Life goes on

[jazzfish]

Are you a neocon? No, apparently I'm a twitch liberal.

Last day of Tai Chi was yesterday. Today, on my own, for the first time, I ran through the forms. (Out in the backyard, because there wasn't enough space in here. In my bathrobe.) Felt pretty good. Should David offer a course on it next fall or spring I'll definitely sign up; don't know that I have the time or money to pursue it on my own, though.

I've basically given up on my contacts altogether. Monday through Thursday I spend a substantial amount of time in the dry-as-dust Performing Arts Building, and Friday and Sunday I'm at dry-as-dust Walden's, so they get irritated and tend to float around on my eyes a lot. Plus I need new ones (had these close to two years, and the last optometrist I went to said I should be replacing them about every year) and that'll cost the big bucks, and I'd need to get a new pair of glasses at the same time anyway. So, all my ID photos are now officially outdated. Oh well.

I think I'll make an appointment at Sears Optical next Friday to get new glasses... I've got a "buy one pair, get a second pair free" coupon. Unless enough people have horror stories about Sears Optical, of course.

Got a geography test on Tuesday and a paper due Wednesday, plus a novel to read for Tuesday (Lathe of Heaven by Le Guin) and probably some catchup reading to do for S&LT. So of course I'm going to work for eight hours today followed by Once Upon a Time in Mexico, spending all day tomorrow playing games at Invisifest, and working 1-6:30 on Sunday. Go me.

Speaking of, we watched El Mariachi and Desperado on Satyrday night. El Mariachi is probably the better movie, but Desperado has I think better dialogue. ("Bless me, Father, for I have just killed a great many men.") In both of them the Mariachi is cast brilliantly; Carlos Gallardo looks like a lost puppy-dog, and Antonio Banderas looks like a badass. Good stuff all around.

Comments

[wyrdone.livejournal.com]

I got Isolationist. Which I agree with for the most part.

[mikailborg.livejournal.com]

I like how one of the positions in that poll is labeled "Realist", therefore implying that the other positions are all somewhat unrealistic.

Not to mention that I frequently wanted to choose sections of multiple answers, since none of the offered choices actually expressed my position.

[cxi162.livejournal.com]

That's not what they mean. The term Realist is nothing new. Please see this link. (http://www.infoplease.lycos.com/ce6/society/A0841276.html) In the current context, I believe they use it to indicate the lack of idealism in the person's views. Basically Realists are moderates, who are neither idealistic about isolationism nor about expansionism, and are not all "we suck, free Tibet!" like liberals, which is another form of idealism.

[ndkid.livejournal.com]

(nod)
Thanks for saving me from having to dig up a "Realist" link. Though I do think "pragmatic" is a more diplomatic term, even if it has slightly different historical connotations.

[vileone.livejournal.com]

No surprise that they classify me as a liberal. I proudly wear the label myself. What was interesting about this particular survey was how difficult it was sometimes to choose between the options. They did an excellent job of expressing the various views fairly I believe, and so several were often thought-provoking. I believe that I could easily move into the realist camp, and might if I took the survey another day.

I do agree that "pragmatist" might be a better way to describe the position, since "realist" I find is often the word people use when they are avoiding "cynic" or occassionally "morally bankrupt" (but maybe that's just me being a cynic :)

[ndkid.livejournal.com]

(chuckle)
As a lifelong accused cynic, I generally claim that cynicism is what the envious call pragmatists. ;-)