Building Pharaoh's Ship

[DGDevin]

Interesting show on Nova last night about a project to build a ship based on engravings and models from ancient Egyptian tombs and temples. Barefoot guys working enormous Douglas Fir beams with adzes is quite a sight, presumably the Egyptian version of OSHA is fairly mellow. Those with philosophical objections to PBS can skip it.

"A magnificent trading vessel embarks on a royal expedition to a mysterious, treasure-laden land called Punt. Is this journey, intricately depicted on the wall of one of Egypt's most impressive temples, mere myth?or was it a reality? NOVA travels to the legendary temple, built some 3,500 years ago for the celebrated female pharaoh Hatshepsut, in search of answers to this tantalizing archeological mystery. Did Punt exist and, if so, where was it? Did the ancient Egyptians, who built elaborate barges to sail down the Nile, also have the expertise to embark on a long sea voyage? NOVA follows a team of archeologists and boat builders as they reconstruct the mighty vessel shown on the mysterious carving and then finally launch it on the Red Sea on a unique voyage of discovery."

[notbob]

It's always fun to contemplate how life, as we know it, is circling the drain, but we can still find a few million dollars and a few thousand man hours to waste on a ship mankind figured out four thousand years ago. Apparently, it didn't contribute to solving any of our current problems then, but let's try it again. That's some real forward thinking.

nb

[Greg Neill]

Do you take the same jaundiced view of the Arts as you do with History? What do you do for fun, kick the dog?

[notbob]

No, jes cats.... and withhold charitable contributions to loser organizations which contribute nothing to the betterment of my species.

nb

[RicodJour]

What species is that, and how do you know, from your very subjective perch, what constitutes betterment?

R

[nailshooter41]

I would guess (and feel pretty confident about it!) that I know.

I have a neighbor that chains his dog to a tree about 23 hours a day. The dog cares NOTHING about anything that doesn't immediately affect/ benefit his life at that exact moment.

Eat, sleep, crap, and lick his naughty bits for fun.

All give him immediate satisfaction, and seem to make his day a lot better.

He cares nothing for anything that doesn't immediately concern him.

The parallels just seem too obvious to me to think I am wrong.

Robert

[dpb]

[e-mail] wrote: ...

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chuckle...

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[dpb]

I start by wondering where the Egyptians got the Doug fir from which to build the craft--must be some more of those extraterrestrials that helped w/ the pyramids, etc., ... beaming it over for 'em.

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[RicodJour]

Surely you are joisting!

R

[Greg Neill]

I believe that they would have used timbers from Lebanon. They had quite the reputation for supplying wood in the ancient past.

[RicodJour]

Knowing something is wrong is different than knowing what is right - particularly when you're planning for the future. Betterment of the species, right? Stronger species - that requires culling, which we already do, but in a more socially accepted way. I'm not talking about abortion, either, and I'm looking at this in a strict, rationale way, but cutting out the 'deadwood' is what nature does already, so shouldn't we be saving resources and allocating them where they make the most sense? Then you run into morals, sentiments, religious beliefs, and that just muddies the water and makes a lot of viewpoints make some sense with no clear direction to go. So how does anyone know what is better for the species? We're making the choices, but our choices and priorities, our skills, everything changes over time. What makes our current choices more than subjective, marginally effective moves towards an indeterminate goal?

R

[notbob]

What? You've given up the first three for art? Neat trick! And I love your characterization of the parts of the natural anatomy as "naughty bits". No doubt you've made it high on the reigning judgemental scale.

Truth be told, if I could lick my balls, I'd be even more personally pre-occupied than I already am. ;)

nb

[J. Clarke]

However Douglas Fir is not native to Lebananon or Egypt or anywhere else in Europe or Africa--there is a species that is found in the Eastern parts of China but even there it's rare.

[DGDevin]

Yeah, good point, we might as well shut down all the museums too, and for sure scrap the arts--who needs music or literature or history to actually live? Of course that means the fancy woodworking some folks are into would go as well, lah-de-dah inlays and dovetails and what not are just a big waste of time and money when we have machines that can punch out particle-board furniture by the truckload.

[DGDevin]

The best documentaries on television--bar none--on aired on the PBS show Frontline. Nova is the best science show you're going to find. New Yankee Workshop (now sadly ended) and This Old House are worth the cost of a donation all by themselves. PBS has been responsible for some of the best television produced in America, even the goofs from the commercial networks will admit that if you get a couple of beers into them. Loser organization? Not even close.

[DGDevin]

By any chance is the dog's name Notbob?

[DGDevin]

Shipped in from France, the cedars of Lebanon used for the ancient versions no longer being available.

[Lew Hodgett]

--------------------------------- Reagan would have been proud of you.

Lew

[Lobby Dosser]

Not really PBS. Most of the shows are funded by member stations or other groups. PBS happens to broadcast them. WGBH in Boston, IIRC, does both Frontline and Nova.

[Lobby Dosser]

Cedars of Lebanon no doubt :p