April 2006 Archives
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April 30, 2006
Goodbye John Trever
Jim Davila reports the death of John Trever. You can get more details on Jim's blog. While I didn't know Trever very well, he was a bit of a fixture around the Claremont Graduate School and School of Theology during...Read all of "Goodbye John Trever"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:09 AM
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Minority Opinions
For the last day of National Poetry Month Minority Opinions They surround me; always, they have been near. They can separate, make lonely, that’s clear. They are like my shadow, I can’t evade. I can only rest a moment in...Read all of "Minority Opinions"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:26 AM
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April 29, 2006
The ABC Meme
Some of the boys and girls with science blogs, have posted the following ABC meme. So I thought I'd do it too. Accent: Southern Californian without valley elements on a Midwestern base. Therefore, I lack an accent but everyone else...
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:09 AM
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Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon Free Online
Yesterday I made a great discovery. Perhaps everyone who is even remotely interested has already made this discovery but it was sure new to me. Edward William Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon is available free online and for a nominal charge, it...Read all of "Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon Free Online"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:03 AM
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April 28, 2006
The President and Fuel Efficiency Standards
According to CNN, the President wants to have the power to set fuel efficiency standards, Bush called on Congress to give him the authority to set the standards for passenger cars sold in the United States as a means of...Read all of "The President and Fuel Efficiency Standards"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:26 AM
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Europe and Kurt Gödel
I'm getting an lot of traffic from Europe, largely Germany but Belgium and Sweden also, directed to a post I did sometime ago on Kurt Gödel and a concern he had about the United States Constitution. Welcome to Abnormal Interests....Read all of "Europe and Kurt Gödel"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:08 AM
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The Beginnings of Minoan Civilization May be Older Than Previously Thought
Ararensis calls our attention to an article on MSNBC about a recent study on the date of the beginnings of Minoan civilization. Here's the punch line. The new results suggest that the sophisticated and powerful Minoan civilization (featured in the...Read all of "The Beginnings of Minoan Civilization May be Older Than Previously Thought"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:03 AM
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April 27, 2006
Another Can of Wedges
I'm back to staring at the inscribed potsherd KTU 6.71 from Tell Nebī Mend, ancient Qedesh. The text on this potsherd has only nine "readable" letters plus what is likely a word divider and another not so readable letter. To...Read all of "Another Can of Wedges"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:47 PM
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A Sensationalized Story About a Future Discovery
I've often complained about the tendency to overstate archeological claims but this takes the cake. The Prague Daily Monitor is running this headline: Czech archaeologists may uncover royal palace in Egypt and begins with this, Prague, April 26 (CTK) -...Read all of "A Sensationalized Story About a Future Discovery"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:29 PM
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April 26, 2006
Tony Snow Appointed Press Secretary by President Bush
Since I had a few words, very few words, about Scott McClellan's resignation, I suppose I should have a few words about Tony Snow's appointment as White House Press Secretary. The first thing I want to say, is who would...Read all of "Tony Snow Appointed Press Secretary by President Bush"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:19 PM
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April 25, 2006
Free Mythological Invention
[Loren Fisher wrote the following a few months ago and kindly gave me permission to post it here.] Adam Gopnik has had two interesting essays in The New Yorker in two successive months. The first “Homer’s Wars, The Simple Epics...Read all of "Free Mythological Invention"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:44 PM
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This is Not the Answer
President Bush on Tuesday ordered a temporary suspension of environmental rules for gasoline, making it easier for refiners to meet demand and possibly dampen prices at the pump. [AP report via 1010 News] The next thing we will hear is...Read all of "This is Not the Answer"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:34 AM
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April 24, 2006
A Thought on the Price of Gas
Yesterday a dear friend sent me a very funny set of cartoons about the price of gas. As far as I am concerned the funniest one showed a grandfather speaking to his young grandson and saying, Back in 1952, gasoline...Read all of "A Thought on the Price of Gas"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:17 PM
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April 23, 2006
Ashdod, Ugarit and Monkey Suits
After my post on that strange list of names and designations (KTU 4.635) the other day, I started thinking about Ashdod. I know this is going off on a tangent and has nothing to do with my study of the...Read all of "Ashdod, Ugarit and Monkey Suits"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:17 PM
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Brzezinski on Iran and the Amarna Letters
Zbigniew Brzezinski has a very adult op-ed piece in today's Los Angeles Times. I hope you will take the time to read his whole column. But I was struck by this paragraph, Serious negotiations require not only a patient engagement...Read all of "Brzezinski on Iran and the Amarna Letters"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:15 AM
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April 22, 2006
Gold Cartouches of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III Found
Middle East Online is reporting the discovery of gold cartouches bearing the names of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III. It is said that these cartouches shed light on the relationship between Thotmose III and his stepmother. . . . Thotmusis III...Read all of "Gold Cartouches of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III Found"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:12 AM
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April 21, 2006
Hiltzik by Some Other Name
While not always agreeing with him, I've tended to like Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik. I've quoted him here on Abnormal Interests a couple of times. But I'm not very happy about what I learned of him from Tim...Read all of "Hiltzik by Some Other Name"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:25 AM
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April 20, 2006
On Unprovenanced Artifacts
Jim West and Chris Heard both have posts on Larry Stager's "Statement of Concern" about the publication and study of unprovenanced artifacts. You can read Stager's statement on Jim's site. The American Schools of Oriental Research and Archaeological Institute of...Read all of "On Unprovenanced Artifacts"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:29 PM
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Citing Ugaritic Tablets and Texts and How to Get Them Online
Why do I use the KTU numbering system when referring to Ugaritic texts and tablets? There are two principle reasons: first, I think more of my readers who may want to look something up will have Dietrich, Lorenz, and Sanmartin's...Read all of "Citing Ugaritic Tablets and Texts and How to Get Them Online"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:30 AM
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April 19, 2006
Scott McClellan Resigns
If I had the job of explaining the inexplicable on a daily basis, I'd want to quit also. And if I were the daily author of the inexplicable, I'd want to get rid of anyone who could not explain it....Read all of "Scott McClellan Resigns"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:37 AM
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April 18, 2006
One Picture Tells a Thousand Lies
What is with these politicians? Kimberly Williamson Butler is running for mayor of New Orleans and so she has a nice picture of herself in the French Quarter on the top banner of her website. There is just one small...Read all of "One Picture Tells a Thousand Lies"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:25 PM
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Medicare Plan D or Costco? That Is the Question
Valerie Reitman of the Los Angeles Times has an article in today's paper entitled, "Medicare Drug Plans Often Not the Bargain Some Expect." Here's a sample, A comparison by the Democratic staff of the House Committee on Government Reform found...Read all of "Medicare Plan D or Costco? That Is the Question"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:54 PM
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Alloglottography in Anatolia, a Decline in the Hebrew Scribal Tradition and More
The latest on-line issue of the Oriental Institute Seminars Series is now available. It is entitled "Margins of Writing, Origins of Cultures." I haven't had a chance to read all of it but many of the sections look interesting. Gonzalo...Read all of "Alloglottography in Anatolia, a Decline in the Hebrew Scribal Tradition and More"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:44 PM
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April 17, 2006
A World With Few Vowels
Aydin Örstan is a very smart guy. He can catch a carpenter bee in mid flight. He can make snails and slugs seem to be the most interesting things on the face of this earth. He speaks Turkish and English...Read all of "A World With Few Vowels"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:30 PM
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April 16, 2006
The Conquests of David and Sinuhe
Guest Blogger - Loren Fisher [I want to thank Loren for taking the time to write this post. Loren is both a teacher and a friend so it is a great pleasure to share his extremely interesting perspective on "The...Read all of "The Conquests of David and Sinuhe"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:26 PM
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April 15, 2006
From Shirley's Garden
Shirley cares for and I enjoy about twenty azalea plants. All of them are in our front yard. Their season is just about over but I thought you might enjoy a few of the remaining blooms. Because of the weather...Read all of "From Shirley's Garden"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:43 PM
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April 14, 2006
What Will It Take?
Steve Lopez of the Los Angeles Times has a column today that raises a question that has been on my mind. ". . . I don't know what the nation's leaders have to do to get people worked up." Please...Read all of "What Will It Take?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:21 PM
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Who Are These People? And Why Are They On This List?
[Update April 23, 2006: I have changed my assessment of this text. While most of the discussion below still stands, I now think it is a list of merchants. To find out why, please go to my new post Ashdod,...Read all of "Who Are These People? And Why Are They On This List?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:52 AM
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April 12, 2006
What Would Sartre Have Thought?
A few days ago, Shirley and I went to see Jean-Paul Sartre's No Exit. The play was a senior project for several of the participants including the senior student director Michael Cruz of Pomona College. The production was very nice...Read all of "What Would Sartre Have Thought?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:23 PM
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News of the Discovery May Be Seriously Exaggerated
The other day I wrote about an announcement of the discovery of a horde of tablets supposedly found at Eridu in Iraq. Well, the announcement may have been just a little premature. Here's what Donny George, chair of Iraq's State...Read all of "News of the Discovery May Be Seriously Exaggerated"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:31 AM
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April 11, 2006
The Cuneiform Short Alphabet: Part 9.
This is the ninth in my series of studies of the texts possibly written in the short cuneiform alphabet. In this study I look at two related tablets, one from Beth Shemesh and the other from Ugarit. You can find...Read all of "The Cuneiform Short Alphabet: Part 9."
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:47 PM
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On the Role of Intuition in Creationism
Henry Neufeld at Threads of Henry has an interesting post that challenges a long held belief of mine (and his) in a very interesting way. The belief is that some kind of naive intuition lies near the base of much...Read all of "On the Role of Intuition in Creationism"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:23 AM
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April 10, 2006
Mathematics is for Beauty and Clarity and Science and Engineering
I like Andy Rooney. I agree with Andy Rooney far more often than I disagree with him. In last night's 60 Minutes rant I agreed with everything he said until these last few words, Mathematics is just for counting the...Read all of "Mathematics is for Beauty and Clarity and Science and Engineering"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:18 AM
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April 9, 2006
UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology Now Under Construction
Those with a legitimate knowledge of ancient Egypt and those, like me, who dabble from time to time, should welcome the announcement of the online UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology. You can read about it on the UCLA International Institute site...Read all of "UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology Now Under Construction"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:20 PM
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Why the Whole Current Administration Should Resign Before Iran is Attacked
Both Seymour Hersh, writing for the New Yorker, and Peter Baker, Dafna Linzer and Thomas E. Ricks, Washington Post staff writers, inform us that the current administration is preparing to bomb Iranian nuclear plants at a minimum and at a...Read all of "Why the Whole Current Administration Should Resign Before Iran is Attacked"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:51 AM
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April 7, 2006
Now Published: The Lost Gospel of Judas
The National Geographic Society published a translation of the much anticipated Gospel of Judas. You can download a PDF of the translation or go to Lost Gospel website to learn more. If you prefer the original Coptic it is also...Read all of "Now Published: The Lost Gospel of Judas"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:42 AM
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April 6, 2006
New Translation of The Story of the Shipwrecked Sailor
My teacher and friend, Loren Fisher, has a website in which he tells us about various books that he has written. The one that he is currently featuring is his translation of the Egyptian, The Story of the Shipwrecked Sailor....Read all of "New Translation of The Story of the Shipwrecked Sailor"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:42 PM
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April 5, 2006
Temple Mount Immer Bulla
Yitzhak Sapir over at Hebrew Bible and ANE History Lists Commentary has a report, complete with a great set of pictures, on the Temple Mount Immer Bulla. He also has links to a number of other sites and news reports...Read all of "Temple Mount Immer Bulla"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:23 PM
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April 4, 2006
Jesus Walked on Ice!
I normally don't comment on either Christian New Testament accounts or on geological or climatologically phenomena. But when someone tries to mix them, I think that is a reason enough to make an exception. According to Eureka Alert, Florida State...Read all of "Jesus Walked on Ice!"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:44 PM
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April 3, 2006
Our Moral Obligation
I've said it before. Even thought I believe that the invasion of Iraq was profoundly immoral, we now have a moral obligation to "see it through." Here's a snippet of Sunday's MSNBC interview with General Anthony Zinni, MR. RUSSERT: If...Read all of "Our Moral Obligation"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:38 PM
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Oops, I almost Missed an Elephant
One of the problems with being out of the loop for a couple of decades is that you are really out of the loop. Sunday I was putting what I thought were the finishing touches on my study of the...Read all of "Oops, I almost Missed an Elephant"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:21 PM
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April 1, 2006
King David's Seal and Hebrew as the Ancestor of all Languages
Tyler Williams at Codex has an interesting piece that you might want to read and enjoy. It was posted at 12:01 am today. I just hope Tyler doesn't suffer from Mark Twain's literary problem. My own luck has been curious...Read all of "King David's Seal and Hebrew as the Ancestor of all Languages"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:01 PM
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April 1 Reading List
Eisenbrauns is offering the following set of books as part of a one-day special for April 1. First Compendious Near Eastern Grammar Everything You Ever Wanted to Know Edited by A.P. Ril Winged Bull Press,2006 12000 pages in 12 volumes...Read all of "April 1 Reading List"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:33 AM
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