Saturday XXIII · 25 August 2007

I’m still smug for getting out of jury duty, though now people are telling me a royal flush of five days without the call isn’t all that special. Six years in this town, and not once have I done my part to uphold the integrity of the justice system.

Even if the dispensation isn’t so special, the whole past week felt like a free trip, a 53^rd week that doesn’t show up on the books: so it was with the out-of-nowhere commandeering of my practice by a benevolent pirate who’ll soon disappear, and with the five days of pure-empty lines on my varied little OCD (“GTD”) calendars.

I felt creative this week with energy and focus like I couldn’t believe: because nobody was keeping track. I play games to slack at the margins whet I think my other self isn't watching—skimming the almond butter, taking halfassed notes on my background reading, skimming time off from sleep to read the newspaper. Note this  occurs when I’m playing both the slacker and the tracker—I don’t try to skim off waiters, teachers, employers, whatever. Subtle self-sabotage, in conditions under which I feel divided against myself, is the main kind that interests me. Sometime I should figure out it’s not actually a fun game.

But this week I was in a void because I’d put my diabolical inner accountant on vacation, and it was faith-giving to see that when I shut off that shadow I’m always trying to outfox, I’m not full of shit. In fact, I function pretty well. Go figure.

This spate of relative clarity makes for a good moment to slow everything way, way down. I’ll be in silence Wednesday-Monday, over a long Labor Day. The Editor is off grocery-shopping for faque meat and other BBQ items right now (he loves soy dogs, the horror). Guess my own self isn’t the only one who sometimes needs a break from my overly watchful eyes.

Next time I do a links post I’ll be vipassana-ed and probably back in a post-political blogging disposition. So this week, in honor of the fact that the world is at war and 99% of the ashtangosphere (the 1%) could not care less, and in honor of the fact that we celebrate “Labor Day” three months late because FDR feared placing it on the the day that’s actually associated with honoring workers, here is: owl as political animal. 

? Start here. Your political compass. Take the test. (My results. According to the graph, a little left of the Dalai Lama.)

? Then go here. Take this test too. (My results: 38 for Kucinich. But that’s not true. I’m pragmatic.)

? Next, order the brand new paperback version of “Marxist- environmentalist” Mike Davis’ Planet of Slums. For people who want to solve everything with feelgood token environmentalism, well come on now. If you think individual carbon neutrality will save us, prepare for heartbreak at this picture of the relationship of most of humanity with ourself and with the earth. The guy is a good writer. 

? Next, read about the latest in the travesty of de-regulation and fake-regulation that is the neoliberal era. This time, it’s the re-labeling of irradiated almonds as “raw.” There goes a staple of my diet.

In less political links (or maybe these are the actually political topics in this post):

? Thursday’s NYT story on Inappropriate Yoga Guy. I keep writing commentary here and then erasing it. Hmm.

? Hipster Olypmics! Does this offend you? Withholding my comments here too.

? Yogaworks Westlake opens today with a full schedule. "This is yoga adapted to American culture," said Maggie Mellor, a veteran Conejo Valley instructor who plans to teach at YogaWorks.... Americans delight in choices. They want their 31 flavors." Ditto.

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Categories: astanga yoga , having a body , markets-networks-society , morality , science , self-deception , social theory , spirituality

Comment

1. testing comments again

   Posted by: alex · Aug 25, 01:53 AM · #

2. oh! xoxoxoxo, Lix.

   Posted by: (0v0) · Aug 25, 01:54 AM · #

3. My political compass results are similar to yours. Low and left in the lower left quadrant. I’m a little surprised: I feel so much more centrist in my older age… Guess it’s all relative.

   Posted by: karen · Aug 25, 05:00 AM · #

4. I ended up to the left (and south) of the Dalai Lama and a 50 for Kucinich. He won’t win the primary, anyway, even if I voted for him.

   So far, I haven’t seen any of the behavior described in that NYT article at the Ashtanga classes I’ve attended. That would be way too distracting. However, I do admit to telling a single male friend that he should take up yoga and that one of the side benefits is that classes are mostly female. (However, he hasn’t followed my advice, so I can’t really be blamed for perpetuating the problem.)

   Have a great retreat.

   Posted by: gartenfische · Aug 27, 06:27 AM · #

5. Woo hoo! South-West of the DL for me and +93 for kucinich (which makes sense, I voted for him last time.)

   I already dislike all of the candidates, so what’s a socialist slacker to do?

   Thanks for the fun links!

   Posted by: cody · Aug 27, 11:10 AM · #

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