Eureka! I've Got it!

Computer scientists from Sweden and the United States have applied modern-day techniques to decode a 250-year old secret message! The Copiale Cipher . The original document was written in the late 18th century and discovered in the East German Academy after the Cold War. This 105 page document has kept its secret, all these years..until now!

This year, University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering computer scientist Kevin Knight and collegues Beata Megyesi and Christiae Schaefer of Uppsala University in Sweden tracked down the document and cracked the code. Some of the cryptic letters were Roman, while others were Greek, and the rest were abstract symbols and "doodles".

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The book, bound in gold and green brocade dates back to a time between 1760 and 1789, contained about 75,000 characters of 90 different cipher letters, including the 26 Roman letters, all in very neat handwriting.. "Historians believe that secret societies have had a role in revolutions, but that is yet tobe worked out, and a big part of the reason is because so many documents are enciphered" according to Kevin Knight, a U. of California code-expert. Computations and a good chunk of the translation has been decoded, revealing rituals and political leanings of a German secret society. Knight called upon scholars from Uppsala University in Sweden. This institution is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe and is considered on of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in Europe.

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After many hours of decoding, the team realized that some characters were inserted to mislead, while others could be grouped forming words. Using different languages, the German language, when used, resulted in partial understandable text..Sorting through the Roman, German and other language symbols, the document finally revealed the rituals and political leanings of a Secret German Society, a society that had a strange obsession with.... eye-balls, plucking eye-brows, eye surgery and ophthalmology!

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The Copiale Cipher case was cracked! This 18th-century manuscipt of 150 precise pages, written in thoughtful coded symbols and letters turned out to be a German Masonic secret society known as the "Occult Order." Decoded, the secret document documented procedures of meetings, and secret lessons for apprentice initiation. One might question the reason for the elaborate effort of secrecy. But it would take a team of Californian Americans and Swedes from Uppsala University to solve the riddle.

If you can read this. you might make the team!

Hvor mye koster det?

How much is that?

Back "in the day", Wisconsin became aware of a new spread called "Margarine" , but because it competed with the Dairyland Favorite "Butter", it was illegal for Wisconsin stores to sell it. So, if we wished to buy the much cheaper product, we had to go "out of state!" Living next to the Mississippi River made it easy to drive over the river into Iowa and buy the "illegal" and cheaper margarine. Apparently, similar shopping is happening to Norwegian shoppers , who are going across the border into Sweden to buy cheaper products. Swedish stores on the border are doing well!

This is a typical Swedish store open for business.

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Norwegian grocery stores have the highest prices in Europe and the worst selection of goods, according to comsumer advocates. A government study-group is trying to discover the reason. Food producers, retailers and wholesalers all blame each other. " The reality is that we have four major chains that control the entire Norwegian market" says one spokesperson of the group. Another finding is that when volume is high and suppliers wish to have their product displayed and sold in a store, the supplier might offer a "bonus" to the retailer, which the retailer tends to keep, instead of passing it on to the consumer. It has been said that the grocery chains' owners tend to be among the wealthiest in Norway. So, let's go shopping in Sweden!

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In Sweden, grocery prices are half the prices paid in Norway. A thin pack of 10 slices of bacon in Norway costs NOK 30 (USD $5.30). In Sweden it's one-third that price. A liter of milk costs more than NOK 14 ( USD $2.50)in Norway. Norway prices:a dozen eggs are at least NOK 39 (USD 7). A loaf of bread costs NOK 30, but can go as high as NOK 40 ( $7.10 USD)

Swedish stores have a wider choice of produce.

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There may be other reasons, as well.High tariffs on imported products protect the local producers. Norway's farmers have a very strong lobby and receive state aid. "Norwegian agricultural policy helps keep the cost of Norwegian produce high," Christian Rygh, of the Norwegian agricultural authority told the newspaper Aftenposten. All told, farmers receive an annual pay raise of NOK 25,000 on the average ( nearly USD $5,000) and are the most highly subsidized farmers in the world. This steep price of local agricultural products allows merchants to jack up the prices, while Norwegians are not necessarily price-conscious.

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Still other reasons: Norway has small grocery stores on every corner and this adds to distribution costs. These shops are more expensive and are less profitable that the major chain stores that are found in Sweden.

IKEA. A popular and well-known Swedish store.

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Norway is the world's third largest oil exporter, and a major exporter of natural gas. This high level of income might correlate with higher price levels. And again, Norwegians do not tend to be price-conscious...But when the food-bill goes up, a trip across the border to buy cheaper groceries and meat products can save some NOK!

So, it's across the border to Sweden. Check the customs sign. Anything to declare?

They Have Arrived!

The King and Queen of Norway have arrived in Minnesota for their U.S. Tour.

---------This is an earlier photo of the Norwegian Royal couple---------

Tuesday, the royal Couple arrived in Twin Cities to a formal greeting from Gov. Mark Dayton, former Vice President Walter Mondale and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman.King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway have arrived in St. Paul for their eight-day tour of Minnesota and Iowa. Four-year-old Bergen Gandrud Pickett, named for the Norwegian city, greeted the king and queen with a curtsey and a bouquet of flowers outside the Saint Paul Hotel Tuesday evening.

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After a trip down to Iowa, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway are back in Minnesota for a few days, visiting the Mayo Clinic and several college campuses.

The king and queen are renewing their country's ties with the American descendants of Norwegian immigrants. In his appearance at Luther College on Thursday in Decorah, King Harald said the immigrants took pieces of Norway with them and that "nowhere is that more obvious than in Decorah,” where Norwegian immigrants founded the college. Friday, they had planned stops at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and St. Olaf College in Northfield. The weekend is rounded out with stops at Augsburg College in Minneapolis and the governor’s mansion in St. Paul. Monday, the king and queen head to Duluth, then off to New York before returning to Norway.

Another Scandinavian Winner!

"The 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded to...."

--------Tomas Tranströmer of Sweden." ------------

Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer ( TRAWN-stroh-mur), age 80, has written more than 15 collections of poetry, many of which have been translated into English and 60 other languages.

Announcing the award in Stockhom, Sweden, The Swedish Academy praised Mr. Tranströmer, saying " Through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality." The committee noted that it had been many years since a Swede has won the prize. The last time it happened was in 1974.

---------------------Born in Stockholm in 1931, Tranströmer was raised by his mother, a teacher, after she divorced his father--a journalist. He started writing poetry while studying at the Sondra latin School in Stockholm. Many of his teachers during the time of Geman occupation were Nazis, while he and his mother earnestly hoped for an allied victory. He has written "During the winter when I was fifteen, I was afflicted by a severe form of anxiety. I was trapped by a searchlight which radiated not light but darkness.

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Tranströmer has lead a unique life. He has never been associated with any university, artistic school or publishng house. Instead, he served as a prison psychologist in a juvenile corrections institute. His surrealistic works are about death and the mysteries of the human mind, while probing the connections between the realms of the conscious and subconscious, the visible and the invisible. His sometimes bleak, but powerful works explore themes of nature, isolation and identity.

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An excerpt from " The Couple".."They switch off the light and its white shade/ glimmers for a moment before dissolving/like a tablet in a glass of darkness.."

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This poet is capable of finding unexpected images of simple things underlining human bewilderment and finding unusual reactions by inverting "dreamtime and reality." Suffering a severe stroke that limits his right side, Tranströmer is still able to enjoy music as a classical pianist as he performs musical compositions arranged for only the left hand. Because of the earlier stroke, Tranströmer is unable to speak, and will "speak" by playing a musical composition as he accepts the award at the December 10th ceremony. In interviews, he gives mostly one-syllable answers to questions, with his wife, Monica filling in the details.

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This lack of vocal ability has not hindered his ability to express his writings about big questions. "He's writing about death, he's writing about history and memory and nature." said Peter Englund, the permanent secretary of the Swedish academy, which awards the prize.

And Now, The Rest of The Story

In an earlier post, we mentioned the planned trip to the United States involving the Royal Couple from Norway. The latest Viking magazine has now published the itinerary of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway as they tour the United States, helping Scandinavian-Americans celebrate 100 years of AFS's accomplishments. .

From Oct 11 to 22, Harald V and Queen Sonja will be visiting various colleges and locations in the Midwest.They will first visit Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, October 13th.

Luther was founded in 1861 by a group of Norwegian immigrants, some of which were educated in Oslo, Norway This year marks Luther College's 150th anniversary with the Norwegian royal couple in attendance. Luther is the oldest Scandinavian-American college in the US. After a visit to the famous Scandinavian Vesterheim Museum, it's on to the next site.

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Oct 14th, finds the king and queen in Northfield, Minnesota. St. Olaf College was named after King Olav II Haraldsson ,who ruled Norway from 1016-1030. St. Olaf has a long history of Norwegian royal visitors. At this one, the king and queen will be sitting in on a Norwegian language class. (A bit of pressure on the prof, maybe??)

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Then, it's on to Minneapolis. October 16th finds the visitors at Augsburg College. Augsburg was founded in 1869. The college's first two teachers were from Norway and designed courses to develope the school's mission as a seminary. after attending a worship service at Augsburg's Hoversten Chapel, the royal couple will hold a brief reception on campus.

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Then, it's north to Duluth, Minnesota. October 17th finds the travellers at a re-dedication ceremony as King Harald follows his father's footsteps in Northern Minnesota. Duluth is home to many Norwegian imigrants. In Duluth, they will help re-dedicate a five-story tower that was built overlooking Lake Superior . The tower was erected to honor the relationship between Duluth and Norway.

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Before leaving the Midwest, the king and queen will take part in the October 21st opening of an exhibition at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The exhibit honors the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his expedition to the South Pole. This is an "invitation only" event sponsored by The Sons of Norway to provide the king and queen an opportunity to interact with members.

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Then, it's off the the East Coast and New York City for the celebration. This year marks the centennial celebration of the American-Scandinavian foundation, an organization that promotes international and cultural exchanges for students and adults involving over 30,000 citizens in exchange programs.Representatives from all five Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland,Iceland and Sweden will join the Norwegian royal couple as they celebrate an elegant evening of dining and dancing.

" And The Emmy Goes To..."

The Herald Times Reporter, a Manitowoc daily newspaper, September 13th edition headlined an Emmy Award winner at their latest Los Angeles Award Ceremony. The front page story read: --------------------------------------------- SHINING MOMENT "Winning an Emmy- Quite a shock for Manitowoc native Garth Neustadter."

New Haven resident Garth Neustadter won an Emmy for his original musical score used in the American Masters documentary "John Muir in the New World" which was broadcast last spring on PBS on Earth Day.

---------This just goes to show that Lutefisk Lovers Have Good Taste!-----------

In early Vennskap Lutefisk dinners, outside entertainment was offered and enjoyed by lutefisk diners at our annual lutefisk dinners. At one of these events, a young boy by the the name of Neustadter, accompanied by his parents on background instruments, came to perform. Young Garth Neustadter entertained his audience with an excellent program of violin solos and various selections featuring his musical trio. Little did we know, his excellent talent would be heard later.

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Neustadter, 25, will graduate in 2012 with a Master's degree in composition, and hopes to continue at Yale in a doctorate program. He was chosen for the "Prime-Time Creative Arts" award over fellow nominees Ron Jones and Walter Murphy, each for an episode of "Family Guy"; Alf Clausen for an eposode of "The Simpsons" and Jeff Richmond for an episode of "30 Rock".

--------------------Lawrence Conservatory, located in Appleton, Wisconsin, founded in 1847, uniquely integrates a college of fine arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music. Neustadter has been recognized as a five-time Downbeat Magazine award-winner in the categories of composition, music arranging, classical violin performance and jazz performance as well as multiple awards from ASCAP and The National Federation of Music club.

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Neustadter's musical score from "John Muir in the New World" was performed by Lawrence Conservatory of Music students. Neustadter earned a Bachelor of Music degree summa cum laude in violin and voice performance from Lawrence University in 2010.

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In his interview, Neustadter told the reporter "Winning an Emmy---I think it's going to take a little while for it to sink in. It was quite a shock, quite a surprise to me. I was honored just to be there in the first place, and to actually win it, it's even more of an honor, it's icing on the cake."

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Stay tuned. I'm sure we will be hearing more about this talented local musician..

Look! There's a Moose!

Everyone who visits "The Old Country" watches out for the native moose. Behind only the buffalo, the moose is the second largest land animal in both North America and Europe. Moose warning signs have become popular souvenirs causing accidents for visiting motorists and causing so much expense that the triangular moose signs have been replaced with image-less generic warning signs in some areas.

The moose is a herbivore, consuming many types of plants and fruits. The average adult moose needs to consume 9770 calories every day to maintain its bodyweight. Some of these calories are found eating tree shoots such as willow and birch. Occasionally, a lucky moose will find an apple tree for a meal.

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It was a dark and stormy night when Per Johannson returned from work to his home in Saro, just south of Gothenburg, Sweden. Per said" It was raining really bad. In the wind, I heard something screaming" in his interview with CNN. He thought it was the neighbors, but hearing it again, he checked and found something really big up in a tree in the neighbor's yard..It was a moose in the tree! He said " It must have been drunk after eating fermented apples ,and as it was reaching for more fruit, it must have slipped and fallen into the tree."

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This inebriated animal had tried to grab an apple from a high branch, but its legs gave way and it got stuck! Cops say these animals often end up drunk after eating rotting fruit. Rescuers eventually freed the huge creature into the Swedish woods--and it lay down on the grass to sleep it off.

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On a personal note, every fall, robins gather in flocks to feast on our neighbor's fermenting-berry tree. They seem to gather the fermented fruit and fly over to my tree ( where my car is parked underneath!)..After they devour their meal, they fly away for more..after leaving their bird-droppings upon my car! I have always fumed at this action, but now give thanks that they are not moose!.