Interesting thought from her, that she attributed to Cornell West: “Optimism and hope are different. Optimism tends to be based on the notion that there’s enough evidence to allow us to think things are going to be better. . . . Whereas hope looks at the evidence and says it doesn’t look good at all, but we’re going to go beyond the evidence to create new possibilities.”

Interesting. I wouldn't say that hope creates new possibilities--if I did, I'd hope. Considers unsupported possibilities--that I agree with for sure.

I'm not reading it as tightly as you, so I can equate new with unsupported in terms of imagination. Basically, going beyond what the evidence allows for.

It's not really a comparison (hope vs optimism) I've looked at before. But it does resonate. I tend towards pessimism, but hang on like a pollyana. I can't really live any other way.

I'm rarely optimistic, and almost never hopeful. It's served me well.

Oh, how the hell would I know? I know that cynics are more often right, and optimists more often happy--I resent having to choose between the two.

Cool 3 year time lapse of a woman's face.

While I'm there:

• Hooked on a Feeling
• Secret Agent Man
• Jump In My Car

• California Girls

I know that cynics are more often right, and optimists more often happy--I resent having to choose between the two.

Heh. I toss all that judgement off to the side. I'm just wired the way I am, even as I bristle that something other than my own will could control something like that. I'm going to be thinking "it's all going to work out, sara" even as I see the bus heading my way and simultaneously assuming I'm gonna die. And since dead=wormfood and I'm not particularly suicidal, I'm going to count those as contradictory. I've poked at it, and it just doesn't budge. I'm not as introspective as I once was, so I guess that could be subject to change. In any case, maybe it allows me to be both right and happy? Relatively speaking.

I bet The Hoff is very optimistic.

I am really looking forward to going to sleep tonight. And tomorrow I have to go to the post office to get my diploma. @@

OTOH, I got to hold a tiny baby tonight. Good times.

Hasselhoff fears he may be the Antichrist after reading conspiracy theories about himself on the internet. The former BAYWATCH star confesses he's hooked on searching his own name on the net and reading the wacky entries fans post. He says, "I Google myself. This morning it said, 'References to David Hasselhoff: seven million, three hundred and thirty-three thousand, six hundred. Everything from me being a God to being the Antichrist. "I actually read it and believed it. I started thinking, 'Maybe I am the Antichrist? Maybe why that's why all this weird s**t that has started happening to me and women yell at me on the street."

Anyhoo.

Tomorrow I really should take clothes to a tailor and have proper alterations done. Not dry-cleaner alterations. Clothes reshaped.

Tonight? I'm going to watch the Stargates in real time. Sadly excited.

I stand very close to sara on this matter.

really do not see that I have much of a choice in how I see things. sure it fluctuates, but I am mostly hardwired a certain way and the rest is a matter of what I am encouraging or neglecting in myself at the moment.

ION, have new hair and a mostly painted apartment. YAY!

Aw man, I love holding tiny babies! Need to do more of that.

Thinking about it, calling me happy makes me question what happy is. Because, lord knows, I've got issues. I guess I see it as still finding joy in stuff.

I didn't get to do overmuch holding because she was cranky, but still. Teeny tiny baby! She's just 7 lbs now at 6 weeks.