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Birthday Triangle Pyramid - Dec 00

 
 A seasonal message
For many people all over the world we are approaching the so-called festive season. Amongst all the frenzied partying,
over-consumption and gift-giving and receiving the reason for the season is in grave danger of being obscured. Whilst the last thing 80 would like to be is a party-pooper I think it is worthwhile to remember that December 25th is someone's birthday and a fitting cause for celebration. This person has had an incalculable effect on our modern world and should not be forgotten amid all the razzmatazz. Therefore 80 has gladly accepted the task of reminding folk that Isaac Newton was born December 25th 1642 at Woolsthorpe Manor, Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. (Before the pedants cry out we are talking Julian calendar here.) A physicist and mathematician, he laid the foundations of physics as a modern discipline. Apart from his most well- known achievement, the discovery of the law of gravity (thanks mainly to that old falling apple story) he also discovered that white light is composed of a rainbow of colors and developed the three standard laws of motion. He also invented calculus although he called it fluxions (calculus being the term used by Gottfried Leibniz who invented this branch of mathematics independently) It is by using the Newtonian laws that NASA achieves the exquisite accuracy of interplanetary craft such as  the Voyager probes. Regarding Newton's personality perhaps the less said the better as he seems to have been an argumentative, cantankerous individual who had numerous feuds over scientific precedence, including one with Leibniz over calculus. He achieved great public success as Master of the Royal Mint and President of the Royal Society. His latter years, apart from his public offices, were spent in study of his own variant of theology and experiments in alchemy. Sadly no one is perfect - not even someone born on December 25th.
 

Triangular Topics

  The first site to catch 80's eye this time around is The Bermuda Triangle put together by one Tobias Gibson - and an interesting and well laid out site it is. The Bermuda Triangle is one of those modern myths that should be dead but just won't lie down and this site pumps a few more bullets into the corpse. The theme can be summarized by a short quote "Let me tell you right off that the Bermuda Triangle is a myth that started off as old-time stories that sailors used to tell new ship mates to give them the heebie-jeebies. Now let me go on to say that the myths have become a great money making scam by people who like to stretch the truth. With that said, let me add I love the stories of the Bermuda Triangle and I love the way many FICTION writers have used the Bermuda Triangle as a premise for several fascinating STORIES. My beef is with the Pseudo-Scientists who ignore the truth and propagate myths in order to turn a buck." I think few rational people could argue with that - but then a look at the Web shows that they are heavily outnumbered. The original perpetrators of the Triangle garbage are revealed to be Vincent Gaddis and Charles Berlitz. The second of these two has been a one man gobbledegook industry for many years unbothered by such tedious things as facts and accurate reporting. The page devoted to the story of Flight 19 is a good example of intelligent debunking. The myth as generally peddled is told and then answered point by point with the facts. Sources for the information are supplied. One of the most welcome things about this site is the faqfacts page where reader's email questions are answered in a clear and above all polite fashion. Gibson/Hegewisch obviously appreciate that people can be drawn to subjects such as the Triangle by a perfectly understandable appetite for wonder and they take the time and trouble to respond to them. Recommended.
 
  Unlikely Granaries
 
One of the most ancient buildings on the planet, the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza in Egypt has attracted more strange theories than even the nearby Sphinx (despite Edgar Cayce's Hall of Records fantasy, see Past Views- Prophets Cretins Skeptics). By the time the Greek proto-historian and travel writer Herodotus (born 484 BCE approx) visited the Great Pyramid of Khufu it was already 2000 years old and many legends had grown around it. In later times the idea that it was a tomb had become obscured by stories of treasure and creatures straight out of the Arabian Nights with spirits and magic guardians. An early pious Christian theory was that the pyramids were granaries built at the behest of the biblical Joseph. A look at the amount of space therein shows the grain would not have lasted 7 lean days let alone 7 lean years! We may feel smug with the benefit of modern archaeological knowledge but a look around the Web shows that many bizarre ideas still abound. Most of these look at the Great Pyramid in isolation, ignoring the others on the Giza plateau and elsewhere. (In fact the kings and queens of Nubia were building pyramids as late as 350 CE).
 
  Calendrical Calumny
 
Now if the idea of the Great Pyramid as tomb does not appeal what could it be? What about a calendar of world events
(with predictive powers naturally) ?  This is an idea that has been around for a while, possibly originating with a certain John Taylor who in 1859 published a book called "The Great Pyramid; why was it built, and who built it?" Taylor may have started the ball rolling but he was eclipsed by his disciple Charles Piazzi Smyth. Born in Naples in 1819 Smyth reached the dizzying heights of Astronomer Royal of Scotland, Professor of Astronomy, Edinburgh University and a Fellow of the Royal Society.(From which august body he resigned after 20 years membership over their perhaps understandable reluctance to accept from him a paper on his interpretation of the design of the Great Pyramid.)  His belief was that the pyramid was " a divinely inspired compendium of weights and measures, and a chronicle of man's history, past and future, which could be interpreted by mathematical calculations based on the dimensions, capacities and proportions of its outer structure and inner galleries and chambers." Smyth, and his present day intellectual descendants, by careful measurement and calculation (and by the judicious selection of a suitable unit of measurement) can predict various events, ie The Second Coming. (Possibly that of Dr Leland Jensen.)
 
  AIP
 
Of Smyth's descendants The American Institute of Pyramidology* can perhaps be taken as nicely representative. It is their contention that the Great Pyramid's "remarkable placement on the face of the earth.....lies at the center of gravity of the continents". Possibly due to my own shortcomings I could not see how this statement was arrived at. Given that the continents lie on the surface of an oblate spheroid surely the "center of gravity" is within the planet - unless the Earth is flat after all. Moreover it is also stated that "It also lies in the exact center of all the land area of the world, dividing the earth's land mass into approximately equal quarters." I can only note with interest how 'exact' can become 'approximately' within the space of a single sentence although a nice map is provided showing this division. (Also dragged into the light of day is the hoary old idea that modern technology would be unable to build the Great Pyramid today. I would venture that it is not the technology that is lacking but any sort of motivation or, more importantly, funding for such a project.)
*This address now leads only to a redirecting page pointing here, here being but a lead to what appears to be a members only site. One wonders what prompted such a move - fear of ridicule, attempts to generate revenue, paranoia? (update June 2001)
 
 
  Biblical Babble
 
The A.I.P. states "The Great Pyramid has been called "the Bible in stone" because its passage systems reveal
geometrically, in line and symbol, the same profound spiritual truths and plan of salvation specific to the Bible, as will be seen as this study unfolds. And just as there are time prophecies of significance in the Bible, the Pyramid's silent
geometry reveals a remarkable chronography, prophetic time in stone."  and then proceeds to back this up by selective
quotation from the Christian bible blithely mixing elements of the book of Job and Luke's gospel. To give you a flavor of the argument from biblical authority here is what is claimed to be a reference to the Great Pyramid from the Old
Testament "At that time there will be an altar for the LORD in the middle of Egypt and a monument to the LORD at the
border of Egypt. This will be a sign and a witness to the LORD All-Powerful in the land of Egypt. When the people cry to the LORD for help, he will send someone to save and defend them. He will rescue them from those who hurt them." Isaiah Chap.19:19-20. Now I am no biblical scholar but I can see no reference to a pyramid or even a pyramid-shaped edifice here - obviously the eye of faith is required.
 
   Enoch Inch
 
Before we leave the A.I.P. (not to be confused with those other peddlers of fiction - American International Pictures)web site, which is extensive and probably merits more than 80's cursory glance, I think it would be fair to say the whole thing hinges very much upon measurement so a comment here might prove useful. Charles Piazzi Smyth when applying his rule to the pyramid found that using feet and inches he obtained inconvenient fractions. To remedy this he claimed the original builders used what he termed the "Pyramid Inch" which he reckoned equalled .999 of the regular inch. This he adopted as his standard measurement apparently soon forgetting it was his own invention. The A.I.P. however, seem to be less imaginative (although they certainly more than make up for this elsewhere) by using the standard regular inch. They do redeem themselves somewhat by suggesting the word inch is perhaps derived from the name of the biblical Enoch. (This would be of interest to, say, the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary who think the word is from Old English "ynce" which in turn is derived from the Latin "uncia", a twelfth part, from which also comes "ounce".) Not wishing to appear unremittingly negative there is certainly one statement on the A.I.P. web site with which 80 finds it difficult to disagree "So many fanciful theories abound about the Great Pyramid and its meaning, one could despair of ever reaching sane conclusions about it." Perhaps an elementary course in Egyptology would help?
 
  Pumping Eon
 
But, you say, if the Great Pyramid is not a calendar of sorts (albeit a pretty unusual one) and the idea of a Pharaoh's
tomb is too humdrum, what else could it be? How about a giant water pump? Ah, I thought that would get your
attention.The Pharoah's Pump Foundation  " is an Oregon based .... nonprofit organization which is dedicated to the
development of energy efficient, nonpolluting technologies." Based on the work of Victor Schauberger and Edward J.
Kunkel the Foundation's belief is that "The subterranean passages and chambers of the Great Pyramid are a water pump that utilizes the vortex principle of water.  This water pump was the largest water pump ever built by man up to that time." (If true, it is probably STILL the largest, although to the layman there seems to be an awful lot of solid masonry in this pump.) It is further claimed that "This water pump supplied a series of water locks that led from the Nile River up to the building site of the Great Pyramid. The Great Pyramid was not built using ramps.  Stones on barges were lifted up the water locks to the building site." Moreover, " The Pharaoh's Pump Foundation has reversed (sic)engineered the design of the Great Pyramid's passages and chambers and have scaled down this pump to a size of 1/2 inch to the foot." I am assuming that this is the regular inch as defined by Enoch and not Piazzi Smyth's version although I am sure this would not affect the efficacy of such a pyramid pump. According to the latest news on the site the scale model is 70% complete and I for one cannot wait to see it in operation. There is a plethora of diagrams showing how the proposed pump operated and much background material. The whole thing seems to be inspired by Kunkel's book "Pharoah's Pump" which is privately published and only available from the Foundation. Many features of the passageways in the pyramid which many archaeologists think are evidence of builder's errors or changes in plan are shown to be necessary components of the pump. A  perusal of the FAQ page is instructive and the Foundation are quite willing to tackle difficult questions head-on such as "Is this Pharaoh's Pump stuff hallucinations of a raving manic (sic)?" The answer bears close examination - "No, not at all. The findings in Pharaoh's Pump are acknowledged to be true and correct by a wide number of people.  The best example of the acknowledgment of the validity of the book Pharaoh's Pump is in the book 5/5/2000, Ice: The Ultimate Disaster, by Richard W. Noone.  The changes of that book which necessitated the second edition are mainly an expansion of the chapter that speaks of Pharaoh's Pump." Interestingly Noone's name crops up on the A.I.P. web site where he does not seem to be held in very high esteem.
 
  Ice Idiocy
 
I could be wrong but appealing to the work of Richard W. Noone for acknowledgement of validity of your idea does not
on the face of it to appear to be very wise. His book 5/5/2000, Ice: The Ultimate Disaster predicts global catastrophe on May 5th 2000 - funny, but I didn't notice anything. (see Past Views - Taikonauts  Burl Ives  Beauty & Hygiene) Here is the synopsis quoted from Amazon.com  "Complete with a new, shocking Epilogue, this reissue of a cult classic explores Noone's prediction of impending doom--scheduled to occur on May 5, 2000, when Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be aligned with Earth for the first time in 6,000 years, causing the polar ice caps to melt and submerge large areas of the Earth. On May 5 in the year 2000, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be aligned with the Earth and her Moon. On that day the ice buildup at the South Pole will upset the Earth's axis - sending trillions of tons of ice and water sweeping over the surface of our planet. Not since the days of Noah has Humankind been faced with this ultimate catastrophe. This edition of Richard Noone's classic contains the original text with its incredible wealth of factual evidence, including 223 illustrations and interviews with geologists, archaeologists, and climatologists. The new epilogue details exciting current research further confirming Noone's hypotheses."  His web site seems not at all shamefaced at the underwhelming events on the appointed day and is still busy peddling all manner of survivalist type merchandise. (Including, 80 notes with interest, disposable emergency toilet supplies, something certainly required when faced with annihilation by trillions of tons of ice and water.) Here is Noone's current take on the STILL impending disaster "This page is as it was before 5-5-2000. Looks like most earth change activity has not affected high population areas and we are all greatful (sic). The pacific (sic) ring of fire has been active with earth quakes and volcanoes. June 4, 2000 7.9 quake hits Indonesia with many 5+ and 6+ after shocks. Another 6.1 hits Turkey 6/6/00. The earth changes cake is not completely baked. Stay tuned. Many of you ask we keep this page up for a while for research purposes. The book 5/5/2000 Ice: The Ultimate Disaster is now a classic and is still valid as scientists have seen the planetary alignment as a trigger point for continuing geological and weather disruptions. It is not over yet and we suggest you continue with your emergency preparations. Thanks for your continued support." I think the word applicable here is chutzpah. 80 agrees the "earth changes cake" is half-baked, in common with much else here. Like I said, quoting Noone in order to give your own ideas authenticity is none too smart a move. And the connection with the Great Pyramid? I gather I would have to buy Noone's book and read the epilog for that and somehow 80 has more important things to do .................like watching paint dry.
 
  Quotes
 
"The fantastic theories, however, are still poured out, and the theorists still assert that the facts correspond to their
requirements. It is useless to state the real truth of the matter as it has no effect on those who are subject to this kind
hallucination"  W.M.F.Petrie Seventy Years in Archaeology London 1932
 
".......There is really no particular reason why these mystics should have chosen or limited themselves to the Pyramid of Khufu......We might go further and suggest that if the Crystal Palace were substituted for Khufu's pyramid an enormous increase in the possible number of measurements would be found, and undoubtedly a great many of them would yield the exact values of a number of things. If a suitable unit of measurement is found - say versts, hanks or cables - an exact equivalent to the distance to Timbuctu is certain to be found in the roof girder work, or in the number of street lamps in Bond Street, or the Specific Gravity of mud, or the mean weight of an adult goldfish. It has been customary in some circles to dub (these people) 'Pyramidites', but after all 'Smyrniot' and 'Cypriot' are used for 'those of Smyrna' and 'those of Cyprus'; so why not Pyramidiot?" Lieut-Commander N.F.Wheeler, Egyptologist, early 20th century
 
"To be pyramidally extant is but a fallacy in duration"  Sir Thomas Browne
 
 
Interesting further reading regarding pyramidiots and genuine archaeology can be found at Doug's Archaeology Site and also Frank Doernenburg's site  
 
 
     

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