Singer Sewing Machine

My friend Melissa has an antique Singer Sewing machine that her parents gave her. She didn't know how old it was, so I looked it up based on photographs and the serial number. It looks like it was manufactured in 1906. It is very beautiful, and makes me think whimsically about all the obsolete items of the past. Just think of all the time someone sat at this sewing machine. What did they make? How many hours did they work? I wonder.

It also has the original catalog folded up in the drawer. Very interesting to see all the different kinds of sewing machines. The days of advertising had begun!

Women Who Swim With the Sloths

My friend Sue Grodberg just got back from a trip to Costa Rica. She and her mom went zip lining through the rainforest, and sipped large cocktails throughout the day. She also got to capture some footage of a sloth swimming. I thought that was really cool.

Books on Human Origins

One of the most fascinating topics for me is human history and human origins. I know many people could care less about this topic, but I have always been interested. Once at a family gathering my sister shouted sarcastically from the other room, "Why don't you come in here and sit with some of your living relatives, rather than the dead ones?" At the time I was at the computer looking up my 9th generation great grandfather in Norway. I suppose she had a point, but I'm not alone. Louis Leakey spent his life digging up bones of ancestors millions of years old!

With DNA analysis emerging and getting more and more sophisticated each year, soon perhaps all our questions will be answered. Of course DNA will not illuminate every query, but genetics indeed answers many questions without debate, such as the mixing of Neanderthals and humans. In fact I will soon be receiving my DNA analysis from National Geographic. I will find out how much Neanderthal DNA I have. Generally it's 3 to 5 percent for most Europeans. Since I'm pretty sure my ancestors originated from the British Isles and Scandinavia, going far back, I might be a bit Neanderthal. Rumor has it that's where red hair comes from in people from Scotland and Ireland!

Here is a list of books I've collected. I published them on Amazon Listamania!

Books About Human Origins

1.  Extinct Humans by Ian Tattersall

2.  When God Was a Woman by Merlin Stone

3.  'MAN IN THE ICE, THE' by Konrad Spindler

4.  Genes, Peoples, and Languages by Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza

5.  Skeletons in Our Closet by Clark Spencer Larsen

6.  Deep Ancestry: Inside The Genographic Project by Spencer Wells

7.  Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes

8.  Mapping Human History: Genes, Race, and Our Common Origins by Steve Olson

9.  Reflections Of Our Past: How Human History Is Revealed In Our Genes by John Relethford

10.  Neanderthal by Paul Jordan

11.  The First Human by Ann Gibbons

12.  Before the Dawn by T?son Shimazaki

13.  African Exodus: The Origins of Modern Humanity by Chris Stringer

14.  The Tribes of Britain by David Miles

15.  Ancestors: In Search of Human Origins by Donald C. Johanson

16.  Mother Nature: Maternal Instincts and How They Shape the Human Species by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy

17.  From Lucy to Language by David Brill

18.  The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future by Riane Tennenhaus Eisler

19.  LAST NEANDERTHAL, THE by Ian Tattersall

Giant Squid Finally Caught on Film

I read a fantastic article on Longform some time ago, about a man in New Zealand, Steve O'Shea, who is obsessed with the pursuit of the giant squid. I wonder how he feels now, that others have finally 'caught' the giant squid. I think his mission was to raise baby giant squids in captivity, so perhaps his mission is not over. Of course capturing the giant squid on video is not being able to study it closely. Scientists have studied carcasses of giant squid, but can't get close to the live animal. 

Of course the giant squid is responsible for many a myth making over the centuries. Encounters between the giant squid and fishermen throughout the ages have led to exaggerated stories, or perhaps not so exaggerated stories. The giant squid can be as large as 60 feet long, and it's tentacles are apparently quite strong. To see the elusive beast in action, is quite thrilling. Deep sea explorer Edith Widder and her colleagues are the folks who captured the giant squid on film, off the coast of Japan.





Click here for more footage.This creature is so beautiful.

The Mysterious Case of the Burning Norwegian Cheese

As I have written about before on my blog, my grandfather Hjalmar ate a Norwegian brown goat cheese called ekte gjetost nearly everyday. He would slice the cheese very thinly, then place it on rye bread or crackers, with a slab of butter. If he ate it plain he would place a slice on the roof of his mouth, and slowly suck. He claimed it was delicious, but it was a most unappealing looking cheese.

None of my other family members joined him in consuming this delicacy. In fact, to us the cheese resembled a hunk of brown soap that you'd scrub a goat with, rather than eat.

When I visited Norway in my twenties in the spirit of acquiring family culture, I decided to try ekte gjetost (pronounced yed-oost). It has a very pungent taste and smell, and I quickly understood why my grandfather sliced the cheese very thinly. The Scandinavians also call it Brunost, because it is caramelized and loaded with sugar. I acquired a taste for this cheese. 

Indeed it is very delicious with rye bread and honey and jam especially.

In the United States Brunost is usually only available in specialty grocery stores like Whole Foods, or now online I'm sure. In the 1990s I used to find it at a specialty store in Harvard Square. Afterwards I did not see the cheese for awhile, until I went to the Norwegian Cultural Festival. I thought I better stock up, so I bought a huge block of gjetost. It had a dark blue and yellow plastic wrapping, with happy, dancing goats all over it.

This cheese lasted an eternity in my refrigerator. (there's no such thing as mold on Norwegian cheese, unlike those delicate French cheeses!!)

On NPR this week I heard that there was a freaky truck accident in Norway involving a truck load of brunost. The truck crashed and got stuck in a tunnel, caught on fire, and then burned for six days, blocking all the traffic for two miles. No one would ever expect 54,000 pounds of cheese to burn so long.

This event occurred in Knarvik Norway, which happens to be the area of Norway where my grandfather was born. In fact my great grandmother Henrikka Hansdatter was from Knarvik, Lindas Norway. 

Isn't it good, Norwegian brunost?

While I suppose the blocked traffic was an inconvenience, including the toxic flames, I can imagine the local Norwegians must have also had a good laugh. The smell alone must have been quite noticeable for miles. 

I know my grandfather would be cracking up right now, if he heard the story.

I am not a psychopath

In my humble opinion, I'm gratified and not surprised that I am not a psychopath. It probably would contradict everything I've ever done in my life, and all the jobs I've ever toiled away at.Not to mention it would contradict the core of my being, and the principles I live by. 

 

Lately there has been much renewed interest and rethinking of the term psychopath. A few new books published lately, including The Wisdom of the Psychopaths by Kevin Dutton, and The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson, have sought to examine the topic. I have not read these books, so I proceed with caution, but I think the message is that not all psychopaths are crazed killers. Some psychopathic traits- utter charm, ruthlessness, manipulation, narcissism, boldness, can be channeled into certain acceptable societal roles. In other words, the psychopaths walk amongst us. They are your ruthless car salesmen, CEOs, motorcycle stunt drivers, politicians, corporate lawyers, stock traders, and brain surgeons. I guess it would make sense that all traits are measured in degrees.

 

Your Psychopath Challenge score is low:
10 out of a possible 33

Take the test by clicking below... 

Should you be worried? Find out more...

Grandmother's Ornaments

My mom gave me some xmas ornaments that belonged to my grandmother. I think I might have given her the bird ornament. The horses are very unique; I wish I could find out how old they are. I know my mom had some other ornaments belonging to my grandmoher, that definitely were from the 1930's or 1940's. I wonder if my aunt has them? Or were they were lost or broken?

Arm the Teachers

In the wake of the tragedy on December 14th in Newtown, Connecticut, some Republican dimwatts are seriously suggesting arming teachers. At first I thought it was a joke, but the opinion has been repeated more than once. 

As a person who has worked in a public school for 15 years, I've got a few observations and questions about the practicality of this suggestion. As is typical of many a politician who has never entered a school in his adult lifetime, or spent two minutes with small children, he's terribly misguided.

1. What message does it send to children? Aren't we trying to develop model citizens? Arming a teacher says to a student: "Little child, this world is such a goddam dangerous place, your loving, otherwise sweet pre-K teacher must carry a gun." Talk about scaring kids!. Do you think a 3 year old will feel safe with an armed teacher? Does that create an environment where children can grow and learn?

2. Where will the gun be kept? Will it be locked up? Will the teacher carry it in a holster? Will it be concealed? (Better not be hugging Ms. So and So) Obviously it would have to be secured, with children around. So what if the teacher can't get to the gun quickly enough? Does she have to bring it with her to recess, library?

3. Will teachers be trained to use the gun? How often? The teacher must be trained appropriately, so she doesn't misfire and kill some students instead. By the way, teachers already have copious amounts of training and ongoing education to attend to. How will this fit in? Will the government pay for it? 
 ( My school system doesn't even pay for some of the training I'm required to do now.)

4. What if a student gets a hold of the gun, and shoots everyone in his class?  If guns were available in schools, situations might escalate from swearing and desks being tossed over, to murder. What if an angry parent gets a hold of the gun? What if a teacher shoots a child by mistake, thinking the child was armed or dangerous? Having guns in schools would probably increase incidents of violence in schools, not decrease violence.

5. Do we arm all the teachers? That's thousands and thousands of teachers. Who will pay for that? Many schools can't even pay for reading teachers and tutors, never mind armed guards. If we choose armed guards, who are these people? How do we know the guard is mentally sound? Will they be trained experts, or old retired guys? Do parents really want some old guy with a gun protecting their children? What about all the day care centers and preschools? Do we have armed guards there too?

6. A school in Texas has some teachers armed right now. I'm not sure how long they've had the policy. The trouble is, some people think that guns solve all safety problems. Just because a teacher is armed, it doesn't mean he/she is going to stop a perpetrator. Many times armed guards at banks or clinics get shot trying to stop assailants. Often even trained police officers get shot trying to stop perpetrators. I heard someone make a good point on the radio. Jim Brady got egregiously injured by a gunshot, and he was surrounded by Secret Service agents! JFK was assassinated surrounded by secret service agents and police officers.

7. Finally if a person wants to kill a group of vulnerable children, or people, there's lots of venues to choose from, other than a school. Other community centers are vulnerable too. Are we going to have armed guards at libraries, ball fields, churches, supermarkets, malls, the Boys and Girls Club, and on and on?

DNA Ancestry Results

Hordaland traditional dress- my grandfather was born in 
this area, but knowing him, never wore these knickers

Here are the results I received from Ancestry.com about my DNA testing. The amount of information given is somewhat disappointing, but the results are also surprising. I am more genetically Scandinavian than I thought. According to my understanding, I should be 25% Norwegian, but here I am 51% Norwegian. It occurred to me that Ancestry did not do a genetic analysis at all, but just went by the % of the family tree I submitted. I certainly have been able to trace more of my Scandinavian ancestors than my other ancestors, so is that why I'm 51% Norwegian? Hopefully it was a true analysis of my sample. I am Norwegian, Irish, and English.

My g-grandmother was born in Rathkeale, Limerick Ireland

Fortingbridge, England -where the ggg grandfather Pinhorn came from

Of course now I want more information, so I've ordered a DNA kit from National Geographic too. Hopefully this analysis will prove to be a bit more illuminating. For example, what is the 5% unknown?  

Places where ancestors were born: 
Canada 38%
Norway 35% 
England 14% 
USA 9% 
Other 4%

Area of Norway where most of my ancestors lived, 
particularly Lindas

Genetic Ethnicity

• Scandinavian
   51%
• British Isles
   44%
• Uncertain
   5%
  
  

  

  My Dale ancestors emigrated from Cornwell, England

  
  

  
  

More Photos of NYC



Melissa and I on the Bus heading to Manhattan

  Jonathan took many other pictures during our trip to Nyc, so I'll share a few more.





A reflection of where we ate lunch




Mural outside gallery






into the night



Aunt Nancy's Neighborhood



Attack of Jonzilla

That's one sweet potato!

Tidbits From NPR

I pick up quite a bit of information from listening to NPR. For the past several months I listen everyday, and now I've got a little notebook to jot down scraps of information. Here are some recent NPR tidbits, for further reference.

Premires in NYC Nov. 21, 2012

1. Ken Burns is making a documentary called "The Central Park Five," about the jogger who was attacked in Central Park in 1989.

2. Bernard Malamud's daughter Janna Malamud Smith has written a book called "Absorbing Errands: How Artists and Craftsmen Make Their Way to Mastery," about the process of being a master artist or crafts-person in this digital, fast-paced, multitasking world.

3. There's a new hiking and biking trail in development, stretching from the South Shore of Boston to the North Shore, called the Bay Curcuit Trail. 

4. I liked the sound of a band called "The Sail Away Ladies." 

5. I heard an interview with a journalist who works for the Washington Post--Susannah Cahalan. She wrote a book called "Brain on Fire," about her experience with madness. When I went to the Strand Bookstore recently in NYC, I found a signed copy of her book. Awesome.

Melissa Exhibits in NYC



In the room women come and go,
speaking of Kuligangelo



      Despite a delay due to hurricane Sandy, Melissa finally had her show in NYC at the Soho 20 Gallery in Chelsea, West 27th Street. The weekend after Thanksgiving Jonathan and I drove down with Melissa to NYC to see her exhibit, and tool around the town for a day. On Saturday morning we visited the Guggenheim and saw a fantastic Picasso black and white exhibit. We stayed at Johnathan's Aunt's apartment in the Bronx. Kudos to Aunt Nancy for her hospitality, and very warm and tidy accommodations. Melissa and I adored her trinkets, books, and decor. For Johnathan it was a nostalgic revisiting of youthful memories.

      We took the bus and subway into Manhattan. It was a rather cold and windy day, and we did our fair share of walking. We arrived at the gallery early to poke around. I selfishly took off to walk 19 blocks to visit the Strand Bookstore, a destination I've wanted to visit for years. On the way I went through Union Square, probably just missing my friends Eve and Stacey, who were also visiting NYC, and spending the day at an open air farmer's market. Stacey's dad had a stand at the market.

      I went to the Strand and a unique glassware and dinnerware store called Fishs Eddy. It was a shopping heaven experience, but I was also feeling kind of alienated in the big city. I headed back to the gallery.

all photos by Johnathan Donahue

      Meanwhile Melissa gave her talk to a small crowd of gallery tourists. Johnathan stood nearby, and Matthew and Jennifer arrived as well, but missed the talk. They enjoyed their own private tour afterwards.



Jen, Melissa, and Matthew



 

Melissa Kulig is a Waltham, MA based artist located just west of Boston. She and her loft are part of the Waltham Mills Artist Association.  The group, begun in the 1970’s, is very active in the local community.  Her drawings have been juried into many galleries including the Limner Gallery in Hudson, NY, the Bromfield Gallery in Boston, the Agni Gallery in NY, and a solo exhibition at The Artist Foundation Gallery in South Boston.  She received her MFA in Drawing in 2009 from The Art Institute of Boston, a school of Lesley University.   After working under Anthony Apesos and Debra Todd-Wheeler, she received an honorary scholarship from the faculty and students at her graduation.  She is a member of the Women’s Feminist Project and continues to teach art to children and adults as she’s done for the past 10 years.
www.mkulig.artspan.com