Wednesday, January 2 2019

10:00 I get started with reading a few pages of "Ayenbyte of Inwyt", which was written in the late 13th century by Dan Michael of Northgate, Canterbury in the Kentish dialect of Middle English. Lynda's U3A Middle English group is to hold its regular monthly meeting on Friday in the town’s Everyman Theatre, and this book is the group's next project.

The county of Kent, where Dan Michael lived, is located in England's southwest corner. So far, Lynda's group has looked at works written in the other English dialects: especially the northern and eastern dialects, which were greatly influenced by the Nordic languages, thanks to the thousands of Danes and also some Swedes who settled in eastern England, and the thousands of Norwegians who settled in Scotland and Ireland.

the writer Dan Michael, busy writing

his famous work "Ayenbyte of Inwyt" in the city of Canterbury.

With this Kentish work "Ayenbyte of Inwyt", by contrast, I am struck by the absence of Nordic words and Nordic grammar, although there are a small number of French words, which I suppose are the result of the proximity of Kent to France.

The dialect is also to some extent similar to some aspects of today's Dutch language, with the initial consonants 's' and 'f' being replaced by 'z' and 'v': for example, the word 'for' becomes 'vor', and the word 'seven' turns into 'zeven' etc.

This peculiarity survives today in the county of Somerset - I recall television commercials for Coates Cider in the 1960's and their promotional jingle "Coates comes up from Zomerzet, where the zider apples grow." Also the song "Drink Up Thy Zider" by Adge Cutler and The Wurzels from 1967.

Happy days !!!!

Dan Michael's medieval work "Ayenbyte of Inwyt" is based on standard Christian morality, and it compares the seven deadly sins with the seven heads of the beast of the apocalypse. And it also showcases a lot of juicy details about typical medieval sins and immorality, which is nice, to put it mildly. It just shows you cannot change human nature.

Our group will be starting at the beginning of the book, where Dan Michael (the author) talks about the first deadly sin: pride. Then he explains how easy it is to commit the other deadly sins – avarice, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth.

some popular medieval deadly sins: (3) lust

some popular medieval deadly sins: (7) sloth

At that time, society was less individualistic than our present one, and people liked to organise evening get-togethers, where the whole village turned up to enjoy "deadly sin evenings," characterised by a true community spirit, which is quite heart-warming to put it mildly.

In medieval times the whole village liked to

gather to enjoy "deadly sin evenings" together

The 7 deadly sins are still popular today, and often tend to circle round specific community events, such as church bake sales (source: Onion News), and indeed our local Catholic Church recently hit the headlines after a particularly successful event.

As always, the deadly sins of pride, gluttony, envy, and anger were very much in evidence at the bake sale - no surprise there.

Most participants, for example, committed the sin of pride - but Church member Connie Barrett (49) absolutely took the prize on that score. She later said, "My cookies, cakes and brownies are always the highlight of our church bake sales, and everyone says it. Sometimes I am amazed at how nice my little treats are."

a typical church bake sale

However, the sale event was mostly little more than a great orgy of envy, gluttony, anger, and avarice: no surprise there, because the competition among the various participants was as sharp as ever.

Barrett and Georgia Brandt, the church organist, almost came to blows at one point. Brandt later said, "This year I made white chocolate blondies and thought they would be a big hit. But most people went straight to Connie's table, got what they wanted, and left. And Connie just stood there with her expression of smug self-satisfaction on her face. It took every ounce of strength in my body to keep my hands off her, and not just beat the crap out of her. "

A couple of surprise additions to this year's bake sale were the sins of sloth and lust. Some participants committed the sin of sloth by forcing their children to look after their stalls so they could stand around and gossip about other participants and generally bitch about them.

Also this year, the sin of lust reared its ugly head, mainly due to the presence of Melissa Wyckoff, a shapely 20-year-old redhead whose family recently joined the church. While male participants were ogling Wyckoff, most women were focusing on the personable, boyish parish priest, Father Mark (O’Connor).

However, even though participants' feelings of lust for Wyckoff and O'Connor were never acted on, they did not go unnoticed, according to witnesses. "There's something not quite right about that Melissa Wyckoff," said the jealous, angry cake-maker, Jilly Brandon, after her husband Craig offered Wyckoff one of his Rice Krispie treats to "welcome her to the parish".

"She might just have moved here," Brandon added, "but that whore’s red dress ought to get her kicked out of the church."

What a crazy world we live in! But at the same time, it's nice to see Melissa Wyckoff and Father Mark get the recognition they deserve. They are really stunning, both of them. And many local non-Catholics think they would make a nice couple, no doubt about that. Maybe Cupid will decide to shoot an arrow or two at them - I hope so at least.

11:30 Lois and I take a short walk around the local football field. There is almost no one around today, except for 3 teenage boys trying to improve their goal-scoring skills.

12:30 We have lunch and afterwards I go to bed and take a gigantic afternoon nap. I get up at 3 pm and jump up on my fitness bike. I cycle my usual 6 miles and then do a little light weight training for 5-10 minutes.

16:00 pm We relax with a cup of tea on the couch. We listen a little to radio, an interesting program called "Thinking Allowed". Today's episode is all about the question "What is work good for?". The programme’s presenter is the charming Laurie Taylor.

An interesting programme all about today's world of work but at the same time it’s all a bit scary, to say the least. We hear from an Amazon employee, for instance, who walks 11 miles a day around the shelves, picking out the products that customers have ordered.

The importance of goals and performance indicators in many jobs is underlined during the program. Wages tend to be low, but are supplemented with bonuses that are often based on customer satisfaction surveys.

However, in many cases a given department or branch is only allowed to have one "top performer" each month, so the employees are effectively in competition with each other. We hear from an employee who was reprimanded by her boss for her "disappointing" performance - because she was rated by customers only as ‘very good’and not ‘excellent’.

My god, what madness!

Lois and I are very pleased that we both retired in 2006, to put it mildly. Steve, our American brother-in-law, recently sent us the statistics on how much British employees have "lost" in "real" annual wages since 2008 - on average, nearly £ 12,000 – my god, what a crazy world we live in !!!!

British employees have "lost" on average

nearly £ 12,000 in real annual salaries since 2008

- my god, what a crazy world we live in !!!!

18:00 We have dinner and spend the rest of the evening watching a bit of television. An interesting documentary (first part of 6) is on, all about health studies where identical twins were compared in a number of tests, both physical and mental.

An interesting documentary, albeit a bit confusing, with lots of wasted time and a lot of gimmicks designed to entertain us, rather than inform us, which is a frequent drawback with modern documentaries. The main goal of this approach is to encourage us at all costs not to switch channels.

Two massively overweight male twins, Ken and Graham, and two slightly overweight female twins, Jen and Lyn, are the main guinea-pigs this evening.

Which is the best way to lose weight – diet or exercise?

In the course of the study, Ken and Lyn have to do 2 hours of cardio training (crosstrainer, treadmill, etc.) a day for 5 weeks and burn 1000 calories per day.

Graham and Jen, on the other hand, will be following a diet involving fewer carbohydrates than they are used to, and a lot of vegetables. Their daily food is to be 1000 calories less than the recommended RDA (Reference Daily Intake).

At the end of the study, we find out that Ken and Lyn have lost 31 pounds (14 kg) between them as the result of their exercise program, while Graham and Jen have lost a little bit more as the result of their dieting, i.e. 35 pounds (16kg) between them. But both "teams" have improved their heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, so they now have lower risk of heart disease, which is nice.

Later on in the program we also find out that both meditation and swearing can relieve pain without pills, although meditation is better.

Good grief, what a crazy world we live in !!!!

Lois says she feels that, as a church member, she is not allowed to swear and curse anyway, and I feel that I too am not allowed to swear in her presence so as not to offend her.

So we both in effect have to settle for either meditation or pills, which is a bit of a shame to say the least.

But I note that swearing is not one of the 7 deadly sins, which is a bit of a surprise. I am considering writing to the Pope to suggest a rethink here, even though I am afraid the Pope does not much like me - I have written so much in my blog about his so-called "long arm". And I know he reads my blog every day. But we'll see. He looks like a nice man.

22:00 We go to bed - zzzzzzzzzz !!!!!

Danish translation

10:00 Jeg går i gang med at læse et par sider af ”Ayenbyte of Inwyt”, som blev skrevet sent i 13. århundrede af Dan Michael af Northgate, Canterbury på den kentiske dialekt af middelengelsk. Lyndas U3A middengelsk gruppe skal holde sit regelmæssige månedlige møde på fredag i byens Everyman-teater, og denne bog er gruppens næste projekt.

Grevskabet Kent, hvor Dan Michael boede, ligger i Englands sydvestlige hjørne. Hidtil har Lyndas gruppe kigget på værker skrevet i andre engelske dialekter: især de nordlige og østlige dialekter, der blev meget kraftigt påvirket af de nordiske sprog, på grund af de tusindvis af danskere også nogle svenskere, der bosatte sig i det østlige England, og de tusindvis af nordmænd, der bosatte sig i Skotland og Irland.

den kentiske forfatter Dan Michael, i færd med at skrive

sit berømte værk ”Ayenbyte of Inwyt” i byen Canterbury.

Med ”Ayenbyte of Inwyt” imidlertid er jeg slået af manglen på nordiske ord og på nordisk grammatik, selvom der er en række franske ord, hvilket jeg formoder stammer fra grevskabet Kents nærhed til Frankrig.

Dialekten ligner i vis grad nogle aspekter af nutidens hollandske sprog, med de indledende konsonanter ’s’ og ’f’ udskiftet af ’z’ og ’v’: for eksempel ordet ’for’ bliver til ’vor’, og ordet ’seven’ bliver til ’zeven’ osv.

Denne ejendommelighed overlever i dag i grevskabet Somerset – jeg mines om tv-reklamer for Coates Cider i 1960’rne og deres reklamervers ”Coates comes up from Zomerzet, where the zider apples grow”. Også sangen ”Drink Up Thy Zider” af Adge Cutler og The Wurzels fra 1967.

Lykkelige tider!!!!

Dan Michaels middelalderlige værk ”Ayenbyte of Inwyt” handler om kristen moral og  det sammenligner de syv dødssynder med de syv hoveder af apokalypsen. Og det fremviser en masse saftige detaljer om typiske middelalderlige synder og umoralskab, hvilket er rart, for at sige mildt! Man kan ikke ændre menneskets natur!

Vi starter ved bogens begyndelse, hvor Dan Michael (forfatteren) taler om den første dødssynd: hovmod. Derefter forklarer han, hvordan det er så nemt at begå de andre dødssynder – griskhed, nydelsessyge, misundelse, fråseri, vrede, og dovenskab.

typiske middelalderlige dødssynder: (3) nydelsessyge

typiske middelalderlige dødssynder: (7) dovenskab

Dengang var samfundet mindre individualistisk, end nutiden, og folk kunne godt lide at organisere aftensammenkomster, hvor hele landsbyen samlede sig for at nyde ”dødssindsaftener”, præget af en sand fællesskabsfølelse, hvilket er helt hjertevarmende for at sige mildt.

i middelalderlige tider kunne hele landsbyen godt lide at

samle sig for at nyde ”dødssindsaftener”

De 7 dødssynder er stadig populære i dag, og har tendens til at kredse ofte om specielle fællesskabeventer, såsom specielle kirkebagesalg (kilde: Onion News), og den lokale katolske kirke ramte overskrifterne for nylig efter en særlig succesfuld event.

Som altid, var dødssynderne hovmod, griskhed, misundelse og fråseri gjorde sig bemærket – ingen overraskelse der.

De fleste deltagerne, for eksempel, viste hovmod-synden – men kirkemedlemmet Connie Barrett (49) bar prisen. Hun sagde senere, "Mine cookies, kager og brownies er altid højdepunktet i vores kirkebagsalg, og alle siger det. Nogle gange er jeg selv forbløffet over, hvor gode mine godbidder viser sig at være."

en typisk kirkebagesalg

Bagesalgen var imidlertid for det meste simpelthen en stor orgie af misundelse, griskhed,vrede og fråseri: ingen overraskelse der, fordi konkurrencen blandt de forskellige deltagere er så skarp, som altid.

Barrett og Georgia Brandt, kirkeorganisten, kom næsten i slagsmål på ét tidspunkt. Brandt sagde senere, "I år lavede jeg hvide chokolade blondies og troede, de ville være et stort hit. Men de fleste gik lige hen til Connies bord, fik det, de ønskede, og tog af sted. Alligevel blev Connie lige stående der med det der udtryk af selvbehagelig tilfredshed i hendes ansigt. Det tog hvert gram af styrke i min krop for at holde mine fingre fra hende og ikke at tæve løs på hende. "

Et par surprise-tilføjelser i dette års bage salg var dovenskabssynden og nydelsessygessynden. Nogle deltagere begik dovenskabssynden ved at tvinge deres børn til at passe på deres stande, så de kan sladre om andre deltagere og bagtale om dem.

Også i år stak nydelsessygessynden hovedet frem, hovedsageligt på grund af tilstedeværelsen af Melissa Wyckoff, en velskabt 20-årig rødhåret kvinde, hvis familie for nylig sluttede sig til kirken. Mens mandlige deltagere stirrede på Wyckoff, fokuserede de fleste kvinder på den smukke, drengeagtige pater Mark (O’Connor).

Selvom deltagernes følelser af begær over for Wyckoff og O'Connor aldrig blev brugt til udførelse, blev de på den anden side ikke ubemærket, ifølge vidnere. "Der er noget der ikke er rigtigt med Melissa Wyckoff," sagde den misundelige og vredige bake-salg deltager Jilly Brandon, efter at hendes mand Craig tilbød Wyckoff en af sine Rice Krispie-godbidder til at ’byde velkommen til sognet’.

"Hun har måske lige flyttet her,” tilføjede Brandon, ”men den der hores røde kjole skulle få hende till at blive sparket ud af kirken."

Sikke en skør verden vi lever i, når kirker bliver til et arnested for nogle af den værste synder, man kan begå ! Men samtidigt er det rart at se Melissa Wyckoff og pater Mark får anerkendelsen de fortjener. De er virkelig pragtfulde, begge to. Mange lokale ikke-katolikker synes, de ville danne et fint par, ingen tvivl om det! Måske vil Cupido beslutter at ramme dem med sine piler før eller senere – det håber jeg på i hvert fald.

11:30 Lois og jeg tager en kort tur rundt omkring på den lokale fodboldbane. Der er næsten ingen på banen i dag, bortset fra 3 teenagedrenge i færd med at forbedre deres målscorende færdigheder.

12:30 Lois og jeg spiser frokost og bagefter går jeg i seng for at tage en gigantisk eftermiddagslur. Jeg står op kl 15 og hopper op på min kondicykel. Jeg cykler mine sædvanlige 6 miles og bagefter dyrker lidt vægttræning i 5-10 minutter.

16:00 Vi  slapper af med en kop te i sofaen. Vi lytter lidt til radio, et interessant program ”Thinking Allowed”: dagens afsnit handler om spørgsmålet ”Hvad er pointen med arbejde?”. Programmets vært er den charmerende Laurie Taylor.

Et interessant program om nutidens arbejdsverden og samtidig lidt skræmmende, for at sige mildt. Vi hører fra en amazon-ansat, der går 11 miles om dag mens han samler, ud af hylderne,  produkter som kunder har bestilt.

Betydningen af mål og præstationsindikatorer på mange arbejdspladser er understreget i løbet af programmet. Løn har tendens til at være lav, men suppleres med bonuser, der ofte er baseret på kundetilfredshedsundersøgelser.

En given afdeling eller filial er dog kun tilladt at have én "top performer" hver måned, så medarbejderne er effektivt i konkurrence med hinanden. Vi hører fra en medarbejder, der blev reprimandet af sin chef for sin ”skuffende” præstation - fordi hun var 'kun' "meget god" og ikke "fremragende".

Du godeste, sikke et vanvid!

Lois og jeg er meget glade for, at vi begge gik på pension i 2006, for at sige mildt. Steve, vores amerikanske svigerbror, sendte os for nylig statistikken om, hvor meget britiske medarbejdere har ”tabt” i ”reelle” årlige løn siden 2008 – i gennemsnit næsten 12.000£ - du godeste, sikke en skør verden vi lever i !!!!

Pensions; britiske medarbejdere har ”tabt” i gennemsnit

næsten 12.000£ i reelle årlige løn siden 2008

- du godeste, sikke en skør verden vi lever i !!!!

18:00 Vi spiser aftensmad og bruger resten af aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser en interessant dokumentarfilm (1. del af 6), der handler om sunddhedsundersøgelser, hvor enæggede tvillinger blev sammenlignet i en række test, både fysiske og psykiske.

Et interessant dokumentarfilm, om end lidt forvirrende, med masser af spildt tid og en masse gimmicks, designede til at underholde os, snarere, end at informere os, hvilket er en hyppig ulempe ved moderne dokumentarfilm. Tilgangens hovedsagelige mål er at opfordre os ikke for enhver pris til at skifte kanaler.

To massivt overvægtige mandlige tvillinger, Ken og Graham, og to lidt overvægtige kvindelige tvillinger, Jen og Lyn, er aftenens forsøgspersoner.

I løbet af undersøgelsen skal Ken og Lyn dyrke 2 timers kardiotræning (crosstrainer, løbebånd osv) om dagen i 5 uger for at forbrænde 1000 kalorier pr dag.

Graham og Jen skal følge en slankekur, involverende mindre karbohydrater og en masse grøntsager. Den kost der er 1000 kalorier mindre, end den anbefalede ADI (Acceptabel daglig indtagelse) .

I slutningen af undersøgelsen finder vi ud af, at Ken og Lyn har tabt sammenlagt 31 pund (14 kg) som resultatet af deres motionsprogram, mens Graham og Jen har tabt lidt mere, sammenlagt 35 pund (16kg). Men begge ”hold” har forbedret deres hjertefrekvens, blodtryk, kolestoroltal, så de nu har mindre risiko for hjertesygdom, hvilket er rart.

Senere på programmet finder vi også ud af, at både meditation og det, at bande og at svovle, kan lindre smerter uden piller, selvom meditation er bedre.

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

Lois siger, hun føler, at hun, som kirkemedlem, føler, at hun alligevel ikke er tilladt at bande og svovle,  og jeg føler selv, jeg også er ikke tilladt at bande og svovle i hendes tilstedeværelse så ikke at støde hende.

Så må vi nøjes begge to med meditation eller piller, hvilket er lidt af en skam, for at sige mildt.

Men jeg bemærker, at det, at bruge skældsord, ikke er en af de 7 dødssynder, hvilket er lidt af en overraskelse. Jeg overvejer at skrive til paven for at forslå en gentænkning, selvom jeg er bange for, at paven ikke kan lide mig – jeg har skrevet så meget i min blog om hans såkaldte ”lange arm”. Men  vi får se. Han ser ud som en flink mand.

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzzzzzzz!!!!!