Stupid?

"Egypt's MPs are expected to pass a law requiring royalties be paid whenever copies are made of museum pieces or ancient monuments such as the pyramids." More of the BBC News article here.

This article, or ones like it, have been making the rounds, usually with comments about how stupid it is.

Somehow I don't think so.

Meet Dr. Zahi Hawass. He shows up in practically every single recently filmed program on ancient Egypt made in the past several years. Why? Dr. Hawass is only the Secretary General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.  He's on the board of the Cairo Museum. He's director of several current ongoing digs. He's That Guy.

That Guy feels like an old friend in some ways, because I actually watch history documentary stuff. He's articulate and passionate about his subject and he's happy to show up and let Discovery film the opening of a tomb or help him tell the world that DNA testing has identified the mummy of Queen Hatshepsut.

I even watched That Guy do the thing a scientist is never supposed to do. I saw him fall in love with an idea and make a statement without definitive proof as he looked at the death mask of a beautiful mummy (or is that the beautiful death mask of a mummy?) and declared that it had to be King Tutankamun's mother.

Dr. Hawass is all over TV because he wants to be. Dr. Hawass made that sweeping, romantic, unscientific statement in front of a camera for the Discovery Channel. It wasn't good science, but it was riveting television. 

Is it stupid to get your name and your idea on the news (TV, print, internet)?

Is it stupid to plant an idea, however, "unenforceable" that maybe people who profit from reproduction of Egyptian antiquities should be giving something back to preserve the real thing?

Is it stupid to get people to start thinking, "Sure, Vegas was fun, but wouldn't it be really something to see real pyramids?"

Stupid like the baboon headed deity Thoth is stupid.

A Day After Christmas Prezzie

Mom's package arrived this afternoon: a pair of elbow length evening gloves that fit me, all the pearl buttons at the wrist are intact. The fingertips were a little grubby and there was a very small rust stain near one of the button shanks, so I tossed them in cold water with some Shout dissolved in it and let them soak for an hour - they 're drip-drying on the shower door and they look pretty good.

Go Mom! These are MUCH nicer than the cheesy satin-y stretch gloves I already own.

By all reports, the treasure chests were a big hit. Brian was too busy being a wizard to come to the phone on Christmas, but Nicky actually talked to me and thanked me for the treasure. Mom says the compass key chains were especially prized.