Thursday, December 13 2018

08:30 We tumble out of bed in a hurry, when we recall that Ian, our local window cleaner is coming this morning at 9 am and we do not want him to see us either in bed or in the bath, which would be a bit embarrassing to put it mildly.

After breakfast, I hop up on my exercise bike and cycle my usual 6 miles. As soon as I hop down again, I hear our 2 new regular Jehovah's Witnesses ringing the door bell. Fortunately, Lois is in the hall, ready to talk to them. And the Witnesses look forward to talking to Lois because all 3 of them can have a thorough discussion about the Bible, which Lois is as familiar with as they are, even though in some cases they interpret it a little differently.

The two women consider their visit to Lois a bit of a refreshing change, I imagine. Probably the majority of the residents they visit are not particularly interested in their message. But I suspect that despite their outward friendliness they intend secretly to convert Lois to their faith - they are so sure of the correctness of their interpretation of the Bible, that they assume Lois sooner or later will "see the light", leave her own sect and join theirs. What madness !!!!

I hear the beginning of the doorstep debate from my hiding-place in the living room: Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in celebrating Christmas, while most members of Lois' sect celebrate Christmas in the normal way.

It might theoretically  be possible to merge Lois' sect with the Witnesses -  a lot of their views are the same, although the Witnesses take a much more aggressive approach. But that’s something I'm not entirely sure about - the jury is still out on that one.

A few years ago, the great Evel Knievel tried to do something similar, but without success, in an effort to combine the Witnesses with two other faiths.

Everybody knows that Knievel, the legendary daredevil, who had long been famous for performing exciting, death-defying stunts, and had broken almost all the bones in his body, was forced in his latter years to give up physical stunts and turn to more conceptual feats (source : Onion News).

In November 1995, he surprised the world with a spectacular triple-leap-of-faith, in which he simultaneously joined 3 faiths, Sun Myung Moon's so-called "Moon Movement", the Church of Scientology, and Jehovah's Witnesses, accepting in rapid succession the controversial convictions of all three religions.

One month later, trapped in three contradictory philosophies, Knievel wrestled with existential doubt and rejected all three movements, staging a spectacular fall from grace (without a safety net), seen live by millions on a pay-TV channel.

But the challenge of Knievel's later years which I was personally most interested in, was a daring mathematical challenge, I have to admit.

In a bold, never before attempted, leap of logic, Knievel tried to convince a panel of famous math experts that there existed a single largest integer to which no more could be added.

At noon, in front of a crowd of 25,000 in attendance and millions more watching on Fox at home, a helmeted Knievel in a jumpsuit started a syllogistic process of obtaining larger and larger concessions from the panel of mathematicians, hoping to prove that there was a number x for which it was not possible to find (x + 1). He said that if a majority of the panel of 12 members agreed with his reasoning, then the leap would be declared successful.

Despite Knievel's record of being able to overcome impossible odds, many panel members regarded the leap as reckless and ill-advised.

"With all due respect to Mr. Knievel, he is mad to attempt this," said Quentin Collins, professor of applied mathematics at Yale University. "I almost refused to serve on the panel in protest against this completely ill-conceived dance of cerebral chaos. But I expect Knievel will learn a lesson he will never forget, when his false reasoning is sliced to ribbons."

David Selby, who played Prof. Collins in the biopic of Knievel's life

"I worry every time he does this that he will make mistakes and get hurt," said Robbie Knievel, son of the famous daredevil. "But that's what he wants to do, and I support him."

Security measures that Knievel had planned for the leap included comprehensive indexed copies of Plato's writings; an intellectual "pit crew" consisting of 10 world-class logicians and rhetoricians; and finally a set of strategically placed fire extinguishers, in case the attempt went awry.

As we now know, the experiment was a bit of a fiasco, but Knievel somehow survived, although in my personal opinion he became a broken man, and the entire experience led directly to his death just 10 years later, at the age of 69.

I recall that I and my classmates at age 8 or so tried to discover the world's biggest number, and I remember I drew a graph in chalk on the concrete in the schoolyard, in an attempt  to convince my friends that I was on the right track.

my first attempt (at age 8) to find the world's greatest number; my solution

was unfortunately later disproved by Russian mathematicians

The problem has always been one of my obsessions, I have to admit. I actually wrote to Teresa May recently and suggested in my letter that the famous computer Deep Thought, which (after seven and a half million years) found out, amongst other things, that the answer to life, the universe and everything  was “42”, could now be used to find a number x for which it is not possible to find (x + 1). I have not received any response unfortunately, but what I do not want is for Knievel to have died in vain.

the famous “Deep Thought” computer from “Hitchhiker’s Guide”

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

11:00 The debate between Lois and the Jehovah Witnesses continues enthusiastically on the doorstep - from my hidey-hole in the living room I can hear every 10th word or so.

 I listen a little to the radio, an interesting program called "Great Lives". The host of the program is the charming Matthew Paris.

Each week, a celebrity nominates another celebrity, whom he considers to be a great person, and that person's biographer comments and adds more detailed information.

Today, I hear Russell Kane, a young stand-up comedian, nominate the famous author Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966) as "great man of the week".

It is interesting that it’s often said that everyone has at least one novel in them, even though they do not have what is required to become a full-time writer.

By contrast, Evelyn Waugh, who was a full-time prolific writer, but who longed to be a carpenter, is said to have had "at least one wardrobe in him", which makes a refreshing change. Every time a carpenter came and worked in his house, Evelyn would follow him around and watch him at work. What madness!

In 1928, after his first work, "Decline and Fall" was published, he married his fiancee, also called Evelyn (Gardner), and they became known as the He-Evelyn and the She-Evelyn. 

Unfortunately, while he was halfway through writing his second novel, "Vile Bodies", the She-Evelyn fell in love with, and cleared off with, another man. Poor He-Evelyn !!!!!

the He-Evelyn pictured here in happier times, with the She-Evelyn

Critics believe that the trauma of the failure of his first marriage was what led him to embrace Roman Catholicism body and soul, because its “certainties” created a sort of stability in his life, at a time when he felt particularly vulnerable. He took it all extremely seriously: during a libel hearing, when he was worried about the outcome, he went so far as to persuade 12 nuns to pray for him. Good grief, what madness (again) !!!!

Twelve nuns a-praying ....

When it came to his political opinions he was quite right-wing, and in World War II he felt a little uncomfortable about Britain having Russia as an ally. He said that he had a clearer sense of the justice of the war when Britain was fighting both of the world’s two major totalitarian powers at the same time, i.e.  between 1939 and 1941.

And later in the war, as a British officer in Yugoslavia, he criticised the British for working with Tito. That’s where the problem was with Waugh - he had an inflexible worldview and was not ready to compromise when the situation demanded it.

12:30 We have lunch and afterwards I go to bed and take a huge afternoon nap. I get up at 3 pm and we relax with a cup of tea and a cup cake on the couch - yum yum!

Lois gets going with wrapping up all the Christmas presents she bought the other day for her 15 relatives in Oxford. We have planned to drive over to Oxford on Saturday and deliver the presents to  Sharon, Lois' niece.

Lois sends Sharon an sms on Facebook to check if any member of the family is going to be home, but unfortunately Sharon replies that she and Michael are visiting Bruges, Belgium this weekend, and in addition, she is working all next week until the 21st . So Lois and I will be forced to wait for the new year, maybe on 1 January itself, because she, Michael and the two youngest children have got in the habit  of coming over to see the annual racing festival that takes place every January 1^st at the racecourse only 1 mile from our house.

18:00 We have dinner and watch television. The latest episode in the current (and last) season of the Big Bang Theory sitcom is on.

A fun episode where Howard tries to teach his wife Bernadette to play the Fortnite computer game.

"The Shamy" (Sheldon and Amy / He-Sheldon and She-Sheldon) are now ready to publish their allegedly ground-breaking dissertation on super-asymmetry, hoping to win a Nobel Prize. Unfortunately, Raj and Leonard come across a Russian dissertation from 40 years back, which effectively disproved super-asymmetry. Neither Raj nor Leonard can understand Russian so they use Google Translate to try and understand it, but with unpromising results.

I laugh at this conversation, but at the same time I wonder again, just what's gone wrong with Google Translate recently? Google changed the format a couple of weeks ago, and the new one is far worse, and some of the program's features have suddenly disappeared for some reason. Damn!

21:00 Lois wants to watch one of her extensive DVD collections of Christmas-themed rom-com movies:  “While You Were Sleeping”, with Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman, which she has seen several times. This is something she looks forward to doing every Christmas, but it's not really my bag, so I take a little look online and go to bed a little earlier than usual.

22:30 She does not wake me up when she jumps up into bed with me - zzzzzzz !!!!

Danish translation

08:30 Vi vælter ud af sengen, da vi mindes om, at Ian, vores lokale vinduespudser kommer i morgen kl 9 og vi vil ikke have, at han ser os enten i sengen eller i badet, hvilket ville være lidt pinligt for at sige mildt.

Efter morgenmad hopper jeg op på min kondicykel og cykler mine sædvanlige 6 miles. Så snart jeg hopper ned igen, hører jeg vores 2 nye regelmæssige Jehovas Vidner ringe på døren. Heldigvis er Lois i entréen og er klar til at tale med dem. Og Vidnerne glæder sig til at tale med Lois, fordi de kan alle 3 godt og grundigt debattere biblen, som Lois kender så godt som dem, selvom de i nogle tilfælde fortolker den lidt anderledes.

De to kvinder betragter deres besøg hos Lois lidt af en forfriskende forandring, formoder jeg. Sandsynligvis er hovedparten af de indbyggere, de besøger, ikke ret interessseret i deres budskab. Men jeg mistænker, at de også inderst inde har til hensigt at konvertere Lois til deres tro – de er så sikre på rigtigheden af deres fortolkning af biblen, at de formoder, Lois før eller senere vil ”se lyset”, forlade sin egen sekt og slutte sig til deres sekt. Sikke et vanvid!!!!

Jeg hører starten af debatten fra mit skjul i stuen: Jehovas Vidnere ikke tror på at fejre jul, mens de fleste medlemmer af Lois’ sekt fejrer jul på den normale måde.

Det er muligt at man kunne kombinere Lois’ sekt med Vidnerne, men det er jeg ikke helt sikker på – det er juryen stadig ude om. For nogle år siden prøvede den store Evel Knievel at gøre noget lignende, men uden succes.

Jeg ved, at den legendariske himmelhund, der i lang tid havde været berømt for at udføre spændende, dødsdæmpende stunts, og havde brudt næsten alle knogler i sin krop, endte med at give op for fysiske stunts og vendt sig til mere konceptuelle bedrifter (kilde: Onion News). I november 1995 overraskede han verden med et spektakulært tredobbelt sprang i troen, hvor han samtidig sluttede sig til Sun Myung Moons såkaldte ”Moonbevægelse”, Scientologikirken og Jehovas Vidner, idet han hurtigt accepterede den kontroversielle overbevisning af alle tre religioner.

En måned senere, fanget i tre modstridende filosofier, kæmpede Knievel med eksistentiel tvivl og afviste alle tre bevægelser og iscenesatte et spektakulært fald fra nåde (uden sikkerhedsnet), set af millioner på en betal-tv-kanal.

Men udfordringen fra Knievels senere år, som jeg personligt var mest interesseret i var en forvoven matematisk udfordring, det må jeg indrømmme.

I et dristigt, aldrig før forsøgte spring af logik forsøgte Knievel at overbevise et panel af berømte matematikeksperter om, at der eksisterede et enkelt største heltal, som ikke mere kunne tilføjes til.

Ved middagstid, foran en mængde på 25.000 til stede og millioner mere derhjemme på Fox, startede en hjelmet Knievel i jumpsuit en syllogistisk proces med at opnå større og større indrømmelser fra panelet af matematikere, i håb om at bevise, at der eksisterede et tal x for hvilket der ikke er muligt at finde (x + 1). Han sagte, at hvis et flertal af panelet på 12 medlemmer var enig med Knievels argumentation, ville springet blive erklæret vellykket.

På trods af Knievels rekord af at kunne overvinde umulige odds, så mange panelmedlemmer springet som hensynsløst og ikke rådeligt.

"Med al respekt for Mr. Knievel er han skør til at forsøge dette," sagde Quentin Collins, professor i anvendt matematik på Yale University. "Jeg nægtede næsten at tjene på panelet i protest mod denne fuldstændig dårligt udtænkte dans af cerebral kaos. Men jeg forventer, at Knievel vil lære en lektion, han aldrig vil glemme, når hans falske ræsonnement er skåret til bånd."

David Selby, der spillede Collins i biograffilmen af Knievels liv

"Jeg bekymrer mig hver gang han gør dette, at han vil begå en fejl og blive skadet," sagde Robbie Knievel, søn af den berømte himmelhund. "Men det er det, han vil gøre, og jeg støtter ham."

Sikkerhedsforanstaltninger, som Knievel havde planlagt til springet, inkluderede omfattende, indekserede kopier af Plato's skrifter; et intellektuelt "pitbesætning" bestående af 10 verdensklasse logikere og retorikere; og strategisk placerede ildslukkere, for det tilfælde, at forsøget gik galt.

Som vi nu ved, var forsøget lidt af en fiasko, men Knievel overlevede på en eller anden måde, selvom efter min personlige mening blev han i det hele taget til en brudt mand, og hele oplevelsen føre direkte til hans død blot 10 år senere, på 69 år.

Jeg mindes, om jeg og mine klassekammerater i alderen 8 eller deromkring forsøgte at opdage verdens største tal, og jeg mindes om, at jeg tegnede en graf på konkretet i skolegården for at overbevise mine venner,at jeg var på det rigtige spor.

mit første forsøg på at finde verdens største tal; min løsning

blev desværre senere modbevist af russiske matematikere

Problemet har altid været en af mine optagelser – det må jeg indrømme. Jeg skrev faktisk til Teresa May for nylig og foreslog i mit brev, at den berømte computer kaldet Dybest Set, som (efter syv en halv millioner år) fandt ud af blandt andet, at svaret på livet, universet og alt det der var 42, kunne blive brugt for at finde et tal x for hvilket der ikke er muligt at finde (x + 1). Jeg har ikke modtaget noget svar desværre. Jeg vil ikke have at Knievel døde forgæves trods alt.

Du godeste - sikke en skør verden vi lever i !!!!

11:00 Debatten mellem Lois og de Jehovah vidner fortsætter entusiastisk på trappetrinet – fra mit skjul i stuen kan jeg høre hver 10. ord eller deromkring.

 Jeg lytter lidt til radio, et interessant program, der hedder ”Great Lives”. Programmets vært er den charmerende Matthew Paris.

I hver uge nominerer en berømthed en anden berømthed, som han betragter som en stor person, og personens biograf kommenterer og tilfører yderliggere oplysninger.

I dag hører jeg  Russell Kane, en ung standup komiker, nominere den berømte forfatter Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966) som ”ugens stor mand”.

Det er interessant, at man ofte siger, at alle har mindst en roman i sig, selvom de ikke har det, der kræves for at blive fuldtidsforfatter. På den anden side sagde man, at Evelyn Waugh, som var en fuldtids- og produktiv forfatter, men som længedes efter at være tømrer, at han havde "mindst en garderobe i ham", hvilket gør en forfriskende forandring. Hver gang en tømrer kom og arbejdede i hans hus, ville Evelyn følge ham rundt og se ham på arbejde. Sikke et vanvid!

I 1928 efter hans første værk, "Decline and Fall" blev udgavet, giftede han sig med sin forlovede, der også blev kaldt Evelyn (Gardner), så de blev kendt som He-Evelyn og She-Evelyn. Desværre, da han skrev sin anden roman, "Vile Bodies", blev hun forelsket i, og stak af sammen med, en anden mand.

He-Evelyn og She-Evelyn

Kritikere mener, at traumet om hans første ægteskabs fiasko var det, der førte ham til at slutte sig med krop og sjæl til  romersk katolicisme, fordi dens sikkerhed skabte en smule stabilitet i sit liv, da han følte sig særligt sårbar. Han tog det hele ekstremt alvorligt; under en æresfornærmelsessag, da han var bekymret for resultatet, gik han så langt som at overtale 12 nonner til at bede for ham. Du godeste, sikke et vanvid (igen) !!!!

Twelve nuns a-praying....

Når der kom til hans politiske meninger var han var ganske højreorienteret, og han i den 2. verdenskrig følte sig lidt ubehagelig over at skulle have Rusland som allieret. Han sagde, at han havde en klarere følelse af krigens retfærdighed, da Storbritannien kæmpede mod begge de to store totalitære magter mellem 1939 og 1941. Og senere på krigen, som en britisk officer i Yugoslavien kritiserede han de briterne for at samarbejde med Tito. Det havde vi problemet med Waugh – han havde en ufleksibel verdensanskuelse, og var ikke klar til at kompromittere, når situationen krævede det.

12:30 Vi spiser frokost og bagefter går jeg i seng og tager en gigantisk eftermiddagslur. Jeg står op kl 15 og vi slapper af med en kop te og en kopkage i sofaen – yum yum!

Lois går i gang med at indpakke alle de julegaver, hun forleden købte til sine 15 slægtninge i Oxford. Vi har planlagt at køre over til Oxford på lørdag og levere gaverne hos Sharon, Lois’ niece. 

Lois sender Sharon en sms på Facebook, for at tjekke op på, om en eller anden familiemedlem skal være hjemme, men desværre svarer Sharon, at hun og Michael besøger Bruges, Belgien i weekenden, og derudover, at hun arbejder næste uge indtil den 21. Vi vil derfor blive tvunget til at vente på nytåret, måske på selve 1. januar, fordi hun, Michael og de to yngste børn er kommet i vane med at komme herover og se den årlige væddeløbsfestival, der finder sted hver 1. januar på den væddeløbsbane, der ligger kun 1 mile fra vores hus.

18:00 Vi spiser aftensmad og ser lidt fjernsyn. De viser det seneste afsnit i den nuværende (og sidste) sæson af sitcommen Big Bang Theory.

Et morsomt afsnit, hvor Howard prøver at lære sin kone Bernadette at spille Fortnite-computerspillet.

”The Shamy” (Sheldon og Amy / He-Sheldon og  She-Sheldon) er nu klar til at offentliggøre deres angiveligt banebrudende afhandling om super-asymmetri, med håbet om at kunne vinde en Nobel-pris. Desværre falder Raj og Leonard over en russisk afhandling fra 40 år tilbage, der modbeviser super-asymmetri. Hverken Raj eller Leonard kan forstå russisk, så de bruger Google Translate, men med ulovende resultater.

Jeg griner af denne samtale, men samtidigt spørger jeg mig selv igen, Hvad er forkert med Google Translate for tiden?  Google forandrede formatet for et par uger siden, og det nye er langt værre, og nogle af programmets funktioner er pludselig forsvundet af en eller anden grund. Pokkers!

21:00 Lois vil gerne se en af sin omfattende dvd-samling af jul-tematiserede romcomfilm, While You Were Sleeping, med Sandra Bullock og Bill Pullman, som hun har set flere gange. Det glæder hun sig hver jul til at gøre, men det er ikke rigtig min ting, så jeg kigger lidt på nettet og går i seng lidt tidligere, end normalt.

22:30 Hun vækker mig ikke, da hun hopper op i sengen til mig – zzzzzzz!!!!