A Random Assortment

~ I'm not too into epics. Even a novel that is too thick sometimes discourages me. But this article, which explains Kudiyattam, classic Sanskrit drama performed in Kerala in India, extols the virtues of the epic:

Sitting through a play that lasts 130 hours might sound a bit exhausting, and at times, of course, one’s attention wanders. There were moments when I, like others, would fall asleep to the hypnotic beat of the mizhavu drums and wake minutes later to a world of bewildering, even outlandish, color and movement. Still, this performance changed my life and, given a few hours, I could even tell you how. I doubt that I’ll ever again have the opportunity to give myself entirely to a month-long performance that inexorably builds up to a climax of truly unimaginable power. For me, one of the most remarkable aspects of Kudiyattam is its insistence on carrying through a natural rhythm without compromise, without cutting corners, without rushing on to something else that is waiting with its own demands. I think I live my life in this constant rush toward death, almost never allowing a single movement of the body, or a single passing thought of any power or novelty, or even a single deep breath or tender gesture, to complete itself without being cut off too soon. I suppose that in this I am hardly alone. Kudiyattam is profoundly, perhaps uniquely, therapeutic in this respect.
...
Some things in life—the best things—can’t be truncated or compressed. If it takes an hour or two to “speak,” that is, to enact in the language of gesture, a single lyrical line from a Sanskrit poem, so be it. If it takes twenty-nine nights to sculpt a fully formed reality out of empty space, or to explore the subtleties and inner meanings of longing and loss, so be it. 

 ~ "Germany to ban sex with animals":

Lobbyist Michael Kiok, who lives with his dog Cassie, told the newspaper there were more than 100,000 zoophiles in Germany.

Zoophiles! That makes it sound like they like zoos! Also, the use of "lives with" amuses me, because really, most people live with their pets, although not in that sense.

~ This Economist piece wishes us all a "Happy War on Christmas, everyone. It's grouchy out there, so have a blessed day," which is awesome. But more importantly, the piece considers the recent rise in usage of "Have a blessed day." Which I don't think sounds that good, but to each his own.

Anyway, this struck me because when I was picking up my baggage a while back at STL, the loudspeaker announced, "We hope you had a blessed flight." Ew--I love God, but I hate loudspeaker announcements (and especially superfluous loudspeaker announcements!) and flights.

I have a whole theory about how what we really need is a once and for all training about how to fly on airplanes and then never again need to hear a word about how to fasten a seat belt or put on an oxygen mask or inflate a life vest or how smoking in the lavatories is not permitted.

~ Deb reads Laurie Colwin! From the new Smitten Kitchen cookbook:

"Prior to reading Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking, I found chicken salad anything but glamorous.  I mean, really, what is there to love about cold leftover chicken dressed with a scoop from a jar of mayonnaise  It's about stretching scraps, filling two slices of bread in time for lunch - it's about function, not gastronomy.  But in Colwin's voice, chicken salad becomes something elegant - for children's lunches, and their tea parties; for ladies in hats wearing strings of pearls; for grown-up dinner parties...I realize that sane people would scoff at putting this much effort into chicken salad, but only because they haven't tried the results yet.  So it was with Colwin's gentle encouragement that I decided to up my chicken-salad game and create something I'd order in a fancy restaurant but also enjoy eating at home..." 

(Found and shared by Sayers.)