Ancient Greek Food in a Nutshell

The longest and funniest word in the Greek language is:

lepadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimypotrimmatosilphiotyromelitodatakechymen-
okichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptokephaliokinklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetragalop-
terygon

It is an entirely fictional, supper dish that mixes limpets, slices of salt fish, thornbacks, whistle-fishes, cornel-berries, leftover brains, silphium, cheese, thrushes, honey, blackbirds, ringdoves, squabs, chickens, mullets, wagtails, rock-pigeons, hare, and wings ground in reduced new wine.

They also joked about barbarians eating beans until they got sickly and were conquered by the Macedonians. The actual food they ate was something like the following.
• Breakfast was bread made from barley and millet.
• Hercules had mashed beans, of course and Hippocrates recommended lentils.
• Soldiers had to eat cheese, onions and garlic.
• For lunch they added olives, figs, cheese or fish.
• For spice, they had parsley, coriander, cumin, dill, oregano, mint, and poppy seeds.
• You can get idea of their actual supper from what they could not eat while fasting.
Fasting on the sacred days of the Rarian Demeter:
The initiated are ordered to abstain from domestic birds, from fishes and beans, pomegranates and apple.

They also had arugula, cooked quinces, honey and several types of nuts until the over cultivation of olive trees destroyed their agriculture. I am sure the ate other things too, but these are the ones I remember reading about.

Some Happy Music

I needed some happy music this morning. I notice that kjofficial is on twitter. Her picture on skates is on Hello Magazine. She would be more popular if our technology allowed one to hear her voice. After all, she is a singer. So , I shall be content with an old song from Agnetha.

Modified Citrus Pectin

Pectin from citrus rinds is depolymerized through a treatment with sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid. The resultant smaller molecule is comprised predominantly of D-polygalacturonates and may be more easily absorbed by the human digestive system. It is conjectured that it may affect free cancer cells with galectin-3, but not tumors.

Warnings

1. Watch out for the high sodium content.

2. Be aware it may increase the urinary excretion of metals, such as, arsenic, cadmium, tungsten, and eventually lead and mercury, possibly because of the presence of the known chelating agent, rhamnogalacturonan II. Excretion of calcium, zinc, and magnesium is said not to increase. Heavy metals, such as mercury can possibly be methylated by abnormal bacteria in the gut and reabsorbed. To avoid this,using low molecular weight alginates has been proposed and studied. Modified citrus pectin is combined with modified alginates to form stacked chains which bind up the cations of lead, mercury and cadmium so that urinary excretion can take place.

3. It may reduce the absorption of oral agents.

4. No definitive studies have been done, and in particular, it has not been studied at all in children, pregnant women, etc.

A Dreary, Rainy Day in Sweden

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, But I feel I need a song too. So here is my choice to brighten up the day:

She does a wonderful job singing the Swedish version of "Thank You For the Music", but the lyrics are too rude and offensive. So, I present the original English version.

Alexander the Great's True Legacy

Ο "ΟΡΚΟΣ"
ΤΟΥ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ

"ΣΑΣ ΕΥΧΟΜΑΙ ΤΩΡΑ ΠΟΥ ΤΕΛΕΙΩΝΟΥΝ ΟΙ ΠΟΛΕΜΟΙ ΝΑ ΕΙΣΤΕ ΕΥΤΥΧΙΣΜΕΝΟΙ ΜΕΣΑ ΣΕ ΕΙΡΗΝΗ. ΟΛΟΙ ΟΙ ΘΝΗΤΟΙ ΑΠΌ 'ΔΩ ΚΑΙ ΠΕΡΑ ΝΑ ΖΗΣΟΥΝ ΣΑΝ ΕΝΑΣ ΛΑΟΣ, ΜΟΝΙΑΣΜΕΝΟΙ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΚΟΙΝΗ ΠΡΟΚΟΠΗ. ΝΑ ΕΧΕΤΕ ΤΗΝ ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΗ ΠΑΤΡΙΔΑ ΣΑΣ, ΜΕ ΝΟΜΟΥΣ ΚΟΙΝΟΥΣ, ΟΠΟΥ ΘΑ ΚΥΒΕΡΝΟΥΝ ΟΙ ΑΡΙΣΤΟΙ ΑΝΕΞΑΡΤΗΤΑ ΑΠΌ ΤΗΝ ΦΥΛΗ. ΔΕΝ ΧΩΡΙΖΩ ΤΟΥΣ ΑΝΘΡΩΠΟΥΣ, ΌΠΩΣ ΚΑΝΟΥΝ ΟΙ ΣΤΕΝΟΜΥΑΛΟΙ, ΣΕ ΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΒΑΡΒΑΡΟΥΣ. ΔΕΝ Μ' ΕΝΔΙΑΦΕΡΕΙ Η ΚΑΤΑΓΩΓΗ ΤΩΝ ΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ ΟΥΤΕ Η ΡΑΤΣΑ ΠΟΥ ΓΕΝΝΗΘΗΚΑΝ. ΤΟΥΣ ΚΑΤΑΜΕΡΙΖΩ ΜΕ ΜΟΝΑΔΙΚΟ ΚΡΙΤΗΡΙΟ ΤΗΝ ΑΡΕΤΗ.
ΓΙΑ ΜΕΝΑ, ΚΑΘΕ ΚΑΛΟΣ ΞΕΝΟΣ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΕΛΛΗΝΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΚΑΘΕ ΚΑΚΟΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΑΣ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΧΕΙΡΟΤΕΡΟΣ ΑΠΟ ΒΑΡΒΑΡΟ. ΑΝ ΠΟΤΕ ΣΑΝ ΠΑΡΟΥΣΙΑΣΘΟΥΝ ΔΙΑΦΟΡΕΣ, ΔΕΝ ΘΑ ΚΑΤΑΦΥΓΕΤΕ ΣΤΑ ΟΠΛΑ, ΠΑΡΑ ΘΑ ΤΙΣ ΛΥΣΕΤΕ ΕΙΡΗΝΙΚΑ. ΣΤΗΝ ΑΝΑΓΚΗ ΘΑ ΣΤΑΘΩ ΔΙΑΙΤΗΤΗΣ ΣΑΣ. ΤΟ ΘΕΟ ΔΕΝ ΠΡΕΠΕΙ ΝΑ ΤΟΝ ΕΧΕΤΕ ΑΥΤΑΡΧΙΚΟ ΚΥΒΕΡΝΗΤΗ, ΑΛΛΑ ΣΑΝ ΚΟΙΝΟ ΠΑΤΕΡΑ ΟΛΩΝ, ΩΣΤΕ Η ΔΙΑΓΩΓΗ ΣΑΣ ΝΑ ΜΟΙΑΖΕΙ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΖΩΗ ΠΟΥ ΚΑΝΟΥΝ Τ' ΑΔΕΛΦΙΑ ΜΕΣΑ ΣΤΗΝ ΟΙΚΟΓΕΝΕΙΑ. ΕΓΩ, ΑΠ΄ ΤΗ ΜΕΡΙΑ ΜΟΥ ΟΛΟΥΣ ΣΑΣ ΘΕΩΡΩ ΙΣΟΥΣ, ΛΕΥΚΟΥΣ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΛΑΨΟΥΣ ΚΑΙ ΘΑ ΗΘΕΛΑ ΝΑ ΜΗΝ ΑΙΣΘΑΝΕΣΤΕ ΜΟΝΟ ΣΑΝ ΥΠΗΚΟΟΙ ΤΗΣ ΚΟΙΝΟΠΟΛΙΤΕΙΑΣ ΜΟΥ, ΑΛΛΑ ΝΑ ΝΟΙΩΘΕΤΕ ΟΛΟΙ ΣΑΝ ΜΕΤΟΧΟΙ ΚΑΙ ΣΥΝΕΤΑΙΡΟΙ. ΟΣΟ ΠΕΡΝΑ ΑΠ' ΤΟ ΧΕΡΙ ΜΟΥ ΘΑ ΠΡΟΣΠΑΘΗΣΩ ΝΑ ΓΙΝΟΥΝ ΠΡΑΓΜΑΤΙΚΟΤΗΤΑ ΑΥΤΑ ΠΟΥ ΥΠΟΣΧΟΜΑΙ. ΑΥΤΟ ΤΟΝ ΟΡΚΟ ΠΟΥ ΔΩΣΑΜΕ ΑΠΟΨΕ ΜΕ ΣΠΟΝΔΕΣ ΚΡΑΤΗΣΤΕ ΤΟΝ ΣΑΝ ΣΥΜΒΟΛΟ ΑΓΑΠΗΣ".

This oath is allegedly given by Zolakostas in his book Alexander the Great, Precursor of Christ (p. 235, in Greek text), who quoted the 3rd book of Pseudo-Callisthenes and the philosopher Eratosthenes.

Arrian 7.2.6-9 On this Alexander sacrificed to the gods to whom it was his custom to sacrifice, and gave a public banquet, seated all the Persians, and then any persons from the other peoples who took precedence for rank or any other high quality, and he himself and those around him drank from the same bowl and poured the same libations, with the Greek soothsayers and Magi initiating the ceremony. Alexander prayed for various blessings and especially that the Macedonians and Persians should enjoy harmony as partners in government. The story prevails that those who shared the banquet were nine thousand and that they all poured the same libation and gave the one victory cry as they did.

There are many variants of the following themes.

Jews throughout the centuries have been using the name Alexander. This has been in accordance with their high priest's decision that "Alexander's name should remain in eternity." The decision was taken because, when Alexander visited Jerusalem, he exhibited respect towards the high priest and for the Jewish religious worship. It is said that when the Jews of Jerusalem offered Alexander gold and silver, he refused to accept them; the Jewish high priest told Alexander: "We serve only one God who created Heaven and Earth and all visible and invisible things that no human being is able to explain." To this Alexander replied, "As worthy worshippers of the true God, be in peace, for your God is my God and my peace is your peace. I shall not treat you any different from the other nations, since you serve the living God."

According to Josephus in "Ant." xi. 8, §§ 4-6, Alexander went to Jerusalem after having taken Gaza. Jaddua, the high priest, had a warning from God received in a dream, in which he saw himself vested in a purple robe, with his miter—that had the golden plate on which the name of God was engraved—on his head. Accordingly he went to meet Alexander at Sapha ("View" [of the Temple]). Followed by the priests, all clothed in fine linen, and by a multitude of citizens, Jaddua awaited the coming of the king. When Alexander saw the high priest, he reverenced God (Lev. R. xiii., end), and saluted Jaddua; while the Jews with one voice greeted Alexander. When Parmenio, the general, gave expression to the army's surprise at Alexander's extraordinary act—that one who ought to be adored by all as king should adore the high priest of the Jews—Alexander replied: "I did not adore him, but the God who hath honored him with this high-priesthood; for I saw this very person in a dream, in this very habit, when I was at Dios in Macedonia, who, when I was considering with myself how I might obtain dominion of Asia, exhorted me to make no delay, but boldly to pass over the sea, promising that he would conduct my army, and would give me the dominion over the Persians." Alexander then gave the high priest his right hand, and went into the Temple and "offered sacrifice to God according to the high priest's direction," treating the whole priesthood magnificently. "And when the Book of Daniel was shown him [see Dan. vii. 6, viii. 5-8, 20-22, xi. 3-4], wherein Daniel declared that one of the Greeks [] should destroy the empire of the Persians, he supposed that he was the person intended, and rejoiced thereat. The following day Alexander asked the people what favors he should grant them; and, at the high priest's request, he accorded them the right to live in full enjoyment of the laws of their forefathers. He, furthermore, exempted them from the payment of tribute in the seventh year of release. To the Jews of Babylonia and Media also he granted like privileges; and to the Jews who were willing to enlist in his army he promised the right to live in accordance with their ancestral laws. Afterward the Samaritans, having learned of the favors granted the Jews by Alexander, asked for similar privileges; but Alexander declined to accede to their request.

The myths often seem closer to the truth than the theories people continually bring forth about Alexander. His father's tomb alone says more about him than all the theories. His legacy is to demonstrate that the myths can come true.

How Alexander Conquered Afghanistan

1. Created the world’s greatest army of over 100,000 strong that would follow him to the ends of the earth.
2. Left his supply train behind and lived off the land.
3. Built siege equipment. Invaded through all the valleys concurrently destroying all military fortifications and 120,000 opposing forces even those on the highest mountains. Creating legends of having men who could fly, conquering mountains even the might Hercules could not, etc.
4. Married Roxanne, the most beautiful woman in the country and the sister of Oxyartes. Aetion was the painter of Alexander and Roxanna's wedding (around 327 BC), in which for the first time flying Cupids were drawn. This inaugurated a fashion that influenced the entire Hellenistic period. The above-mentioned painting was presented by the author at the Olympic Games, and its success was so overwhelming that the president of the Games married his daughter to Aetion. Marriage, adoption, being descended from the god Zeus and Phillip made Alexander the rightful ruler of my distant places. He encouraged intermarriage, but most such noble Susa marriages were dissolved after his death.
5. Capitalized on religious and political connections to Greece and Persia.
6. Exploited the natural resources, esp. gold to mint coins to facilitate trade, and open up natural trade routes. His financial policy was centralized with tax collectors independent of the local governors.
7. He conquered his way to the Persian Gulf providing a way to link up with his naval forces following the teachings of Aristotle his tutor.
8. Extended Greek culture and developed a common language of trade, viz., Koine. He created, at least economically and culturally, a single market extending from Gibraltar to the Punjab, open to trade, social and cultural exchange.
9. Left behind a large occupying force and went off with his bride to conquer the known world.
10. Put the people to work building cities named in his honor. He founded over seventy cities. There are so many named Alexandria that some were apparently just renamed in his honor. The ruler of one, Ada of Carla, adopted Alexander as her son so that rule could be passed to him.

• Alexandria-Kapisu Bagrām, Afghanistan
• Alexandria in Aria, Herat, Afghanistan
• Alexandria, Ghazni , Afghanistan
• Alexandria of the Caucusus, Afghanistan
• Alexandria on the Oxus, Ai Khanum , Afghanistan
• Alexandria of the Arachosians, Kandahar, Afghanistan (short form of Iskandaria meaning Alexandria)
• Iskandaria, Iraq (local name for Alexandria)
• Alexandria Asiana, Iran
• Alexandria Bucephalous, Pakistan, on the Jhelum
• Alexandria on the Indus, Pakistan
• Alexandria Eshate, Khojend, Tajikistan
• Alexandria Troas, Turkey
• Alexandria on the Latmos, Alinda (Caria),Turkey,
• Alexandria India, Multan
• Alexandria of Mygdonia (Erbil) Arbela, Iraq
• Alexandria or Patala, India
• Alexandria apud Oritas, India
• Alexandria Iran, Makran
• Alexandria, Iran, at the place where his admiral Nearchus came up from the Persian Gulf to join Alexander
• Alexandria Margiana, Merv, Turkmenistan
• Alexandria, Cebrene, Turkey
• Alexandria, Egypt

Nurturing requires kind people

Many people, so full of dedication, visit the church I attend in Sunset Beach. Chris of Surfing the Nations was there today. He brings back memories of Karin, Lydia and all the rest from last year. All the kind people like them, make my home in Hawaii and this planet the paradise it is. This entry and videos are dedicated to them.

The Census Bureau tries to count the homeless, but I suspect that organizations like Surfing the Nations letting them know how much they count means more to them.

Which comes first?

At church, there were a lot little chicks crossing the parking lot. Someone asked the question which comes first, the chicken or the egg as if it were something profound. There is of course a whole class of questions like this. The usual answer from the philosophers is to say that they will funk you if you believe in the experimental results concerning Bell’s inequality. They invoke the authority of Einstein since he is no longer here except in spirit to defend his search for truth.

Here are the questions and the not so profound answers that are probably only funny and inspiring to me:
1. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?
Answer: God comes first when you are a born again Christian.
2. Which comes first, the LHC or the Higgs?
Answer: The Cooper Pairs in the electromagnets.
3. Which comes first, creationism or evolution?
Answer: Epigenetics
4. Which comes first, Nu (The Water Jar) or the scarab?
Answer: When Nu placed herself in the word scarab, she came to be.
5. Which number comes first?
Answer: Proofs by induction require a starting point.
6. Which comes first, meeting people or their impressions of you?
Answer: They will know you by how you love one another.
7. Which comes first, the exciton or the photon?
Answer: The Aharonov-Bohm ring with electric field tuning.
8. Which comes first, graphene or Coleman’s Theorem?
Answer: Equivalence, the father and the son.
9. Which comes first, when you break time reversal symmetry in a topological insulator?
Answer: The Majorana qubit, but only if you are tunneling (Crossed Andreev reflection).
10. Which comes first, puddles of excitons or their phases?
Answer: The inflation of vortices around particles at unstable minima.

Dragon Sighting

I thought that Dragons were extinct, but I saw this comment on YouTube. "Some of those austrian Draken's stands in a hangar near my school in Ljungbyhed, Sweden". Draken is Swedish for dragon. So, I guess they are still with us. Here are my two favorite music videos about these dragons.




Nöjesmaskin