Mount Sinai

KML 28.539 33.975

Background

Also known as Mount Horeb. It was here Moses witnessed the burning bush whilst tending Joseph's flocks. 'The bush burned but was not consumed' is the common theme. There are different versions.

Sinai derives from the Semitic, Sin or 'Sun God' OR sin-ah, meaning hatred referring to the Jealousy people felt against the Jews. I've been to many places where the sun rises, and this isn't the greatest amongst them.

Definitely a place for reflection.

Moses received the ten commandments here.

Ascent

Mount Sinai is a journey reachable from St. Katherine (town). Where there are a few hotels.

They say that Mount Sinai is best viewed at dawn, when one can wonder at the true spectacle of this desert mountain landscape and the beauty of it all etc. etc.
The truth is, if you attempted in the day, you would suffer heat-stroke, exhaustion or both.

This is a 2 hour, 3 mile jaunt ascent of roughly 1500ft along dusty track followed by steps which last for 700 steps.

Expect to be fit or fast if you want to get there at dawn.

Here are the rewards.

mount Sinai at dawn

chapel at mount Sinai

Descent
Took the descent down the 7,000 step route.

This is the original, steep route, and the one we hear so much about. You will know you are on the right track as you pass through 2 arches.

It descends from the mountain taking in 7,000 rock hewn steps, although I didn't count them so I can't be sure where this statistic was coming from.

One thing I can be sure of was there were no Camel trip or attractions to plunder your money on.

I enjoyed the silence and was able to reflect on how Moses must have been thinking in order to wonder up to such a wild and desolate place and what inspired people to hate the Jews so much..

rocky descent, 7000 steps

The chances of death are high. You're on your own, in every sense. Perhaps more than anywhere else I've ever been. But the silence is great. Shame there are so many tourists around :)

EMI - It's a Hand job

Speaking at the SuperReturn Private equity business conference -

"I know how feisty and temperamental artistic types can be and having spent a number of years on the fringes of the music industry myself, I can bear testament to what a bunch of awkward twats they can be."

"What we are doing is taking the power away from the A&R guys and putting it with the suits - the guys who have to work out how to sell music."

Does this mean the future of EMI lays in the hands of 'Hands' picked SImon Cowell protege's?

Hello Future

Far from breath life into EMI, with a day-traders mentality; This 'guy's going to undermine creativity, and de-stabalise the long term future EMI and it's dependents.

Hallelujah.

Dr. Williams attacks the very fabric of our biggotry

But I'm surprised that the things he's discussing haven't been brought up in the House of Commons where our servants of the state are paid a HELL of a lot more to discuss such things.

RFID - Being aware

I know evil doesn't exist, except for in people(like me)'s imagination, but here's a real excuse to believe everyone has good intentions.

It's called RFID or Radio Frequency ID.
First employed during the second world war in allied bombing campaigns, the industry has seen some growth and is now worth $2 billion.
This is just the tip of the iceberg.

RFID opens all sorts of opportunities for companies to monitor our movements real time.
For example, you may not be aware of it, but if you are the owner of a bottle of Viagra, Pfizer may be monitoring you right now.
Think I'm joking.
I'm not.

They're not the only ones, American Express have new card issues fitted with RFID chip. Procter and Gamble have filed patents and NCR are amongst other big names looking to muscle in on the act.

What's it all about?

RFID Tag

RFID Monitor using a semi-ductile, lightweight tag with a low cost.
When fitted to a product they relay information back to a receiver.
You may have seen them on new items of clothing or taped to new CD's.

Any product fitted with RFID within range of a receiver would provide information; a geo-fix and product beacon. Leading to data on; when those products were bought, how long you've owned them, how much they cost, where you bought them from.
If you kept them on your person, when you returned to refresh your product. Where else you went in between.

Some RFID have more important information.
The AMEX RFID contains personal banking information on the card holder.

The worrying thing is, RFID information is gathered without regulation.
Information can be sold on without regulation.
No Data Protection act here.

FMCG Future
With reduction of tag implementation below 1p in the near future, support from heavyweight FMCG companies, Banking and technology institutions, multiple patents filed and industry screaming out for large quantities of qualitative marketing information.
The future looks set.

Expect these snazzy labels to be appearing near you soon, whether you believe it or not.

Copied and pasted from: BBC News Website.

Etienne Clement

Visited the London art fair this weekend.

Picked up this picture from Etiennne Clement.

This ones called 'Cool Britannia'.

I got the 1st out of a addition of 25.

It cost me £500.
I'm going to hang it by my computer and write it down as a Fixed Asset.

The nature of the beast

I'm just trying to be clear about the reasons why people do things:

You have a subject; who you torture. You know the outcome.

You carry on the torture, knowing the outcome.

In order to get to torture the subject in the first place, you tell lies, knowing there'll never be an outcome.

Welcome home Mike
I am undergoing torture at the moment.
People surrounding my flat, are using weapons, low frequency weapons to keep me awake at night.
I haven't been to sleep properly for 4 days.

The effects of the weapons is a slight tingling sensation. This is accompanied by a sound like a television or electrical device, barely audible, like background static.
You can hear the devises being turned on and off on the walls in the properties adjacent to mine.
When they are turned on, the tingling starts.
It is possible to sleep if you move away from the devise.

The past number of nights I've been moving my bed around. At the moment it's up against a chest of drawers next to a window.

The spirit of Christmas past
Is this punishment for not signing a contract with Unilever 10 years in my past.

If I've done something wrong, shouldn't the Police arrest me and I be tried?

There's no reason to torture me. I'm not going to confess to anything.

Nothing's going to change.
Nothing's going to happen.

If you believe there's suddenly going to be a result. You are wrong.

Just thought I'd let you know.

Factory Records

Inspired popular culture in the UK, Wilson (Saville,Erasmus)'s, fac brand's images belying a single minded approach which spawned an era.

Seminal pictures from the Factory era.

BBC - Heroes

We have Seroxat for people like you.

The furthest west you can go.

I've only come across 2 places where you can get this done.

If you know of any others, let me know.

Alastair Campbell Diaries

Fit firmly in the "don't accept sweets from strangers" category.

Avid
Watched right up to the point where Campbell started talking.

Thanks
Thanks the beeb.
When I need guidance.
I know where to look.

New 7 Wonders

THe first global election.

Here's the New 7 Wonders as voted for by you.

Rome - ColosseumIndia - Taj MahalBrazil - Christ the RedeemerJordan - Petra

Mexico - Chichen ItzaPeru - Machu PicchuChina - Great Wall

The government's broadcasts to the effect of getting elected seems to have worked.

I've been to most of these wonders.

Wander
Rapa Nui is 50 40ft porous statues on a island 2,000 miles in the pacific.
The permanent population of the Easter islands is 3,791.

If you compare that to India, it's not surprising they didn't get it.

Never at Sea
The Nazca Lines in the western Atacama desert portrays illustrations only visible from directly above.
Virtually useless when wandering the dryest desert on earth, testament to the wacky stuff they got up to over there using stones.

BBC Announces launch of iPlayer

Following the ITV recent announcement to bring broadband download on films, BBC has announced it's venture into Broadband TV.

Players will be able to download the latest or watch live: files in a format specific to the iPlayer lasting 30 days on the users computer.

The Beeb are making steps to present the whole back catalogue in the future.

Free
The service is to be Free to British license payers.

Wonders of the Modern World

Register your vote for the Seven New Wonders of the world.

Following the destruction of the old ones.
An international consortium has set up a website where homo-sapiens can register their approval of 7 new wonders http://www.new7wonders.com/.

Old Wonders:

• Great Pyramid of Giza
• Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
• Statue of Zeus at Olympia
• Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus
• Colossus of Rhodes
• Lighthouse of Alexandria

Proposed Modern Wonders:

• Angkor Wat(12th century) Cambodia
• Chichén Itzá (before 800 A.D.) Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
• Christ Redeemer (1931) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Statues of Easter Island (10th - 16th Century) Easter Island, Chile
• Machu Picchu (1460-1470), Peru

Amongst others.

Results are due to be announced in Portugal on 07.07.07.