"Can't Say Goodbye" - POP
Saturday, September 06, 2008
What King Tut probably looked like...
This is old news, but new news to me! I have always wondered what the ancient Egyptians might have looked like.
From: AP via MSNBC.com
Scans reveal King Tut's face
Archaeologists discover images are strikingly similar to ancient portraits
updated 4:50 p.m. PT, Tues., May. 10, 2005
CAIRO, Egypt - The first facial reconstructions of King Tutankhamun based on CT scans of his mummy have produced images strikingly similar to the boy pharaoh’s ancient portraits, with one model showing a baby-faced young man with chubby cheeks and his family’s characteristic overbite.
That model, a photo of which was released Tuesday, bears a strong resemblance to the gold mask of King Tut found in his tomb in 1922 by the British excavation led by Howard Carter.
The beardless youth depicted in the model, created by a French team, has soft features, a sloping nose and a weak chin — and the overbite, which archaeologists have long believed was a trait shared by other kings in Tut’s 18th dynasty. His eyes are highlighted by thick eyeliner.
Three teams of forensic artists and scientists — from France, the United States and Egypt — each built a model of the boy pharaoh’s face based on some 1,700 high-resolution photos from CT scans of his mummy to reveal what he looked like the day he died nearly 3,300 years ago.
“The shape of the face and skull are remarkably similar to a famous image of Tutankhamun as a child where he was shown as the sun god at dawn rising from a lotus blossom,” said Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.
The CT scans — the first done on an Egyptian mummy — have suggested King Tut was a healthy, yet slightly built 19-year-old, standing 5 feet, 6 inches tall at the time of his death.
The three teams created their reconstructions separately — the Americans and French working from a plastic skull, the Egyptians working directly from the CT scans, which could distinguish different densities of soft tissue and bone.
The French and Egyptians knew they were recreating King Tut, but the Americans were not even told where the skull was from and correctly identified it as a Caucasoid North African, the council said in a statement.
“The results of the three teams were identical or very similar in the basic shape of the face, the size, shape and setting of the eyes, and the proportion of the skull,” Hawass said.
The French and American models, seen in photos released by the council, are similar — with the Americans’ plaster model sharing the more realistic, French silicone version’s receding chin and prominent upper lip. The Egyptian reconstruction has a more prominent nose and a stronger jaw and chin.
The scans were carried out on Jan. 5 in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, where Tut’s leathery mummy was briefly removed from its tomb and placed into a portable CT scanner.
The tests provided an unprecedented look at Egypt’s most famous mummy — but they did not resolve the mystery of the death of King Tut, who came to power at age 9.
They were able to dismiss a long held theory that Tut, who died around 1323 B.C., was murdered by a blow to his skull or killed in an accident that crushed his chest. It raised a new possibility for the cause of death: Some experts on the scanning team said it appeared Tut broke his left thigh severely — puncturing his skin — just days before his death, and the break could have caused an infection.
The life of Tutankhamun — believed to have been the 12th ruler of ancient Egypt’s 18th dynasty — has fascinated people since his tomb was discovered in 1922, revealing a trove of fabulous treasures in gold and precious stones that showed the wealth and craftsmanship of the pharaonic court.
A U.S. museum tour a quarter-century ago of Tut’s treasures drew more than 8 million people. A smaller number of treasures — minus Tut’s famous gold mask — will again go on display in the United States starting June 16 in Los Angeles, after touring Germany and Switzerland.
The decision to allow the exhibit was a reversal of an Egyptian policy set in the 1980s that confined most of the objects to Egypt, after several pieces were damaged on international tour.
Hawass is leading a five-year project to scan all of Egypt’s known mummies — including royal mummies now exhibited at the Cairo Museum. Eventually, each mummy will be displayed alongside CT images and a facial reconstruction.
“For the first time, we will make these dead mummies come alive,” Hawass said.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Dolce Mia Designs Pin-up Playing Cards Note Cards
I pretty much adore everything Dolce Mia puts out! There are so many beautiful designs to choose from for the product of your choice. Dolce Mia has recently come out with a line of blank note cards and the Pin-up Playing Cards Note Cards in particular caught my eye. Just gorgeous!
From the site:
Variety pack includes 8 blank note cards, 2 each of 4 designs, with envelopes. Cards measure 4 in. by 5-1/4 in. Canvas band makes a great keepsake.
$11.95 @ Dolce Mia
Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains
About %$#@& time!!! This cult classic from 1981 (starring teenagers Diane Lane and Laura Dern) FINALLY comes out on dvd September 16. I caught this movie on Night Flight yyyyeeeaaarrrsss ago and have tried in vain to locate an affordable, official copy of it ever since. At last!!!!
$14.99 @ Amazon.com
Swingtown
When I first saw the promos for Swingtown earlier this summer, I assumed the show would be kinda cheesy, kinda funny, and disappoint me eventually, because cheesy and funny only go so far. Thankfully, my first impressions were very off-base. Yeah, there's a little bit of cheese due to the whole 70s/swinging vibe, but this show is about so much more than just what you see on the surface. I've looked forward to every new episode this summer and am very excited to see the season finale, which airs tonight on CBS. Unfortunately, there's been no decision made yet about the show's fate. There's chatter about the show maybe moving to cable, which would be fine with me. Either way, I just hope it makes it to another season, at least! If you agree with me, there's a petition you can sign here. Let CBS know that you want more of 'Swingtown'!
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Treehouse in Lafayette, CA
A drawing of a treehouse proposed by a Pixar executive in Lafayette, Calif. (Courtesy City of Lafayette)
This is one of the coolest things I've ever heard of! And it's all happening not too far from where I live!
From: The Contra Costa Times
Treehouse home proposed for Lafayette
By Paul Thissen
Contra Costa Times
Article Launched: 08/06/2008 07:12:01 PM PDT
LAFAYETTE — The three treehouses would be nestled into the branches of a mighty oak, just as in a Disney movie, with steps up the tree's trunk and a bridge to a nearby house.
A Pixar writer and director dreamed up this idea — not for his next movie, but for his family's next house.
He and his wife bought 15 acres of secluded, vacant land in Lafayette and proposed a 60-foot-tall artificial oak tree with three treehouses. A suspension bridge would link them to a new house on the adjacent hill. An elevator would connect the house to a garage 25 feet below, burrowed 80 feet into the hillside.
Senior city planner Greg Wolff said he had never seen anything like this proposal except on the big screen. One of the tree's designers has created structures for Disney, according to the city's staff report.
"It's a whimsical project," he said. "Everybody who hears about it smiles."
The proposed site, off Springhill Lane, is hidden from view by hills and evergreen trees. The driveway would be more than 500 feet long, and none of the neighbors would be able to see the tree or house, Wolff said.
Tonight, the Lafayette's Planning Commission will consider the project, proposed by Peter and Amanda Docter. Peter Docter directed "Monsters, Inc." and was a writer for numerous other Pixar films, including "Toy Story" and "WALL-E."
The Docters did not return phone or e-mail messages this week. Their architect, reached by phone Tuesday, said he was traveling and too busy to talk about the project.
The tree, 14 feet in diameter, is to have a steel frame, a stucco exterior and artificial leaves, according to the application to the city. The Docters have hired "high-end" structural engineers to design it and ensure its stability with "cutting-edge" three-dimensional modeling, Wolff said.
"It's demonstrated by Disney that this can be done," Wolff said.
One of the treehouses would be a bedroom, another would contain two bedrooms, and the third would be a common room, according to the application. Combined, they would have 871 square feet of space.
The two-story house on the hill would be 1,815 square feet, according to the application.
Contra Costa County building and fire inspectors gave the concept a preliminary OK this week, Wolff said.
No one has built anything like it, said Anna Daeuble, a designer and business manager for Seattle TreeHouse Workshop, which builds treehouses across the country in real trees and on supports.
"We've had a couple designs that have kind of gone to that outlandish (size), but it has never gone through to the building" stage, she said. "The live-in treehouse is something we don't see a lot of."
Tonight, the Planning Commission will consider whether the site selected by the Docters is the best location for a project. The only alternative mentioned in the city's staff report would be to build a house right next to the existing houses on Springhill Lane at one end of the property. The Docters paid $950,000 for the land in November, according to county records.
The application will then be considered by the Design Review Commission, the Planning Commission again and the City Council. The city's staff supports the project because of its isolated location, Wolff said. And it's not just a joke application, he said.
"If the city will allow him to do it, I have every belief that he will follow through," Wolff said.
Reach Paul Thissen at 925-943-8163 or pthissen@bayareanewsgroup.com.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Life After Tomorrow
I caught the documentary Life After Tomorrow not too long ago on Showtime and wow - it enthralled me, to say the least! I was an "Annie" obsessed child, from age 6 or so onwards, when my dad took me to see the musical in San Francisco. And when the movie came out, I had to go opening day. I still have my "Annie" souvenir movie magazine from 1982, which you can see on my Flickr page. This all happened long before the internet, so I spent the rest of my childhood (and some of my adult life!) wondering whatever happened to the little girls in the movie and the ones that performed in the stage show. Of course, I knew what happened to some of them like Sarah Jessica Parker and Alyssa Milano. But what of the others? Did they continue on in showbiz? What was it like being so young & in a Broadway show? How did the experience affect them? Positively? Negatively? Etc. etc. etc... Well, this wonderful documentary answered most of my questions and the companion website, AnnieOrphans.com, answered the rest. The documentary recently got released on DVD, so if you loved "Annie" as much as I did (and still do), I highly recommend picking up a copy at LifeAfterTomorrow.com. I know I will!!!
Friday, July 04, 2008
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