The Conference Call as Dinner Party

Got several posts in the works at the moment, but nothing quite ready. Still working on two of the 1001 Books, but still got a ways to go.

I'm getting through 1-2 chapters of The Red and the Black each night, but I've still got a solid third of it left. I'm definitely enjoying it - it's almost 200 years old, and yet there's something timeless about the human dynamics and the deviousness of the main characters.

Ovid's Metamorphosis is taking WAY longer. It doesn't really lend itself to the e-book format, and I may drop it until I can find a cheap hard-copy. I think part of the problem here is that it's epic poetry. It's not intended to be silently read to your solitary self. It's supposed to be absorbed on a full belly in a warm room with copious wine and soft cushions. And you shouldn't have to read it yourself - you need an orator who can hold forth for a good hour or two while you focus on the wine and maybe a bit of canoodling. That way you really only need to pay attention during the really GOOD bits. And the orator, if he's good at his job, is going to make sure that you know when the good bits are coming just in the way he uses his voice.

So. If anyone is able to provide a full recitation of the Metamorphosis (ideally in classical Latin) I'll put together two nights of serious feasting, and we'll make an event of it (I figure it'll take 8+ hours of recitation).

Speaking of dinner parties, once upon a time I was part of a tight-knit little family-type unit of freaks and weirdos who spent too much time collectively indulging our vices. One of which was Chinese food...very large amounts of Chinese food. Four of us have had an ongoing shared text-message chain going for a few years, but last week I suddenly realized that we could recreate the classic experience despite our geographic separation.

And thus Monday night Skype conference-call Chinese food dinner was born.

Stay tuned for anecdotes of amusing hi-jinks from future sessions.