How far back can we trace humanity?

 The knowledge of the ancients has gradually been filtered down through our history but not entirely; there are still unknown areas particularly when an unexpected skeletal remain is plucked from its hiding place and viewed in the context of modern life. When I was a child we had barely scratched the surface; ideas about Neanderthals have completely changed from those childhood stories. Why they disappeared or in reality were absorbed into an ever growing Homo sapiens crowd as this new species moved across the face of the Old World. Then suddenly new digs revealed that even in those ancient times the new species moved across into the New World as we tend to see the separation between Europe/Asia/Africa/Oceania and North/Central/South America and the islands that belong to that section of the world. All of this has happened in my lifetime as one could visibly watch the length of time to circumvent the world reduced incredibly from those days when I first set my feet on the ground and walked free with a pair of glasses on my face at the age of 18 months. Gradually as more and more people test their DNA we become more and more aware of just how much Neanderthal is present in Homo sapiens and most interestingly where it is not present. 

Yesterday was somewhat of a thinking day; I thought about a lot of things actually as the day passed. My eyes were tired from playing this game my daughter introduced me to and we both have a control panel and work together to achieve particular tasks. One in particular was most difficult as one had to land a space ship upright on three platforms which were successively smaller and smaller. I would have given up; at 80 I do not care if I succeed in such pastimes. But I would be spoiling the game so we hung in there and accomplished that task which took us on to the next chapter which was short and the chapter after that also short and now we have two chapters left and I do look forward to the end of this game. It is the first time I have ever played an entire game and may well be the last. Time will tell. I am not really a gamer. I like playing my daily Solitaire Puzzle. I like doing Sudoku puzzles but beyond that my interest just doesn't go to gaming. 

While my eyes strengthened through the day I did think about humanity and where we are headed? Taking up Artificial Intelligence for the reasons that industry is galloping ahead is so that they will make more money although if one looks carefully at the effect of new science on economics it always costs more and the return diminishes as a product of that extra cost. Just because the size of industries has grown so radically this past generation in particular one gets deceived by the financial statements for these conglomerates and doesn't really see into the actual cost of incorporating new ideas particularly Artificial Intelligence. I do see a value in it; it could be a life saver particularly in some types of work like mining where human life becomes much frailer against artificial robots which can tolerate so much more than a frail human body. 

The pollution in our world is affecting the ability of the human species to reproduce and one does think that that will only get worse so that a new baby becomes a much rarer happening and hence will be seen as a much more important event than it is now even. 

The human existence has been one of constant learning and improving; it is built into our genes to always head towards something that works better; is more efficient and creates a better life for all peoples of the world. We can not know what peoples will survive into the future. It is a mystery. God in His wisdom gave us all the ability to work hard, be efficient and productive. It is exciting to consider what life will be like in 2100 and there are now people born who will, God willing, be there in 2100 to record it and watch as their progeny, God willing, move on into the 2100s continuing with this beautiful earth and the better life that has come to it by the ingenuity and the wisdom of the peoples who survive. But we always have to work at that eventual outcome. It pretty much never just happens. 

More shopping

 Once you get started shopping it does get to be a must do that as well experience. However, I believe we are finished for a bit. Two new sets of drapes for windows that needed a change (for both the existing blind was simply worn out; did its duty through the years) and they are all up now and we are pleased with the end result. They both work; that was my main criteria. My daughter though had thoughts on how she wanted them to look so went with that as it saves me thinking about it. My husband was usually the one who got such activities going as my interest is low in that so long as it works. I am simply not a shopper; have little interest in the ups and downs of fashions and avoid shopping times that are intense. 

Consequently because I had holes to file and sanding to do I did not accomplish much other than that yesterday. A little bit of painting to do here and there and also some staining where the holes were filled. That I can do although in the past Edward would have done most of it other than my helping when he wanted a second pair of hands at work. 

Today perhaps some research. I opened the file and that was about it; nothing beyond that yesterday. I had another email from the member of the Hinxman family which is most interesting as we both pursue information on our family lines in the Andover, Hampshire, England area. His line had arrived in the mid 1500s with mine appearing to have been there for quite a while prior to that. The proofs though are what I am looking for and some do exist which is helpful. I have documents which I must transcribe and the time for that is coming as I start to create the genealogical charts. 

My mind was too busy yesterday to continue strolling back into time. Just occasionally something brings back little memories and in retrospect they point out to me my character. Was I too polite as a younger person? I never think you can be too polite but perhaps you can be too welcoming sometimes although that is not a characteristic I would give myself but more something that Edward was comfortable at. We were often opposites in how we approached items but that was often a very good trait I feel in retrospect. Not having close relatives outside of my own personal large family of six siblings, parents, grandparents and one uncle  and aunt only, no first cousins, I did not have his sense of closeness to what I have always deemed as strangers particularly and that includes second cousins etc. However, I did have my fifth cousin in for tea a while ago but we do know each other from our mutual work in DNA. That was an amazing discovery finding Susan in the midst of all that endogamy that exists in my Knight-Butt-Arnold-Ellis family. She relates back through the Ellis family which is very large. 

So today some work on Gedmatch and perhaps the rest of my matches there which might be interesting will be completed. Slowly I am collecting up any missed matches this past six months. I am considering creating a family tree on 23 and Me to follow their suggestion that I could see a DNA pattern emerge for relatives (I would assume they are referring to phasing grandparents). It would be an interesting exercise to see what they come up with in this regard. 

Time to do solitaire puzzles and I am a little late with breakfast although I have already had a snack with my exercise routine.  

Shopping

 One of my most hated things to do and we have been shopping mostly for drapes and new hardware for them. Easier to manage than blinds for sure for this 80 year old but finding machine washable cold ones has not been easy. The hardware though these days is great and fairly easy to install. 

Also a couple more interesting matches on Gedmatch and I am perhaps coming to the end of my kit today. We will see as I have some sanding to do before we install the next set of drapes. Some things like that I am good at as I helped my mother prepare the cottage for new items like that and painting the walls etc. An interesting way to learn is working at the chore actually. 

I was reflecting backwards once again remembering writing to thank the minister at Orleans United Church for his letter supporting Edward for the  Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. Hence letting him know that Edward had been awarded the Medal. I just forgot and the discovery that Gordon Riddle had passed away in 2013 which I did not know until much later (at this time actually) that reminded me I didn't thank this minister. So I did that and he wrote to say that his wife had recently had a birthday party for him but she didn't invite us. I almost wrote back to tell him to thank his wife but avoided that comment. It just sounds sort of rude in retrospect. I had such a good attitude towards the United Church before we went to Edward's Church (I had promised to do that)  on that regular basis for about 20 years when our girls were young (and Edward volunteered me for Church Secretary where I was thankfully replaced by a paid secretary eventually after about five years or so; by then I was working full time once again and having this volunteerism still on my plate was a lot of work) . My Uncle (his wife) and my grandmother attended the United Church and I went with them whenever I stayed there on a Sunday as a child and teenager and quite liked that Church. I especially liked their attitude towards alcohol and smoking for that matter as I felt it was a very healthy attitude and one which God would support for his people. However, a long time ago now and mostly out of my mind. But occasionally pops in. I attend only my Anglican Church now and online. I did offer Edward's Church a set of pictures of the building of the Church Building (50th anniversary of its founding is coming up actually in 2028 I believe) but never heard back and got off track on that production of a PowerPoint file. I will see if the Ottawa Archives wants the original set of pictures in a binder that Edward prepared (I would say that he loved being part of his Church and sang in the choir for nearly all those twenty years and was Treasurer for ten years). It was a mention in our Bulletin one Sunday when he was still very upset about the death of his brother and his mother in a nursing home and struggling but she would not move here away from the rest of her family (quite understandable) of an upcoming set of lectures by the minister at Dominion Chalmers United Church that sent us to that Church for a couple of months I think. Absolutely stupendous lectures and we stayed for a couple of years actually; I love sermons on the Fathers of the Church and their many dissertations and this minister was absolutely excellent but I digress. I still do like the United Church; I just like being Anglican. We were not at the first six months of this new Church because I was active at my local Anglican Church (volunteer secretary which I did myself) but had promised to go to his when it started up and did do so the next fall after my eldest started her desensitization shots for asthma. I always remember that first Sunday - as soon as she saw our doctor Gordon Riddle she ran way across the room and I went with her (she was just five years old).  Edward though stayed to chat with his cousin probably about the Kipp genealogy as they did share information. Later my eldest helped to roof the new Church and other such tasks as by then she was nearly a teenager (my other daughter is eight years younger) and quite skilled at such manual type tasks. Now she is a professor teaching many many students data science, metadata and so many other courses over time. Her students work all over the United States as she could not get a job in Canada. The jobs she applied for here went to Americans way back in the early 2000s so she took the one offered to her by an American university. She spends her research time with me though which is a real treat and in the future she will retire and come home. 

I think it is being 80 that makes one reflect backwards in time actually. It is likely healthy and is excellent for my writing as I recall comments made by my grandparents and parents that aid me along the path. 

 Another working day but first I must do my solitaire puzzles.

 

 

 

Canada now at 2% of its GDP for spending on our military

 Great news today with Canada achieving spending 2% of our GDP on the military and it will get better and better as we increase the amount that we spend on our military. It is 36 years since we were spending an adequate amount on our military. A great piece of news to start the day for sure. 

Worked on Gedmatch yesterday and picked up a couple of new interesting matches. I should finish my kit today. I want to move on to FT DNA and Living DNA very soon as it would be nice to start writing again full time after the first of April. 

I also did my Income Tax today and will pay that up shortly. I prefer to pay the government so that I do not get all that spam looking to steal my income tax refund. AI is really needed for some of this work although keeping it safe will also be a full time job for sure. It will be somewhat like the introduction of computers into the everyday work routine more than a generation ago now and it doubled the number of people working at that time as it is much more labour intensive than the earlier style. AI will reduce a lot of manual labour putting the onus on people to improve all of their skills in whatever field they are in because there will be a lot of training all along that path of moving into Artificial Intelligence and integrating it into our work week. It will be easier to spot and eliminate intrusions. It will require us to really work our brains to all become teachers in our work life as a computer constantly needs instruction and good review in order to get the best results from it. 

My daughter is needing dental work and I managed to get an appointment with my dentist for review and referral whilst she is with me. It will need a specialist for sure and she has to go under anaesthetic so will do that here. She has asthma and requires caution whenever she needs to go under anaesthetic. Her wisdom teeth were removed at the hospital and I was certainly glad of that as her blood pressure went very low but she rallied under the good care of the nurses.  

A lovely walk outside yesterday although it was pretty cold but much enjoyed. Sadly no skiing the snow is now sufficient for that so a bit of a disappointment but the walking is also very nice. 

Solitaire puzzles completed and onto research.  

 

Continuing with GedMatch

 I will be working on my kit today in Gedmatch so at the half way point looking at possible useful matches that are new (and sometimes old with new value because of the place where we are matching). Then on to FT DNA and Living DNA both of which I have given glances to over the last six months. Then I can move ahead with my genealogical charts in both books - Pincombe and Blake. 

No new thoughts on how to proceed with the books. I mostly have a direction that I am following although tangents are always welcomed if they provide information that assists me in this pursuit of these two lines going back or coming forward whichever way one wants to look at it. I have the direct line which is our line right back and down to our parents although I continue to be of the opinion that I will bring everything up to Census time perhaps the 1851 as it has more information. There was an explosion in growth in the British Isles in the latter part of the 1800s possibly to replace so many people emigrating throughout the British Empire in those days looking for opportunity to put down new roots in a place that felt just like living at home in many ways (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and India felt inviting for many). And so the people of British Isles heritage moved their DNA around the world. The advantage certainly was to increase the variety in DNA which gives more opportunity to eliminate DNA that is less desirable. Inbreeding is always a problem with DNA as it gives too much possibility of inheriting the same defect from both parents. This huge movement of people did improve the lifespan of peoples around the world I believe. 

Moving forward in time is the aim of the human race and each generation should do the best they can do to make the world a better place. God gave us this beautiful planet for our species and we need to pass it on to the next generations as intact as possible so that they too can use their ingenuity and ability to make the world a better place to live in for sure. 

Prayers for those recovering from the accident at LaGuardia. Prayers for the world which God made and left His commandments to let us know how to live.