a period of active trade with the other civilizations around the Mediterranean basin and maintained control over the sea routes. They exported timber, foodstuffs, cloth, and olive oil and in turn imported tin, copper, silver, emery, precious stones, and some manufactured objects. For their basic needs, however, the Minoans were entirely self-sufficient.

Archaeological evidence from the Prepalatial period reveals the great changes that took place in the social structure of Early Minoan society. The rise of local elite populations, for instance, led them to commission and display different types of objects in order to convey and celebrate their social identity and rank. This kind of social differentiation gradually led to the formation of a palatial society during the Middle Minoan or Protopalatial period about 1900 B.C. Urbanization and increasing economic wealth brought about bureaucratic change, including the rise of powerful social classes and ruling groups. Major palaces were built at Knossos and Malia in northern Crete, at Phaistos in the south, and at Zakros in the east. These palaces were large building complexes that served as centers of religious, economic, and social life for their inhabitants. The architecture and the layout of the palaces communicated a dynastic message, enhanced by prestigious objects and symbolic expressions of the rulers’ power.

With the palaces came the development of writing, probably as a result of record-keeping demands of the palace economy. The Minoans used a hieroglyphic script most likely derived from Egypt and a linear script, Linear A, which may have evolved from the language of the eastern Mediterranean and has yet to be deciphered. In the section of the exhibition entitled Scripts and Weights, examples of this mysterious script will be displayed, exemplified by the Linear A Tablet shown here. This sun-dried clay slab dates from the end of the Late Minoan I period and exemplifies the administrative records that listed products, goods, and people. Inscriptions have also been found on various important objects, such as double-sided axes, pottery, seals, and stone vessels. The exhibition includes as well tablets in Linear B script, which was deciphered in the 1950s by M. Ventris and J. Chadwick. The symbols of this script reflect an early form of the Greek language that was spoken by the Myceneans, who had arrived in Crete by the second half of the fifteenth century B.C.

British Museum to Open New Egyptian Gallery

Hmmm, okay, we are definitely going back to London in 2010 just to visit the British Museum. Don and I made a whirlwind visit of only 5 hours or so en route to Madrid in 2002, and we've always wanted to go back. The little bit we were able to see just whetted our appetites for more more more...

We gave London a good hard look (a really good hard look), for the 10th anniversary of Goddesschess (May 6, 2009), but weighing relative costs of the dollar versus the euro, we opted to return to New York, which The Goddesschess Four visited for five days in 2005. It wasn't long enough, and so we'll be returning to New York, New York in May, 2009, this time for a full week!

We're already making up a list of "must - see" while we're there for our second visit. We're also planning at least one day trip (and possibly two), to Washington, D.C. by Amtrak - we MUST visit all of the national monuments and also the Smithsonian. Library of Congress, the Capitol Library - oh my - two days just isn't going to be long enough...

Anyway - back to London - this sounds absolutely fantastic! The original article is from ArtDaily.org:

New Egyptian Gallery at the British Museum to Open in Winter
Saturday, September 6, 2008

LONDON.- This winter the British Museum will open a new Ancient Egyptian gallery centered round the spectacular painted tomb-chapel of Nebamun. The paintings are some of the most famous images of Egyptian art, and come from the now lost tomb-chapel of Nebamun, an accountant in the Temple of Amun at Karnak who died c. 1350 BC, a generation or so before Tutankhamun. They show him at work and at leisure - surveying his estates and hunting in the marshes. An extensive conservation project – the largest in the Museum’s history – has been undertaken on the eleven large fragments which will go on public display for the first time in nearly ten years. The tomb-paintings were acquired by the Museum in the 1820s and were constantly on display until the late 1990s. Since then, the fragile wall-paintings have been meticulously conserved, securing them for at least the next fifty years. The project has provided numerous new insights into the superb technique of the painters called by one art-historian ‘antiquity’s equivalent to Michelangelo’ - with their exuberant compositions, astonishing depictions of animal life and unparalleled handling of textures. New research and scholarship have enabled new joins to be made between the fragments, allowing a better understanding of their original locations in the tomb. They will now be re-displayed together for the first time in a setting designed to recreate their original aesthetic impact and to evoke their original position in a small intimate chapel. The gallery will include another fragment for the same tomb-chapel on loan from the Egyptian Museum, Berlin. Drawing on the latest research and fieldwork at Luxor, a computer ‘walk-through’ of the reconstructed tomb-chapel will be available in gallery with an interactive version online.

Next to the paintings, 150 artefacts show how the tomb-chapel was built, how it remained open for visitors, and also the nature of Egyptian society at the time. Most of the objects are contemporary with Nebamun and reflect those depicted in his paintings. Some, however, contrast with the idealised world-view that is shown on elite monuments like the tomb-chapel and show that most people’s experience of life was not necessarily all about leisure and prestige as in the paintings. Spectacularly luxurious objects, such as a glass perfume bottle in the shape of a fish, are juxtaposed with crude tools of basic survival, such as a fishing net, to suggest that most of what we know of Ancient Egypt is about the small wealthy elite. The gallery is on the upper floor of the Museum next to the galleries of Ancient Egyptian funerary archaeology (the ‘mummy rooms’) which are the most popular galleries in the museum. This gallery will provide a new ‘must-see’ highlight for the Egyptian collections. The gallery is generously supported by the R & S Cohen Foundation.

Susa Site to be Spared!

Good news from CAIS in a press release regarding this earlier story. Sometimes the good guys win, but not often enough, not often enough.

ICHTHO Forced to Put a Stop on the Construction of Hotel in Susa
06 September 2008

LONDON, (CAIS) -- Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (ICHTHO) was forced by the media and Iranian cultural figures to place a ban on the construction of the multipurpose hotel complex in the perimeter of the ancient city of Susa in southeastern Iran.

“The project was banned following a series of investigations by CHTHO’s experts,” Shush Cultural Heritage Centre (SCHC) director Mohammadreza Chitsaz told the Persian service of CHN on Friday.

“The owner of the project can file a legal claim, however the owner is to be provided with a reciprocal parcel of land based on an agreement with the Shush Municipality,” he added.

“It’s obvious that the hotel will never be built at the venue,” he emphasised.

The construction of the hotel began in May of 2007 with the excavation of a 100x100 meter area to a depth of 6 meters following authorisation of the project by the director of Khuzestan Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department and the backing of Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei director of ICHTHO.

Ancient strata and shards which are believed to be part of a Parthian and Sasanian dynasties’ cemetery were totally destroyed during the construction. The strata and a large number of artefacts were destroyed and the earth excavated by loaders has been transferred to an unknown location by trucks.

In his July press conference, ICHTHO Director Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei hopelessly tried to relinquish himself from responsibility and asked his office to investigate the case in order to determine the people responsible for damages to the site. It was Rahim-Masahaei himself who is also the Islamic Republic’s vice-president who endorsed the hotel construction and attended the commencing-ceremony. Under pressure from cultural figures and the media, he later claimed that he was not aware of Susa’s archaeological importance.

The project was previously abandoned because it is located in an area that is also claimed by the Khuzestan Province Road and Transport Office.

An expert with ICHHTO who wished to remain anonymous told CAIS: “What ICHTHO has put an stop on? Nothing. The damages has already been done, and 10,000 sq.m. of our history were razed. People like Mashaei are making a mockery of our nation and our heritage. How is it possible that a director of the organisation responsible for the protection of Iranian heritage is not aware of Susa’s historical and archaeological importance?”

“Of course these people are aware of their crimes, because he was brought to power by his friend Mahmood Ahamadinejad to ensure the destruction of our country’s pre-Islamic heritage, and perhaps gather some wealth for himself in the process by taking bribes from wealthy but ruthless and irresponsible construction companies”, the expert concluded.

Susa was an ancient city in the Elamite, Achaemenids, Parthian and Sasanian dynastic empires of Iran, located about 150 miles east of the Tigris River in Iranian province of Khuzestan.

As well as being an archaeological site, Susa is also mentioned in the Old Testament as one of the places where the Jewish prophet Daniel lived. His tomb is located in the heart of the city of Shush.

Susa is one of the oldest known settlements in the region, probably founded around 4000 BCE, though the first traces of human habitation dates back to 7000 BCE.

2008 Women's World Chess Championship

Round 3 play-offs from Chessdom.com

13:10 CET
Welcome to the live coverage of the World Women Chess Championship on Chessdom.com! Elena Sedina of Italy shocked the Chinese prodigy Yifan Hou in the yesterday's game to even up the score and proceed to tiebreaks. Today, in the rapid game one, Sedina attempted to use the poisonous Qxd4 again, but Yifan avoided the pin with an early a6.

13:20 CET
Meanwhile, Shen Yang and Nadezda Kosintseva are testing the Nimzo-Indian once again, only this time Kosintseva deviated from the earlier game and played the "mainstream" 6...b6. Sister Tatiana, who was eliminated by Alexandra Kosteniuk, is in the playing hall to give moral support to Nadezda.

14:00 CET
Yifan Hou wins the first rapid game with Black pieces! The devastating 36...Rb1! proved that Black was faster in the mutual pawn race. The second game will start 10 minutes after Shen-Kosintseva finishes.

14:10 CET
The dominating Black Knight on f4 must have caused a strong headache to Shen Yang. She couldn't solve all the problems and Nadezda Kosintseva wins the first game with a checkmate on g5. Stay tuned for the 2nd rapid tiebreak!

14:35 CET
The second tiebreak game is ongoing. In spite of the lead, Yifan Hou goes sharp against Sedina's French defence, using the once-favorite line of Alekhine and Fischer.

14:40 CET
Nadezda Kosintseva is taking a cautious route with Ruy Lopez Exchange variation. Still, we have to remember that Antoaneta Stefanova won the other day with Black in this same Qf6 line.

15:30 CET
Shen Yang strikes back! The two will now proceed with blitz games. Ruy Lopez Exchange didn't score well for White thus far.

15:35 CET
Yifan Hou wins the second rapid game as well and qualifies for the Quarterfinals.

15:55 CET
Severe time trouble in the first blitz game between Yang and Kosintseva! Both players are down to 30 seconds (there is increment). Kosintseva played the beautiful 35...Ne4!!, with idea 36. fxe4 Rd2 (and White's own e4 pawn covers Bc2 diagonal), but the problem was that Yang is not forced to take.

16:05 CET
Excellent endgame technique by Shen Yang, who is now leading 1-0. Kosintseva has to win the next game in order to reach the Armageddon.

16:50 CET
After the long struggle, the second blitz game ended in a draw and Shen Yang advances to the next round! Both Chinese players have survived the tiebreaks.

Results:
Elena Sedina - Yifan Hou 0-1, 0-1
Shen Yang - Nadezda Kosintseva 0-1, 1-0, 1-0, draw

Quarterfinal pairings:
Anna Ushenina - Alexandra Kosteniuk
Humpy Koneru - Shen Yang
Yifan Hou - Lilit Mkrtchian
Antoaneta Stefanova - Pia Cramling

Goddess statue found in western Iran

From Press TV
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:50:25 GMT

The first phase of archeological excavations at Sheikhi Abad mound in Iran's Kermanshah Province has yielded the statue of a goddess.

The statute, which resembles a figurine previously found in Kermanshah's Sarab-Mort, is believed by experts to be a valuable source of information.

Iranian and British archeologists, who studied the site for the first time in the past fifty years, also discovered nearly 50 botanical samples that can shed light on some of the mysteries of the Neolithic Age.

Skeletal remains of red deer, goat, ram and fish were also found at the site, which archeologists hope will elucidate how animals were domesticated in those days.

Previous studies had dated Sheikhi Abad mound to nine to ten thousand years ago. Archeologists believe the site was home to the earliest human settlers.

**************

Unfortunately, I could not find a photo of the artifact, nor of the earlier figurine referred to from Sarab-e Mort.

Ancient Mouse

Bronze Age mouse offers clues to royal shipwreck
04 September 2008
NewScientist.com news service

REMAINS of a long dead house mouse have been found in the wreck of a Bronze Age royal ship. That makes it the earliest rodent stowaway ever recorded, and proof of how house mice spread around the world.

Archaeologist Thomas Cucchi of the University of Durham, UK, identified a fragment of a mouse jaw in sediment from a ship that sank 3500 years ago off the coast of Turkey.

The cargo of ebony, ivory, silver and gold - including a gold scarab with the name of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti - indicates it was a royal vessel.

Because the cargo carried artefacts from many cultures, its nationality and route is hotly debated, but the mouse's jaw may provide answers. Cucchi's analysis confirms it belonged to Mus musculus domesticus, the only species known to live in close quarters with humans (Journal of Archaeological Science, vol 35, p 2953). The shape of the molars suggests the mouse came from the northern Levantine coast, as they are similar to those of modern house mice in Syria, near Cyprus.

And, when generations of rodents live aboard ships, they evolve larger body shapes. Yet this mouse was roughly the same shape and size as other small, land-dwelling mice of the time, suggesting it boarded just before the ship set sail.

From issue 2672 of New Scientist magazine, 04 September 2008, page 21

Friday Night Miscellany

I'm full of "whys" this week; I haven't been sleeping well and I'm depressed. I wonder why?

Sarah Palin is in the news. Meet the Alaskan Fifi, the Republican right-wingers' newest and cutest attack dog. She's trainable and has sharp teeth.

Why did this 44 year old mother of 4 NOT use birth control when the risks of having a Down Syndrome child are well known for women over 40? Even if she didn't want to use an IUD or a diaphragm or - God forbid - birth control pills for - whatever reasons - there's still self-control (I.E., ABSTINENCE) and the good old fashioned rhythym method. Isn't ABSTINENCE what they preach? Did she not know about the odds of having a Down Syndrome child at her age? Did she know, but not care? Did she think that God wouldn't allow her to HAVE a Down Syndrome child? Did she not think at all, just eat, screw and be merry, for tomorrow al-Qaida may kill us all before we kill them? I have major problems accepting this woman's life-affecting lapse in judgment and her self-indulgent hubris. The same applies to Mr. Fifi's judgment because, after all, it takes two to tango, and as the father of four children and the husband of a middle-aged woman he should have been aware of what the risks were.

Do a loving mother and father force a 17 year old girl into a shot-gun wedding because their daughter got knocked up by an 18 year old jock who has nothing going for himself except - well, nothing? Is this the newest and latest morality out of the Republican Party - that bastion of righteousness and family values? Just what family values are being taught here? IS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY NOW SAYING IT IS JUST PEACHY KEEN FOR TEENAGE GIRLS TO SCREW AROUND AND GET PREGNANT AND FOR THEIR BOY FRIENDS (OR STATUTORY RAPISTS) TO DO IT? Is their message NOW about forgiveness of sin (for we all know that the flesh is weak no matter how willing the spirit may be) and reconciliation? If Chelsea Clinton was the pregnant, unwed daughter of a Vice-Presidential candidate, would the Republicans THEN be saying "this is a private, family matter"?

Ah, Bristol. How does it feel at 17, I wonder, to have the whole rest of your life planned out for you by your parents, depending upon what track your mom's political career takes? Will you try and hold out to not marry the 18 year old dude who got you pregnant until after the election, in the hope that if McCain/Palin loses, you won't have to commit after all? Do you really think you'll be allowed to do this? Well, you know what they say: "If you're old enough to do the crime, you're old enough to do the time."

*******************

Here is another really sad story. And no - I did not hunt it down because it features an elephant, which is the symbol for the Republican Party.

Elephant cured of heroin addiction
Four-year-old Asian elephant treated with massive methadone doses
Sep 04, 2008 02:04 PM
The Associated Press

BEIJING – An Asian elephant that became addicted to heroin at the hands of illegal traders will return home after a three-year rehab program, Chinese state media said today.

Xiguang, a 4-year-old male Asian elephant, became addicted after he was captured by smugglers along the Chinese-Myanmar border in March 2005. The traders fed the elephant bananas laced with heroin as bait and to pacify the creature, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

When Xiguang was found two months later along with six other captured elephants in China's southwest, he was suffering from withdrawal and was sent to a protection center in China's tropical Hainan island.

Xiguang received daily methadone injections in doses five times larger than those given to a human and has now fully recovered, Xinhua said.

He is expected to return to the Yunnan Wild Animal Park in the capital of Yunnan province, Kunming, on Saturday.

The Asian elephant is threatened with extinction, according to the World Wildlife Fund conservation group, with only 25,600 to 32,750 left in the wild of Asia's tropical forests – fewer than a tenth of the number of wild African elephants.

2008 Women's World Chess Championship

From Chessdom.com, Round 3, Game 2:

11:25 CET
The trend from the previous days continues - Stefanova, Yifan Hou, and Pia Cramling have not lost a single game. What's more, Yifan Hou has a perfect score until now, not letting any chance to her opponents. Many wonder how she reached this high performance level in the past months. The key is surely in the multiple tournaments she is playing. Especially valuable was the World Junior Chess Championship, where she played in the junior section.

14:25 CET
Very untypical situation in the game Sedina - Hou Yifan. Sedina has always been in time trouble during this tournament. However, now she has 1 hour and 11 minutes, for only 37 minutes of Yifan Hou. Can this game be the surprise of the day?

15:30 CET
Harika and Mkrtchian have opposite color bishops on the board. However, Mkrtchian is 2 healthy pawns up, andd adding the rooks into the picture Harika might have chances for saving the game.

15:50 CET
As Harika's king got blocked, there was no way to stop the white pawns. Mkrtchian qualifies for the next round! Harika played very well and she will surely be an important factor in women chess in the next years.

16:15 CET
Koneru has launched a dangerous attack against the king of Hoang Thanh Trang.

16:24 CET
Opposite color bishops draw in Ruan Lufei - Pia Cramling. Cramling has qualified to the next round! Good performance by Ruan Lufei as well.

16:25 CET
No way to stop Koneru's attack and India will have a representative in the next round! Good games by the Hungarian player as well.

16:30 CET
3P + Queen for Hou Yifan vs 5P + Queen for Elena Sedina.

16:47 CET
The "b" pawn is unstoppable and Kosteniuk qualifies to the next round by winning the Russian derby.

17:00 CET
Stefanova wins against Gaponenko and with full 2-0 progresses to the next round.

17:03 CET
Elena Sedina brings the surprise of the day! The much lower rated Italian player scores a full point and goes to tiebreaks with Yifan Hou.

17:15 CET
Very heavy battling in Ushenina - Mateeva and N. Kosintseva - Shen Yang.

17:25 CET
Anna Ushenina wins convincingly the match 2-0 and goes on to the next round. At the same time Shen Yang and Naddezhda Kosintseva draw again and will see each other in tomorrow's tiebreaks.

17:50 CET
Tomorrow's tiebreak: Yifan Hou - Elena Sedina and Shen Yang - Nadezhda Kosintseva.

Live results
Anna Ushenina - Svetlana Matveeva 1-0 - Ushenina advances
Humpy Koneru - Hoang Than Trang 1-0 - Koneru advances
Elena Sedina - Hou Yifan 1-0 - tie breaks
Antoaneta Stefanova - Inna Gaponenko * - Stefanova advances
Ruan Lufei - Pia Cramling 1/2 -1/2 - Cramling advances
Lilit Mkrtchian - Harika Dronavalli 1-0 - Mkrtchian advances
Nadezhda Kosintseva - Shen Yang 1/2-1/2 - tie breaks
Tatiana Kosintseva - Alexandra Kosteniuk 0-1 - Kosteniuk advances

Don't Judge a Rook by It's Lover

From BClocalnews.com

Don’t judge a rook by its lover
Published: September 04, 2008 1:00 PM
Updated: September 04, 2008 4:27 PM

When I Google ‘homeless people’ in my brain, my memory bank serves up two indelible hits. One of them is an incident that happened to me in 1983 in downtown New York. Coming out of the Iroquois Hotel I asked the doorman for the nearest subway stop. He raised an elegant, white-gloved hand to point me in the right direction.

I remember that immaculate white glove, index finger extended, because right behind it, just ever-so-slightly out of focus, was a street hobo hunched over a heat grate. He was living in a cardboard refrigerator carton. Twenty-five years ago, and homeless people were already unremarkable – at least in New York.

My second ‘homeless moment’ happened yesterday in downtown Vancouver while I was stopped at a crosswalk waiting for pedestrians to cross. I must have been engrossed in some dreary mental daydreaming because one of the pedestrians – a street person by his grubby garb – stopped right in front of my car and stared at me. When he got my attention he put his right thumb and index finger to the corners of his lips and pushed his face into a grin.

“Smile,” he was telling me.

Somebody without a home and probably no idea where he would eat that night – somebody I’d been too self-obsessed to even notice – was urging me to ‘cheer up.’

Yet another timely reminder of how easy it is to ‘disappear’ the homeless – and also how dangerous it is to judge anybody just by the way they look.

Suppose, for instance, I could whisk you to Dupont Circle, a rather grungy urban park in downtown Washington, D.C. Chances are that sooner rather than later we’d run into Tom Murphy. Tom’s a regular in the park and not, frankly, much to look at. He’s 49 but appears older. He usually wears a grubby sweater, a pair of Nike sweatpants that are out at the knee and running shoes well past their best-before date. Oh, Tom is also black, unshaven and hirsutely disorganized under his ratty St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap.

Chances are even better that when we meet him, Tom will be more than somewhat thick of tongue and/or bloodshot of eye because, to quote from the Mr. Bo-jangles song, he ‘drinks a bit.’ It would be childishly easy to dismiss Tom Murphy as just another urban bum waiting for his welfare cheque.

And it would be wrong.

You may have noticed that Tom likes to sit by one of the many stone chessboards that adorn Dupont Circle … Perhaps you think it would be generous of you to offer to play a few easy moves with him.

Don’t get comfortable. Tom Murphy will whip your butt before you’ve warmed the chair.

Tom Murphy will not only beat you at chess, he will do it in ten minutes or less. He is not just a chess genius, he is a wizard at a hyper-fast form of the game called ‘Blitz’. In Blitz, each player has a maximum of five minutes to make all his moves. At the end of ten minutes a buzzer goes and the game is over.

David Mehler, who runs Washington’s Chess Center, has been watching Tom Murphy for years. “He has a very fast mind,” Mehler told a Washington Post reporter, “and he sees combinations quickly. He calculates very quickly.”

Just how good is Tom Murphy? Good enough to rate the title of ‘expert,’ which is the second-highest ranking in North America. In 2005 he entered a Blitz Championship and came in 15th. In the world.

If he bought himself a suit and tie, a shave and a haircut, Tom Murphy could probably earn a decent living as a chess professional – certainly as an instructor. But he prefers life in Dupont Circle among the pigeons and the other indigents. There, he plays for booze money, charging anywhere from two to five dollars a game against all comers.

Maybe Tom Murphy’s presence in the park serves another purpose too. Maybe, like the homeless guy in front of my car, teaching me to Get Over Myself – maybe he serves to remind us not to judge a book by its cover. Or a rook by its lover.

After all, if a scruffy vagrant with holes in his socks can clean your clock at one of the most difficult games in the world, what else don’t you know about him?

Arthur Black is a syndicated columnist.

I'm Jealous!

Readers here know I'm a HUGE fan of Katherine Neville's best-selling novel, "The Eight," from which I've posted some interesting chess-related passages. It was "The Eight" that got me started on this path 10 years ago, and I still shake my head in wonder over how it all came about.

Alas, Katherine! I saw last night that Neville's formerly very user-friendly website that was filled with interesting tid-bits on her research and details of her life has been transformed into a corporate bloggy-type thing that I don't care for. All the really GOOD stuff has disappeared! Eek! What happened to the research on the centaurs and volvos? This has been a fairly recent development I think, because I last visited her website in June, looking for news of the much-anticipated sequel to "The Eight" - called "The Fire" and it was still the same then. How disappointing. How sad.

Now "The Fire" has been announced to much hoo-ha, which is great, but I feel the former Katherine her fans all knew and admired all these years between best sellers has been lost forever. What the hell happened?

On the other hand, I am looking forward to the release date of October 14 and I eagerly pre-ordered my hard copy of "The Fire" last night online through Barnes & Noble. It was only this morning that I realized that I had already pre-ordered the book back in June. Eek! So now I will receive two volumes of "The Fire." Not to worry - I have just the person in mind to receive an unexpected gift...

Like many of my other favorite books, I've read "The Eight" several times now and I get something new out of it every time. My Ballantine paperback edition, published in 1990, is yellowed, dog-earred, heavily underlined and filled with coffee and wine stains. LOL! And so, to be able to continue the story after all these years - twenty years! I await "The Fire" with even more anticipation than I did the release of the next Harry Potter novel, and that's saying a lot.

Last night I saw at Susan Polgar's chess blog that she will be a special guest/hostess of a very special occasion introducing "The Fire" to the reading public to be held in Washington, D.C. and Katherine Neville is the guest of honor. I'm so jealous! Of course, I couldn't afford what I'm sure would be a hefty contribution to attend. Sigh. Oh well. I'll pacify myself with reading "The Fire" by the fireplace with several bottles of fine wine and lots of candles, smooth jazz playing in the background.

The best news of all, though, is this announcement at the bottom of the invitation SP published last night: A portion of the first edition proceeds of THE FIRE are donated to SPICE, Grandmaster Susan Polgar's Institute for Chess Excellence at Texas Tech.

This is really a coup for Susan Polgar and for SPICE and Texas Tech. I believe it will result in a nice financial dividend for SPICE.

2008 Women's World Chess Championship

Here are the pairings for Round 3 - now down to 16 players (photo from Chessdom.com this round):

Svetlana Matveeva - Anna Ushenina
Hoang Than Trang - Humpy Koneru
Hou Yifan - Elena Sedina
Inna Gaponenko - Antoaneta Stefanova
Pia Cramling - Ruan Lufei
Harika Dronavalli - Lilit Mkrtchian
Shen Yang - Nadezhda Kosintseva
Alexandra Kosteniuk - Tatiana Kosintseva

I'm just checking in at Chessdom.com to read the blog-by-blow action that is updated every 15 minutes or so:

15:50 CET
We saw that coming, Hoang Thanh - Koneru draw.

16:25 CET
Yifan Hou (playing Elena Sedina) and Antoaneta Stefanova (playing Inna Gaponenko) continue destroying the opposition at the World Women Chess Championship. Both won before the time control, proving the great form they are in.

16:50 CET
IM Anna Ushenina (playing Svetlana Matveeva) scores important win with Black pieces! White position quickly collapsed after the tactical shot which earned Ushenina a pawn on the 23rd move.

Updated at 12:52 my local time:

17:15 CET
Shen Yang and Nadezda Kosintseva have agreed to a draw after reaching an endgame with reduced material.

17:25 CET
Long time top female player Pia Cramling of Sweden wins the first game against Ruan Lufei of China.

17:40 CET
Dronavalli - Mkrtchian draw. Excellent result for Armenian player, having in mind that she mixed the colors and prepared to be White today!

18:10 CET
Alexandra Kosteniuk could not win the endgame with split pawns and the draw was agreed in the position that resembled the game of other Kosintseva - Nadezda.

Results:
Svetlana Matveeva - Anna Ushenina 0-1Hoang Than Trang - Humpy Koneru drawHou Yifan - Elena Sedina 1-0Inna Gaponenko - Antoaneta Stefanova 0-1Pia Cramling - Ruan Lufei 1-0Harika Dronavalli - Lilit Mkrtchian drawShen Yang - Nadezhda Kosintseva drawAlexandra Kosteniuk - Tatiana Kosintseva draw

Round three, game two, is taking place on Friday at 7:00 EST/13:00 CET.

Harika Wins!

I love the enthusiasm of the Indian press when its reports on its chessplayers. The type size for the article title was even larger than what I can produce here!

From Thaindianews.com
Harika wins tie-break, enters pre-quarters of World Chess
September 4th, 2008 - 5:07 pm ICT by IANS -

Nalchik (Russia), Sep 4 (IANS) India’s Dronavalli Harika, the women’s world junior champion, eliminated Anna Muzychuk of Slovenia in the tie-breaker of the second round to move into the pre-quarter finals of the Women’s World championships here.

Harika, who had shared points after the regulation matches, both of which ended in a draw, won with white pieces in the second tie-break game here Wednesday night. Earlier the two drew the first game.

The 1.5-0.5 win carried Harika into the third round, which is the pre-quarter finals, where she meets Lilit Mkrtchian of Armenia, rated 2436, as against Harika’s 2461.

Harika said that she was very happy to win against Anna Muzychuk, as the Slovenian player was considered a dark horse in the tournament. Also Harika was playing a rapid tie-break at this level for the first time and she felt this would be a good exercise for future challenges.

World No. 2 Koneru Humpy, who had a bye in the second round, meets Thanh Trang Hoang of Vietnam (rated 2487) in the third round. On ratings and current form, Humpy, rated at 2622, the highest in this tournament, should win comfortably.

If Humpy wins, she will meet the winner of China’s Yang Shen and Russian Nadezhda Kosintseva, who beat Nisha Mohotoa in first round.

Defending champion Xu Yuhua has already been knocked out of the tournament.

The following are the pre-quarter final pairings: Svetlana Matveeva (Russia) vs. Anna Ushenina (Ukraine); Hoang Than Trang (Hungary) vs. Humpy Koneru (India); Hou Yifan (China) vs. Elena Sedina (Italy); Inna Gaponenkpo (Ukraine) vs. Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria); Pia Cramling (Sweden) vs. Ruan Lufei (China); Harika Dronavali (India) vs. Lilit Mcrtchian (Armenia); Shen Yang (China) vs. Nadezhda Kosintseva (Russia); Alexandra Kosteniuk (Russia) vs. Tatiana Kosintseva (Russia).

GM Dibyendu Barua Backs Tata Motors

Unless you own ADRs in Tata Motors (part of the multinational conglomerate run by the Tata family out of India), you probably won't be familiar with this story. I own some shares in TTM, so I've been following closely the development of the $2,500 car (plus $300 value-added tax in India) called the Nano, designed specifically to appeal to the growing Indian middle class by providing an economical, small but roomy and efficient automobile that can handle the local roads.

The Nano, which debuted at an international car show in January to rave reviews, has been awaited with eager anticipation by the buying public in India. Alas, the gigantic factory that Tata undertook to build in India has run into trouble and is behind schedule and, in fact, Tata has now said it it considering walking away from the project entirely because of intense local opposition stirred up by outside organizers. So far, Tata has invested some $330 million USD in the project and approximately 800 local people are working on/at the facility. Relocating production of the Nano to another state would delay it's commercial debut by at least a year.

There are two prongs to the objections of the West Bengal objectors: the first is that local farmers who had land confiscated or condemned for the factory complex claim they did not want to sell but were forced to sell, or they were not adequately compensated for their acres, or both; the second is that some locals and some outside protestors who have taken up the cause, don't want ANY economic development of any kind whatsoever to take place in their state, they want things to stay the same way they've always been.

It is a compelling story of the clash between the past and the present/future, the kind of story that went on in Europe beginning some 400 years ago and in America some 300 years ago, the clash between an agrarian way of life and the forces of industrialization and development. In India, it's being played out over the Nano factory in West Bengal and no doubt in hundreds of other small villages and towns all across India - and in China, too. Of course, in China, the protestors would have all long since been arrested and shipped off to various work camps for 20 years (those who weren't killed by local police, that is).

By all accounts, the factory is a 21st century model of efficiency and economies of scale, with factories of parts suppliers to have been built along-side the massive Nano manufactory buildings, and ultimately would have supplied 10,000 to 15,000 local jobs.

The protests started at the same time as construction of the Tata facilities did in 2007. But in recent days, the highway around the facility has been blocked by about 5,000 protesters throwing rocks at cars and buses, intimidating Tata workers and outside reporters alike.

Will Tata really throw in the towel in West Bengal and walk away from its investment? Press reports indicate that leaders within the local Communist-party controlled government want Tata to stay, and indeed, realize the importance of moving forward with economic development while states all around West Bengal are eagerly pursuing the benefits of economic development for their citizens. West Bengal has been left behind, so to speak. At the same time, it appears that the protests have paralyzed the local government from doing anything except providing some police to guard the perimeter of the Tata facility in an attempt to quell any excessive actions by the protesting crowds. If any kind of forum is being provided by the local government for the protesters to address their grievances, I haven't read about it.

I also haven't read anything about what the Indian national government is doing, if anything, to mediate the situation.

It is against this background that I saw today's article, and wanted to publish it here, because it provides a glimpse into what people other than the protesters and Tata officials are thinking about what's been going on. With the great surge of popularity of chess in India and the success of its chessplayers on the international scene, will Dibyendu's comments have an affect?

From The Hindu.com
Chess hero Dibyendu Barua bats for Nano
September 4, 2008

Kolkata (PTI): After cricketer Sourav Ganguly, chess Grand Master Dibyendu Barua on Thursday appealed to the intelligentsia of West Bengal to raise their voices in support of the Nano small car project.

"Whatever is happening in Bengal for the past few days is a shame on us. What has happened to the Bengali intelligentsia? Can't we see that if we still keep a mum, we will end up losing a project like Nano? Is that what we want?" he asked.

He said it was high time that people of the state realise that the Nano car project will usher in a positive era for the industry in West Bengal.

"We all know that West Bengal is lagging behind in the field of industry; we do not have enough manufacturing industry which generates most of the job opportunities.

"Tata is such a brand which is not only known for its credibility and corporate social responsibilities, but it has a magnetic force that would attract many more industrialists in West Bengal," Baru said.

Giving en example of Jamshedpur which turned from an unknown place to a model town, he said the Tatas brought in a sea-change wherever they set up factories.

"So, I would earnestly appeal to all of you to please come forward, raise your voice and raise it for good reasons. Save Nano factory. Save our future," he said.

Malcom Pein Comments on Women's World Chess Championship

From the Telegraph.co.uk:

Georgia on their mind
By Malcolm Pein
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 03/09/2008

Six Georgian players have boycotted the Fide Women’s World Championship which got under way at Nalchik in the south western Russian province of Kabardino-Balkaria. Your correspondent does not turn down all expenses paid trips often but he made an exception in this case. A call came out of the blue from Fide offering a free trip at a time of my choosing but a little research made up my mind. The region has been somewhat unstable even before the Russian assault on Georgia and this also convinced the American Irina Krush and the French player Marie Sebag to cancel their participation. In all, eleven of the sixty four invitees did not play round one of the knockout competition.

Violence and Mayhem in Nalchik

Oh yes, Fearless Leader Kirsan and the Russian organizers of the Women's World Chess Championship assured the world that Nalchik is a safe and peaceful place. That's BULLSH*T. Fresh off the press at The New York Times:

2 Journalists Are Attacked in Russia
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: September 3, 2008
Filed at 8:51 a.m. ET

ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia (AP) -- One journalist was shot and killed and another was left with a fractured skull after a beating in Russia's troubled North Caucasus, and police and co-workers said Wednesday the two men were likely targeted for their work.

The attacks on an Islamic TV reporter and an opposition newspaper editor are the latest violence to renew fears about the safety of journalists in Russia. A third journalist was shot by police on Sunday -- a killing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said represented ''a further