Five Words
Jul. 13th, 2009 09:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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lnhammer, Reply to this meme by yelling "Words!" and I will give you five words that remind me of you. Then post them in your LJ/blog and explain what they mean to you. His post set a high standard, which I will not attempt to match.
Washington is my home of choice. I was born in Washington, grew up in the suburbs, took field trips there, but didn't come to appreciate it until I moved here. Now, I love it—I like the low buildings, the wide range of theater, the excellent theater scene, the great movie houses, the Metro, and, until the current recession, the independent bookstores.
Budapest is a comfort city. Its lack of tall buildings and excellent public transportation network make it feel a lot like Washington to me. There are some interesting differences. Major intersections have pedestrian underpasses connecting all four corners, and there are a lot more parks. It's not a very friendly city for people in wheelchairs. There's a bit of an air of disappointment, I think, about the city these days. Hungary's economy seemed to be booming for a while after Communism, but the freewheeling profiteering of the early days dug Hungary into a hole that it's hard to see how it can climb out of—high unemployment and generous social services means high taxes and high deficits, which discourages the economic growth they need to reduce unemployment and cut taxes.
I'm not always deliberately deadpan. I just think that it's natural to react to things without changing my expression. Of course, it's often funnier to make observations in a deadpan manner, and I like being funny. I have tremendous respect for Bob Newhart's stammer.
I'm a bit bemused that I look better with a beard, than without. It doesn't quite accord with my notions of what should be appealing. But my chin is not easy to shave, and not particularly handsome. So I'm stuck with one.
Wit is what makes life delightful. There are other satisfying pleasures, of course. But wit is among the most considerate: at its best, it requires not merely cleverness, but a delicate sensitivity to context, and to the sensibilities of one's audience. It rewards attentiveness and engages alertness, and therefore adds a supreme zest to conversation.
lnhammer, Reply to this meme by yelling "Words!" and I will give you five words that remind me of you. Then post them in your LJ/blog and explain what they mean to you. His post set a high standard, which I will not attempt to match.Washington is my home of choice. I was born in Washington, grew up in the suburbs, took field trips there, but didn't come to appreciate it until I moved here. Now, I love it—I like the low buildings, the wide range of theater, the excellent theater scene, the great movie houses, the Metro, and, until the current recession, the independent bookstores.
Budapest is a comfort city. Its lack of tall buildings and excellent public transportation network make it feel a lot like Washington to me. There are some interesting differences. Major intersections have pedestrian underpasses connecting all four corners, and there are a lot more parks. It's not a very friendly city for people in wheelchairs. There's a bit of an air of disappointment, I think, about the city these days. Hungary's economy seemed to be booming for a while after Communism, but the freewheeling profiteering of the early days dug Hungary into a hole that it's hard to see how it can climb out of—high unemployment and generous social services means high taxes and high deficits, which discourages the economic growth they need to reduce unemployment and cut taxes.
I'm not always deliberately deadpan. I just think that it's natural to react to things without changing my expression. Of course, it's often funnier to make observations in a deadpan manner, and I like being funny. I have tremendous respect for Bob Newhart's stammer.
I'm a bit bemused that I look better with a beard, than without. It doesn't quite accord with my notions of what should be appealing. But my chin is not easy to shave, and not particularly handsome. So I'm stuck with one.
Wit is what makes life delightful. There are other satisfying pleasures, of course. But wit is among the most considerate: at its best, it requires not merely cleverness, but a delicate sensitivity to context, and to the sensibilities of one's audience. It rewards attentiveness and engages alertness, and therefore adds a supreme zest to conversation.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-15 12:35 am (UTC)---L.
Edited to untangle my overcompressed syntax. Gnah.