Sunday, November 4, 2018

08:30 Lois and I take a shower and wait for Sarah, our daughter in Perth, Australia, to call us on whatsapp, which she usually does every Sunday morning, but today she does not call for some reason. Perhaps the whole family (Sarah, Francis and their 5 year old twins Lily and Jessie) are out on a trip in the country: the weather is improving over there, now that spring is turning to summer.

10:45 Lois has to go out. She wants to attend her sect's two worship services taking place today in Tewkesbury library.

Sarah sends me a text message. The family has indeed been on an outing but they were delayed when they stopped to help another family recapture their dog, who was running round the streets. She will contact us later this week.

11:00 I have a little bit of alone time, so I leaf through a few chapters of Njal's saga. Scilla's U3A Old Norse Group is holding its next meeting on Wednesday, and this saga is the group's current project.

The saga's story plays out mostly in Rangárvellir in southern Iceland during approx. the years 950-1015, and the early chapters are all about 2 brothers, Höskuldr and Hrut.

Hrut, a shy, good-looking young man, has managed to get himself engaged to Unn, a nice Icelandic girl, and the wedding has been fixed for 2 weeks after midsummer. Then suddenly an unforeseen problem arises - Hrut's brother Eyvind dies unexpectedly in Norway, and Eyvind has willed all his earthly goods to Hrut. The problem is that Hrut's enemies in Norway are trying to steal the legacy.

Hrut, a shy, good-looking young Icelander, chooses Unn

from a bunch of Icelandic girls to be his future wife.

The result is that Hrut must sail over to Norway to claim his inheritance, leaving Unn, his fiancee, back in Iceland, effectively postponing their wedding.

It's interesting that Gunnhilda, the Norwegian Queen Mother, who is a well-known cougar, seems quickly to be very keen to find out about Hrut's arrival in Norway. Apparently, Hrut's good looks are legendary throughout Scandinavia. 

Gunnhilda insists that Hrut spend the winter in her castle and she sends one of her servants down to the harbour to invite him and his companion to come up to the castle.

When Hrut arrives at Gunnhilda's castle, the Queen Mother gets a massive mega-crush on him and rushes him up to her bedroom, locking the door from the inside - and the couple do not emerge again for a couple of weeks. Yikes - poor Hrut !!!!

when Hrut arrives in Norway, he becomes

Queen Gunnhilda's personal "winter-warmer" - poor Hrut !!!!

Gunnhilda, however, turns out to be a bit of a jealous and possessive mistress. When Hrut finally asks permission to sail back to Iceland, she puts a curse on him to prevent him enjoying his future sex life with Unn.

When Hrut finally marries Unn, he finds that he cannot consummate the marriage because he is too well-endowed, which is an unexpected twist: and Unn is not very happy about it either, to put it mildly. The fault is completely on Hrut's side - there is no suggestion that Unn is narrower than is normal. What madness! And she's already been waiting for a couple of years for Hrut to come back from Norway. Poor Unn !!!

Unn and Hrut's wedding: everyone seems to be having fun during

the reception, but there is trouble later in the night

in the couple's bed because of a physical compatibility problem. 

My god - what a crazy world we live in !!

Unn bides her time and then divorces him before he realises what she is up to - ha ha!

12:00 I get on with changing the cat litter in Minx's litter tray. Minx suffers from mild dementia and arthritis, and she tends to step over and through her cat litter as if she doesn't even see it's there. As a result, she has been spreading small particles of cat litter all over the house.

Lois and I have discussed the problem and decided on a new approach. We are going to start putting less cat litter in the litter tray and then change it more frequently. It's when the cat litter becomes too wet due to Minx's urine, that it tends to turn into a soft powder that sticks to Minx's feet whenever she crawls over it. What madness !!!!

Minx's new style litter tray, with its reduced amounts of cat litter

13:00 I have lunch and afterwards I go to bed and take a huge afternoon nap. I get up at 3 pm.

15:00 I sit down with the computer and surf the web. I read that researchers have now reconstructed a well-preserved neanderthal skeleton, and that a 3D model gives a new and more accurate picture of Neanderthal appearance. It is a myth that the Neanderthals were stupid, say scientists, and as for the image of a stooping caveman dragging his hands along the ground - that's not true either.

a typical Neanderthal family

The new results show that the chest of the Neanderthal was broader below than is ours, and his spine did not have the same characteristic curves that we see on homo sapiens. On homo sapiens, the spine has a curve like a flat letter 's' if you look at the spine from the side.

"The spinal column of the neanderthal is also set deeper in the thorax, so that the ribs bow out more where they meet the spine, if you look at the body from above. This part is straighter on homo sapiens, " says researcher Trine Kellberg Nielsen.

Scientists know that different human species, including Neanderthals and varieties of homo sapiens and other humans, were having sex with each other as far back as 470,000 years ago. In a cave in today's Siberia, researchers back in 2008 found a collection of small bones, which have now been revealed by genetic analysis to be from a woman whose mother was a Neanderthal and whose father belonged to Denisova man: this was an extinct human-like species, which, like us, belonged to the genus homo.

It is now well established science that various human species interbred with each other. Today, a small amount of Neanderthal is stored in every modern European's and Asian's genetic makeup, and in 2015 researchers found the remains of a 37-40,000-year-old modern human in Romania, who shared a total of 6-9 percent of his genetic legacy with Neanderthals.

Considering the fact that there were a lot of opportunities for different types of humans to go in for interbreeding, it is nice to see that the Neanderthals' appearance was not as hideous as we once believed, I think. The woman in the reconstructed picture looks quite attractive, and the man, who is taking a gigantic afternoon nap, maybe after a "heavy" lunch and a few beers, looks like a nice friendly type, although it could be he's a bit on the lazy side.

Summing up, they look like the kind of couple Lois and I might consider inviting over for dinner, although "interbreeding" would be off the agenda, needless to say.

16:00 Lois comes back from Tewkesbury and we relax with a cup of tea and a piece of bread and butter with homemade plum jam - yum yum!

17:00 We listen a bit to the radio, an interesting program about Thor Heyerdahl's "Kontiki" expedition, in which the great man sailed on a raft from South America to Polynesia, to try to prove his theory that the Easter Islanders came originally from South America. The island's population became almost extinct during the 19th century for various reasons.

People today would never believe how big a sensation Heyerdahl caused in the 1940s and 1950s with his expedition. I remember it all so clearly from my childhood. There was even a board game that was produced, which took its theme from his expedition. Good grief, what madness!

But when Heyerdahl's theory was disproved in the 1980's on the basis of genetic research, the story did not really hit the headlines very much, perhaps because the researchers had already made the assumption that the islanders were just ordinary Polynesians, and that the Polynesians as a whole almost certainly originated from Asia, rather than from South America.

It is interesting that Heyerdahl's family always trusted him implicitly and believed him when he said his journey would not be dangerous. So they never worried that he might drown for example. He was a rather authoritarian figure as father to his family, and his daughter says it was a bit of relief when he went off to South America - it meant that she could finally smoke in the house without being yelled at all the time.

Heyerdahl's raft was surrounded throughout the voyage by loads of fish, including many sharks and whales. There were so many sharks near the raft that unfortunately it was not possible to swim from it. It is a little sad that when Heyerdahl's son repeated the expedition 60 years later, the crew only caught 2 tuna in 100 days of travel, and they saw no sharks or whales.

18:30 We have lunch and spend the rest of the evening watching television. An interesting episode of the long-running series "Antiques Road Show" is on. People whose forefathers took part in the First World War show off some of their forefathers' personal belongings, handed down in their families, such as medals and other beloved objects. The host of the program is the charming Fiona Bruce.

Some of the personal stories of these soldiers and their deaths in the war are so poignant and sad, that even the hard-bitten antique experts begin to break down when they hear about them. And Lois and I also have trouble holding back the tears - yikes!

We cheer ourselves up by seeing the last half hour of the 3rd hour of an interesting 3 hour-long "slow tv" program all about the Australian railroad from Adelaide to Darwin.

We see a succession of monotonous, bland landscapes as the train travels through the small town of Adelaide River, and finally reaches Darwin itself. Lois and I will sleep heavily tonight - that's for sure! But it's nice to see the passengers knocking back the drinks in the lounge / observation car.

a succession of monotonous, bland landscapes…

... but it’s nice to see the passengers knocking back

the drinks in the observation car!

21:00 We go to bed early. Lois thinks she's got a bit of a cold. We suspect that the babies who took part in last Friday's "Baby Bounce and Rhyme" session at the local library must have infected her with something unpleasant - damn!

Danish translation

08:30 Lois  og jeg tager et brusebad og venter på, at Sarah, vores datter i Perth, Australine, ringer til os på whatsapp, som hun plejer hver søndag formiddag, men i dag ringer hun ikke af en eller anden grund. Måske er hele familien (Sarah, Francis og deres 5-årige tvillinger Lily og Jessie) på udflugt ude på landet: vejret er ved at forbedre derovre, nu hvor foråret bliver til sommeren.

10:45 Lois skal ud. Hun ønsker at deltage i sin sekts to gudstjenester, der finder sted i dag i byen Tewkesburys bibliotek.

Sarah sender mig en sms. Familien var på udflugt men de blev forsinket da de stoppede for at hjælpe en anden familie med at få fat i deres hund, der var i gang med at løbe frit rundt på gaden. Hun vil kontakte os senere på ugen.

11:00 Jeg har lidt alenetid så jeg blader igennem nogle kapitler af Njals saga. Scillas U3A oldnordisk gruppe holder dens næste møde på onsdag, og sagaen er gruppens nuværende projekt.

Sagaens historie foregår for det meste i Rangárvellir på det sydlige Island ca. år 950-1015, og de tidlige kapitler handler om 2 brødre, Höskuldr og Hrut.

Hrut, en genert ung mand, er med besvær blevet forlovet med Unn, en pæn islandsk pige, og brylluppet er blevet bestemt til 2 uger efter midsommer. Så pludselig opstår et uforudset problem – Hruts bror, Eyvind, dør uforventet i Norge, og Eyvind har testamenteret al sit jordiske gods til Hrut. Problemet er, at Hruts fjender i Norge prøver at nappe arven.

Hrut, en genert ung islænding, vælger Unn

fra en flok af islandske piger som sin kommende kone.

Resultatet er, at Hrut må sejle til Norge for at fordre sin arv, efterlade Unnar, sin forlovede, i Island, og udskyde brylluppet.

Det er interessant, at Gunnhilda, den norske kongemor, der er en velbekendt cougar, virker at være meget ivrig efter at få nys om Hruts ankomst til Norge – tilsyneladende er Hruts gode udseende er legendarisk, lader det til. Hun insisterer i hvert fald på, at Hrut tilbringer vinteren i hendes slot, og hun sender straks en af sine tjenestefolk ned ad havnen for at invitere ham og hans kammerat til at komme til slottet. Da Hrut ankommer til Gunnhildas slot, får kongemoren en massiv megacrush på ham, og tager ham med det samme op på  sit soveværelse, låser døren indefra og parret dukker ikke frem i 2 uger. Yikes – stakkels Hrut!!!!

da Hrut ankommer til Norge, bliver han

kongemor Gunnhildas personlige ”vintervarmer”– stakkels Hrut!!!!

Gunnhilda viser sig imidlertid at være lidt af en begærlig og omklamrende elskerinde. Da Hrut beder endelig tilladelse til at sejle tilbage til Island, kaster hun en forbandelse på ham, så han skal få ingen nydelse af sit sexliv med Unn.

Og når han endelig gifter sig med Unn, opdager han, at han ikke kan fuldbyrde ægteskabet, på grund af at være for veludrustet, hvilket er lidt af en uforventet twist:  og det er Unn ikke ret glad for, for at sige mildt. Skylden var helt på Hruts side – der er ikke nogen antydning om, at hun er snævere, end normalt. Sikke et vanvid! Og hun har allerede ventet et par år på, at Hrut kommer tilbage fra Norge. Stakkels Unn!!!

Unn og Hruts bryllup: alle virker at hygge sig under bryllupsfesten,

men der er ballade senere på natten i parrets seng på grund af et pinligt fysisk

kompatibilitetsproblem. Du godeste – sikke en skør verden vi lever i !!

Unnar venter på sin chance og bliver skilt fra ham, før Hrut er klar over, hvad der sker ha  ha!

12:00 Jeg går i gang med at skifte kattegruset i Minx’ kattebakke. Minx lider lidt af mild demens og gigt, og hun har tendens til at træde over og igennem sin kattebakke, lige som om, den ikke var der. Resultatet er, at hun spreder små partikler kattegrus overalt i huset.

Lois og jeg har diskuteret problemet og besluttet på en ny tilgang. Vi skal lægge mindre kattegrus i kattebakken og skifter det hele meget mere hyppigt. Det er når kattegruset bliver for vådt på grund af Minx’ urin, at det har tendens til at blive til et blødt pulver, som klabrer til Minx’ fødder, når hun kravler over det. Sikke et vanvid!!!!

Minx’ nymodens kattebakke, med reducerede mængder kattegrus

13:00 Jeg spiser frokost og bagefter går jeg i seng og tager en gigantisk eftermiddagslur. Jeg står op kl 15.

15:00 Jeg sætter mig med computeren og surer lidt på nettet. Jeg læser, at Forskere har rekonstrueret et velbevaret neandertaler-skelet. Og 3D-modellen giver et nyt og mere præcist billede af fortidsmennesket. Det er en fordom, at neanderthalerne var dumme. Og det der med den krumryggede hulaboer, der slæber hænderne langs jorden? Den holder heller ikke.

en typisk neandertalfamilie

De nye resultater viser at neandertalernes brystkasse var bredere forneden end hos os, og rygsøjlen havde ikke samme karakteristiske kurve, som vi ser hos Homo sapiens. Hos Homo sapiens er rygsøjlen kurvet som et fladt s, hvis du ser rygsøjlen fra siden.

”Neandertalerens rygsøjle er også placeret “dybere” i thoraxen, sådan at ribbenene buer mere udad, der hvor de møder rygsøjlen, hvis du ser kroppen oppefra. Denne del er mere lige hos Homo sapiens”, siger forskeren Trine Kellberg Nielsen.

Forskere ved godt, at forskellige menneskearter, herunder neandertaler og repræsentanter af homo sapiens, plejede at have sex med hinanden  for helt op til 470.000 år siden. I en hule i det nutidige Siberien fandt forskere tilbage i 2008 en samling af små knogler, og nu afslører en genetisk analyse, at én af knogleresterne stammer fra en kvinde, hvis mor var neandertaler, og hvis far tilhørte Denisova-mennesket. Sidstnævnte er en uddød menneskelignende art, som ligesom os tilhører slægten Homo.

Det er ikke nyt for forskningen, at arterne har dyrket sex med hinanden. I dag gemmer der sig en lille smule neandertaler i moderne europæere og asiaters arvemateriale, og i 2015 fandt forskere resterne af et 37-40.000 år gammelt moderne menneske i Rumænien, som havde hele 6-9 procent af sin arvemasse til fælles med neandertalere.

I betragtning af, at der var en masse lejligheder for forskellige menneskerarter at dyrke lidt krydsning, er det rart at se neandertalens udseende var ikke så hæsligt, som vi troede før, synes jeg. Kvinden i billedet ser temmelig attraktiv ud, og manden, der er i gang med at tage en gigantisk eftermiddagslur, måske efter en ”tung” frokost, ser ud som en pæn, venlig type, selvom han kan være lidt doven.

Kort sagt, den slags par Lois og jeg kunne overveje at invitere hos os til middag, måske, selvom ”krydsning” ville ikke være på dagsordenen, unødvendigt at sige.

16:00 Lois kommer tilbage fra Tewkesbury og vi slapper af med en kop te og et stykke brød med hjemmelavet blommemarmelade – yum yum!

17:00 Vi lytter lidt til radio, en interesssant program, der handler om Thor Heyerdahls ”Kontiki”-ekspedition, hvor han i 1947 sejlede på en tømmerflåde fra Sydamerika til Polynesien, for at prøve at bevise sin teori, at Påskeøens indbyggere oprindeligt stammede fra Sydamerika. Øens befolkning var for det meste død ud i løbet af det 19. århundrede af forskellige grunde.

Mennesker i dag ville aldrig tro, hvor stor en sensation Heyerdahl forårsagede i 1940’erne og 1950’erne med sin rejse. Jeg husker det hele så klart fra min barndom. Der var endda en brætspil der blev produceret, som kredsede om hans ekspedition. Du godeste, sikke et vanvid!

Men da Heyerdahls teori blev modbevist I 1980’erne på grund af genetisk forskning, rammede historien ikke overskrifterne, måske fordi forskerne allerede formodede, at Påskeøens inbyggere stammede fra andre øer i Polynesien, og at selve polynesiere næsten helt sikkert stammede fra Asien, snarere end fra Sydamerika.

Det er interessant at Heyerdals familie stolede på ham fuldstændigt og troede på ham, da han sagde, at rejsen ikke var farlig. Så derfor var de ikke bange for, at han kunne drukne for eksempel. Han var en lidt autoritær figure som far til sin familie,og hans datter siger, det var lidt af en lettelse, da han rejste væk til Sydamerika – det betød, at hun endelig kunne ryge i huset uden at blive skæld ud hele tiden.

Heyerdahls tømmerflåde blev omgivet hele rejsen af masser af fisk, inklusive mange hajer og hvaler. Der var så mange hajer i nærheden af tømmerflåden, at det desværre ikke var muligt at svømme fra den. Der er lidt trist, at da Heyerdahls søn gentog ekspeditionen 60 år senere, de kun fangede 2 tun i 100 dages rejse, og besætningen så ingen hajer eller hvaler.

18:30 Vi spiser frokost og bruger resten af aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser et interessant afsnit af den langvarige serie ”Antiques Road Show”. Folk, hvis forfædre deltog i den 1. verdenskrig, fremviser nogle af deres forfædres personlige ejendele, som er blevet nedarvet i deres familier, for eksempel medaljer og andre elskede genstander. Programmets vært er den charmerende Fiona Bruce.

Nogle af de personlige historier af disse soldater og deres død i krigen er så triste, at selve de gnavne antikvarisk-eksperter begynder at bryde sammen, når de hører dem. Og Lois og jeg har svært ved at holde tårerne tilbage – yikes!

Vi opmuntrer os ved at se den sidste halv time af den 3. time af en interessant 3 timers langt ”langsom tv” program, der handler om den australske jernbane fra Adelaide til Darwin.

Vi ser en række af monotont, intetsigende landskaber, som toget kører gennem det lille by Adelaide River, og når endeligt selve Darwin. Lois og jeg vil sove tungt i nat – det er der ikke nogen tvivl om! Men det er rart at se passagerne hælde drinks i sig i loungen/observationsvognen.

21:00 Vi går tidligt i seng. Lois tror, at hun er lidt forkølet. Vi mistænker, at babyerne, der deltog i sidste fredagens “Baby Bounce and Rhyme”-sessionen på det lokale bibliotek, må have smittet hende med noget ubehageligt – pokkers!