Holiday spirit.

I am going to put my political cap back on the stand and let it gather dust. I wore it in these last couple of posts, because several people were questioning me about the election and my views and stuff, and I thought I’d share for everyone the ideas that were in the forefront of my mind. I don’t generally sit around thinking about that stuff! Now to tie up a few last points in two quick metaphors I just thought up. It is just about explaining the rationale behind my tract of thought.

And separately; on the world being boring if it was all democracy. India and New Zealand are thought of as two of the best democracies in the world, and they are vastly different places. Democracy doesn’t destroy culture. It allows it to flourish, and ebb its own way; as opposed to a culture being forced down some ones throat. And if that is still unconvincing, then as a people are we so interested in having a non-boring world, that we need to be entertained by the rape of people in other cultures? Like a grand stage, where we sit on the balcony in the theatre with all the luxuries and wine, while we watch people battle it out below on the stage—and without wanting them to join us on the balcony, just so that we can have a show to be interested in. And after the show, we nobly throw down our scraps left over from the feast.


On the spread of democracy:
You are walking down the street and see someone being beaten to death, there is no one else around, and the police are yet to arrive. You can:

1) Help: No matter what the nationality of the person being beaten, you can come to their aid.

2) Walk on by without any action because:
a) You are scared you will be hurt, and want to go on living your life.
b) Say that it is up to the police, who have yet to arrive, (and by the time they do the person will be dead)
c) Say that the person should rally, and help him or her self get out of the situation.

On having ideals on democracy in the first place:
At an archery range; there is a target. Several people take aim and fire, some will get closer than others to the bulls-eye, and some will just turn and shoot the person next to them.

--The ideals of democracy are the target, different countries get closer than others. And some countries, end up just enslaving their own people. The target, never translates to a perfect hit—you just try and get as close as possible. And without such a target, we might as well let chaos rein supreme, and all go fight each other in the caves.

Secret Societies;
If anyone has seen the movie- skulls- then they will know about secret societies in colleges. It’s like a fraternity that has no open pledge. Well now that I know the signs, they are plastered all across the grounds. There is a giant ‘Z’ painted on the steps leading to the rotunda. I asked people because I thought it was some official UVa thing, but no, it a secret society showing just how powerful they are by being allowed to graffito tag the campus. There is three at UVa my sources tell me, IMP, Z, and something else. The power elite of college!

The pledge:
I found out why I had to sign that pledge not to crazy with booze today, at the last home football game. I was told about this by some friends, but here is a clip from the cavalier daily.

-Several University organizations are working to tackle the emerging "fourth-year fifth" drinking trend this week by sponsoring awareness campaigns and offering alternative activities for fourth years.
The practice involves consuming a fifth of alcohol -- approximately 17 shots of liquor -- before the season's last home football game. University Peer Health Educators and the department of social norms began their campaign for awareness last weekend with the annual fourth-year 5K run. Normally, the race is scheduled for the morning of the final home football game in order to counteract the fourth-year fifth, Peer Health Educator Coordinator Tara Schuster said.
"The fourth-year 5K is a healthy way to celebrate the last game," said Susan Bruce, director of the Center for Alcohol and Substance Abuse Education. –

I know which one I would prefer! They get 24hours to do it; the softcocks, I used to finish a bottle of beam in about 8hours. But now I am reformed, so I guess I might do the fourth-year 5k. And I did sign the pledge, I wouldn’t want to go back on my word.