Sunday, November 25, 2018

08:30 Lois and I get up and after breakfast we talk a little on whatsapp with Sarah, our daughter in Perth, Australia, and with her 5-year-old twins, Lily and Jessie. Lily has become a little shy because 7 months have passed now since we visited them. Jessie is much more confident and speaks very loud and clearly, which is nice. Sarah says her husband, Francis, is going to have his long-awaited hernia operation in 5 days' time. Good luck with that Francis, you poor old thing  you !!!!

11:00 Lois and I have to go out. She wants to attend her sect's two worship services taking place today in the town of Tewkesbury. She cannot drive a car at the moment because of back problems, so she has asked me to drive her over there.

12:00 I get back home. I have a little bit of alone time (2 and a half hours) so I go out into the garage and start tidying up some of the car equipment and children's equipment that Sarah and Francis left with us when they moved to Australia 3 years ago. I pick out the car equipment and gardening tools that I could use. I put the car equipment in our car-boot and the garden tools in the shed at the bottom of the back garden.

our garage - what a nightmare !!!!

My intention is that in a couple of weeks time it will be only the equipment we do not want that will remain in the garage. We can then invite Bob, our neighbour, or his relatives, to look around in the garage and take whatever they want. And, if necessary, we can pay someone to take the rest away in a truck - hurrah!

After the garage has been emptied, the 2nd phase of Operation Downsize will be triggered. Gradually, we will bring everything that is now in the loft, down the stairs to the garage - hurrah!

I suspect the whole project is too ambitious, but we'll see. It's nice to have a plan of some kind, although it may seem a bit unrealistic at first, I have to say.

13:00 I have lunch and afterwards I go to bed and take a huge afternoon nap. I get up at 2:30 pm and drive over to Tewkesbury and pick Lois up at the entrance to the nearby parking lot. We drive home and relax with a cup of tea and a piece of bread with homemade apricot jam - yum yum!

17:00 I get going with reading the opening lines of Chapter 25 of Njal's saga, written in Iceland in the 12th century or thereabouts.

Njal's saga - Scilla's U3A Old Norse group's current project

Unna, a nice Icelandic girl, gets divorced from Hrut, her (ex) husband, after he fails to consummate their marriage - Hrut is overly well-endowed, while Unna is "just average", or she says at any rate.

Afterwards, Unna successfully sues Hrut for reimbursement of the dowry, which is very handy because Unna is one woman who is chronically short of cash. 

The divorce and subsequent litigation are now over, and Hrut is free to frighten other women with his "size". And it all leaves Unna free to marry a more "average" partner. In Chapter 25, Unna succeeds in marrying Valgard, a local man, and the couple immediately begin on their "project baby".

Unna canoodles with Valgard, her second husband,

during a break in their fussball game

I discuss Unna's problem a little with Lois and we agree that Unna's desire to have a normal sex life is quite natural. And it's also vital that Unna wastes no more time - we estimate she must be in her late 20's, to say the least. After she got engaged to Hrut, she had to wait for at least a couple of years while Hrut travelled to Norway and began his passionate affair with Gunnhilda, the Norwegian queen mother, an affair, which ended with Gunnhilda putting a curse on him - and this was why he became too well-endowed to consummate his marriage to Unna. My god, what a crazy world we live in !!!

We recall the case of a local woman who hit the headlines a few years ago. The story was covered extensively in the local newspapers, also in Onion News, the influential online news source:

Local sources, who had recently noted a sudden change in local woman Michelle Roderick's behaviour and attentiveness when she was in the company of young married men, later confirmed to the press that Roderick had begun to drop hints that she wanted to try to get another man.

"Now that I'm coming into my late 20's, if there was ever time to get serious about having another man, it's now," Roderick told journalists. She said she has recently caught herself looking at other women's husbands and she recalled how happy she was the moment she saw hers for the first time.

"I have girlfriends who are on their 2nd, sometimes even their 3rd, and it's just something I see myself more and more on the lookout for." Roderick added that while she was hoping for another man, she would be just as excited if she ended up having a woman.

People's needs are a fact of life, we think, regardless of whether you live in 11th century Iceland or in 21st century Cheltenham - we are absolutely sure of that! And we are absolutely not critical of Unna for marrying Valgard, her new husband, almost before her litigation had ended. Life is short!

Unna's 2nd wedding reception, this time with Valgard,

which went much better than the first one, to put it mildly!

18:30 We have dinner and spend the evening listening to the radio, an interesting program all about "the next crash". The host of the program is the charming Ian Goldin.

A fascinating program. Ian points out that today we are still feeling the effects of 2008, in the shape of economic problems in Southern Europe, and an increasing nationalism and populism.

New rules that restrict banks and the insurance world have not achieved as much as is needed, say Ian's guests, all financial experts. Politicians have failed to fully confront the banking system and there is a risk that we have become too complacent and may begin to ease the regulations.

Globalisation has brought benefits but also greater risks, says Ian, i.e. what he calls the "butterfly defect". The next crash could originate from anywhere, somewhere perhaps that currently seems safe. And not necessarily because of purely financial causes - climate change, for example, where massive hurricanes, tsunamis etc could occur - most of the world's financial centres are near the coast - yikes !!!! Also the collapse of the Internet, or pandemics, could trigger a global downturn - yikes (again) !!!!!

Ian also points out that poor countries where a pandemic has broken out have no interest in publicising the news too quickly, which would have serious financial consequences for the country in question.

There are now fewer banks, all "too big to fail". And it is harder for financial authorities to control them because of sophisticated software that can evade regulations, and harder to control e.g. car companies, mobile phone companies etc that have the ability to issue credit without the full knowledge of the authorities. There is not a lack of information, but rather that there is too much information, so regulators are blinded.

Bitcoin systems emerged in the course of 2008, but they appear to suffer from the same defects and risks of fraud, as do conventional currencies.

It's a bit of a shame, says Ian, that there is also rising nationalism, threats of trade wars, etc., when actually co-operation is crucial. Also a shame that people trust less in experts, authorities, advisers, etc., when actually they are more important than ever.

He does not believe that the next crash will originate from China, where most of the debt is in local currencies, but other countries in Asia are a dangerous source. They owe a lot of money in western currencies, that's for sure - yikes (for the 10th time) !!!!

And the above is just the good news. Yikes !!!! (that's enough - Ed.)

22:00 We go to bed - zzzzzz !!!!

Danish translation

08:30 Lois og jeg står op og efter morgenmad snakker vi lidt på whatsapp med Sarah, vores datter i Perth, Australien, og med hendes 5-årige tvillinger, Lily og Jessie. Lily er blevet lidt genert, fordi nu 7 måneder er gået siden vi var på besøg hos dem. Jessie er meget mere selvsikker og taler meget højt og tydeligt, hvilket er rart. Sarah siger, at hendes mand, Francis, skal have sin længe-forventede brokoperation om 5 dages tid. Tillykke med det Francis, staklen !!!!

11:00 Lois og jeg skal ud. Hun ønsker at deltage i sin sekts to gudstjenester, der finder sted i dag i byen Tewkesbury. Hun kan ikke køre bil for tiden på grund af rygproblemer, så derfor har hun bedt mig om at køre hende derovre.

12:00 Jeg kommer hjem igen. Jeg har lidt alenetid (2,5 timer), og jeg går ud i garagen og begynde at ordne nogle af biludstyret og børneudstyret, som Sarah og Francis efterlod hos os, da for 3 år siden de flyttede til Australien. Jeg udser mig den biludstyret og havearbejderedskaber, jeg selv kunne bruge. Biludstyret lægger jeg i vores bils bagagerum, og havearbejderedskaber i skuret i bunden af baghave.

vores garage - sikke et mareridt !!!!

Min hensigt er, at om et par ugers tid skal bare udstyr, vi ikke vil have, blive i garagen. Vi kan så invitere Bob, vores nabo, eller hans slægtninge, til at kigge rundt i garagen, og tage noget som helst de har lyst til. Og vi kan så hvis nødvendigt betale nogen at tage resten væk i en lastbil – hurra!

Efter garagen er blevet tømmet vil den 2. fase af operation downsize blive udløst. Gradvist vil vi bringe alting, der nu gemmer sig i loften, ned ad trappen til garagen – hurra!

Jeg mistænker, at hele projektet er alt for ambitiøst, men vi får se. Det er rart at have en plan af en eller anden art, selvom det i begyndelse kan virke lidt urealistisk, det må jeg nok sige.

13:00 Jeg spiser frokost og bagefter går jeg i seng og tager en gigantisk eftermiddagslur. Jeg står op kl 14:30 og kører over til Tewkesbury og henter Lois ved indgangen til den nærliggende parkeringsplads. Vi kører hjem og slapper af med en kop te og et stykke brød med hjemmelavet abricosmarmelade – yum yum!

17:00 Jeg går i gang med at læse de åbnende linjer af kapitel 25 af Njals saga, der bleve skrevet i Island i det 12. århundrede eller deromkring.

Njals saga: Scillas U3A oldnordiske gruppes nuværende projekt

Unna, en pæn islandske pige, bliver skilt fra Hrut, sin (eks-) mand, efter det mislykkes ham at fuldbyrde ægetskabet – Hrut er overdrevent veludrustet, lader det til, mens Unna er ”bare gennemsnitlig”, eller det siger hun i hvert fald.

Bagefter lykkes det Unna at sagsøge Hrut for tilbagebetalingen af medgiften, hvilket er meget praktisk, fordi Unna er konstant i bekneb for skillinger. Skilsmissen og de efterfølgende retstrætter er nu slut, og det står Hrut frit for at forfærde andre kvinder med sin ”størrelse”. Også står det hele Unna frit for at gifte sig med en mere ”gennemsnitlig” partner.  I kapitel 25 lykkes det Unna at gifte sig med Valgard, en lokal mand, og parret begynder umiddelbart på ”projekt baby”.

Unna kusser og nusser med Valgard, sin 2. mænd, 

under en pause i deres fussballspil

Jeg diskuterer Unnas problem lidt med Lois og vi er enige om, at Unnas ønske om at få et normalt sexliv er helt naturligt. Og det er også helt naturligt at Unna spilder ingen mere tid – vi anslår, at hun må være i sine sene 20’erne, for at sige mildt. Efter hun forlovede sig med Hrut, måtte  hun vente i det mindst et par år, mens Hrut rejste til Norge og begyndte på hans passionerede affære med Gunnhilda, den norske kongemor – affæren, der endte med at Gunnhilda  kastede en forbandelse på ham, med resultatet af, at han var for veludrustet til at fuldbyrde sin ægteskab til Unna. Du godeste, sikke en skør verden vi lever i !!!

Vi mindes sagen af en lokal kvinde, der for nogle år siden ramte overskrifterne. Historien var dækket omfattende i de lokale aviser, også i Onion News, den indflydelsesrige online nyhedskilde:

Lokale kilder, som for nylig bemærkede en pludselig ændring i den lokale kvinde Michelle Rodericks opførsel og opmærksomhed, da hun var i selskab med unge gifte mænd, bekræftede senere, at Roderick var begyndt at droppe hints om, at hun ønskede at prøve at få en anden mand.

"Nu hvor jeg er kommet ind i min sene 30’er, hvis der nogensinde var tid til at blive seriøs om at have en anden mand, er det nu," fortalte Roderick journalister. Hun sagde, hun for nylig har fanget sig selv i at kigge på andre kvinders ægtemænd og har mindes hvor glad hun var, det øjeblik hun så hendes for første gang.

”Jeg har veninder, der er på deres anden, nogle gange endda deres tredje, og det er bare noget, jeg ser mig selv mere og mere som at være på jagt efter.” Roderick tilføjede, at mens hun håbede på en anden mand, ville hun være lige så begejstret, hvis hun endte med at få en kvinde.

Folks behov er et kendsgerning i livet, synes vi, uanset man lever i 1100-tallets Island eller i 2100-tallets Cheltenham – det er vi helt sikre på! Og vi er helt ikke kritiske overfor Unna, at hun giftede sig med Valgard, sin nye mand, næsten før hendes sagsøgsmål var slut. Livet er kort!

Unnas 2. bryllupsreception, denne gang med Valgard,

der gik meget bedre, end den første, for at sige mildt!

18:30 Vi spiser aftensmad og bruger aftenen på at lytte til radio, et interessant program, der handler om ”det næste crash”. Programmets vært er den charmerende Ian Goldin.

Et fascinerende program. Ian påpeger, at vi stadig i dag føler effekter af året 2008, i formen af økonomiske problemer i det sydlige Europa, og en stigende nationalisme og populisme.

Nye regle, der begrænser banker og forsikringsverden har ikke opnået så meget som er nødvendigt, siger Ians gæster, forskellige financielle eksperter. Det er mislykkedes politikerne at konfrontere bankesystemet og der er en risiko for, at vi er blevet for selvtilfredse og begynde at lette regulationerne.

Globalisationen har medbragt fordele men også storre risikoer, siger Ian. Hvad han kalder ”sommerfugl-defekten”. Den næste crash kunne stammer fra hvor som helst, et sted, der for tiden synes sikkert. Og ikke nødvendigvis på grund af rent finansielle forårsager -  klimaforandring for eksempel, hvor massive orkaner, tsunamier osv kunne opstå – de fleste af verdens financielle centrer ligger nær kysten – yikes!!!! Også sammenbruddet af internettet, eller pandemier kunne udløse en global nedtur – yikes (igen) !!!!!

Ian påpeger, at fattige lande hvor en pandemi er brudt ud har ingen interesse i at offentliggøre nyhederne for hurtigt, hvilket ville have alvorlige finansielle konsekvenser for det pågældende land.

Der er nu færre banker, alle ”for store til at mislykkes”. Og det er sværere for finansielle myndigheder at have styr på dem, på grund af sofistikerede software, der kan unddrage regulationer, også at have styr på bilselskaber, mobiltelefonselskaber, der har muligheden for at udstede kredit uden myndighedernes fulde viden. Der er ikke en mangel på information, men snarere, at der er for meget information, så regulatorer bliver blændet.

Bitcoin-systemer opstod i kølvandet af 2008, men de synes at lide af de samme defekter og risikoer for svig, som konventionelle valutaer.

Det er lidt af en skam, siger Ian, at der er også stigende nationalisme, trusler om handelskriger osv, når faktisk større kooperation er afgørende. Også en skam, at folk stoler mindre på eksperter, myndighederne, rådgivere osv, når faktisk de er vigtigere, end nogensinde.

Han tror ikke, at den næste crash vil stammer fra Kina, hvor hovedparten af gælden er i lokale valutaer, men andre lande i Asien er en farlig kilde. De skylder en masse penge i vestlige valutaer – det er der ikke nogen tvivl om - yikes (for den 10. gange) !!!!

Og det overstående er bare de gode nyheder. Yikes !!!! (det der er nok – red.)

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzzz!!!!