merits of Lisp vs Python

[Paul Rubin]

Ken Tilton <kentilton at gmail.com> writes:
> > Man that whole thing is messy.  I can't for the life of me understand
> > why it's so important to use a macro for that.  Even in Lisp, I'd
> > probably set up the reverse thingie as an auxiliary function.
> 
> And when you got to skill 42 and you discovered you needed a new
> optional argument to the reversal method you would throw up your hands
> and register for bartending school rather than go edit the other 41.

I don't see the problem.  Python uses keyword args sort of like
Lisp's, and the called function (if it asks) receives a dictionary
containing any keyword args not bound explicitly in the arg list.
So you can invent new args whenever you want.