I was listening to some Democrats at the breakfast table this morning, and in between wincing at comments about Bush and Reagan, I overheard some things that point to why the Left has gone so wrong.
For one thing, there is no loyalty. The people I was listening to were discussing candidates, not in terms of their stance, but their popularity. The fact that the Dems started with nine candidates isn't a cause--it's an EFFECT of the problem at hand. Namely, that they're so divided that the only possible thing to bring them together is a rabid hatred of Bush. Naturally, hate is never strong enough to create a healthy bond, so ties and allegiances are breaking apart and re-forming like weak electrical attractions, without seeming rhyme or reason.
Unless they can find a semblance of rationality, sanity, and moderation, the Left is doomed to the rat's alley where the dead men left their bones. Or so it seems to me after listening to people I consider mild-mannered and even-tempered when it comes to topics other than politics.

According to Chrissy Gustafson, we are "Crazy Virginians" for having "very little snow and no school." My and Danny Wysong's reaction was: "Well, you're a Minnesotan--that's punishment enough. Go talk funny and eat some lutefisk, why dontcha?" At any rate, we got quite a bit; probably four to six inches in most places. Just about the whole campus was out on the Sunken Gardens at some point last night. We threw snowballs and threw frisbees--I think there was also a football game going on at some point. Then Danny W., Ben, Alan, and I went down to Crim Dell to see if it was freezing (not particularly). We trekked back and found Liz Mullin (i.e., Danny's girlfriend, not Liz Sadock), Christine, and Max, and the seven of us went down to the Daily Grind for hot chocolate and games. I played Liz in Mancala and Ben and Alan in chess, and we gradually dispersed back towards Taliaferro in groups of two or three. When we got back there was a fire in the fireplace and we played Halo on the XBox for a while. We still weren't sure at that point whether or not there was school, but we were feeling Bulletproof and four of us--me, Hank, Joe, and Danny W--decided to go out and generally wreak havoc. So, armed with Marketplace trays that had been stolen at various times, we went over to Hunt and snuck inside. We didn't do anything (really! we didn't, so help me), and ended up walking down Richmond Road. By "walking down," I mean "walking on" Richmond Road--it was completely snowed over and hadn't been plowed for some time, so we ambled down the middle of it at 2:30 in the morning without a care in the world. So after we got to Wawa we got some sandwiches and meandered back to Tali, where the fire was still going. The lights were off and it was really cosy, so we stayed down there eating marshmallows and making obscene jokes for quite some time. After a while it became too much even for me (I wimp out easy--some college student, I) and I went to bed. Luckily, there was no class; I must be living under fortuitous stars.
And so went my snow day(s). A very enjoyable four day weekend!

Went to see Iolanthe last night. Lauren, Liz, Catherine, Andy "Idaho" Badke, and I managed to get miraculous last-minute tickets, and it was lucky we did--it was a hilarious rendition of the play, with all kinds of references to William and Mary. Including a love song sung by the Fairy chorus to Timmy J Sullivan. All in all a very enjoyable evening.
Then today I did some homework and realized that we haven't covered the entire section yet, so that got put on hold. Revelling in my new-found freedom, I indulged in playing "Halo," a first-person shooter that a lot guys here are addicted to. It's really quite insane.
And now it's snowing. Yay for Williamsburg in the winter--it's very beautiful outside. I can't wait to go to dinner and walk through it.

Had Multi-variable Calc and Psych as a social science yesterday. Calc could go either way. I have Professor Pankov, who could easily win a spot in a 60's film as the "Mad Russian." He talks like a stock Kremlin-type bad guy. The subject matter...mehhhh, could be boring, could be OK, hard to tell as of yet. Calc is better the less you spend on it; an hour and twenty minutes seems like overkill.
Psych was pretty cool. We spent most of the latter part of it debunking palm reading. Apparently the "fortunes" that are "read" in your palm are designed, like many other scams, to be so general that they fit 99% of the population. It was sort of an exercise in comedy, though. If my personality is defined by my fingernails then my inner self is jagged and poorly trimmed. Ah well.
English is shaping up to be a good class. If we keep talking and discussing things as intelligently as we already do, we may not have to write any essays! Plus there's no midterm. Score!

First day of classes done with! Organic Chem and English seem okay...though Andy Idaho thinks Orgo is gonna get intense later on. Oh well, we can deal. This semester has got to be better.
Not much to do. I did part of my English reading and played "Lunch Money" with Adam and Will. Basically you just whomp on other people with moves like Uppercut, Roundhouse, Jab, and Stomp until they lose all their hit points. The cards illustrated with scary gothic-style photography of little girls in flowered dresses with sweet grins and various weaponry. I think the most frightening is the one with the chick holding a knife behind her back.

Okay, so that doesn't sound scary, but trust me it's mad CREEPY. I'll see if I can get a shot of it up on here.

Then I spent a long time watching Dave play Medal of Honor: Front Lines. We discovered that the Wehrmacht cannot shoot but makes up for it by being stupid. Quien sabe?

Not much going on. Went to get my books at Barnes and Noble because the Student Bookstore doesn't take credit cards. So of course I got overcharged and as a result will have to sell my books from last semester for as much as I can--probably at the end of this semester.
Since things are so boring it looks as though I'll have to content myself with Tarot and AOL Instant Messenger. Oh well--I could do much, much worse.
See you all when things get interesting.

There are three possible reasons why Will hasn't been blogging lately:
1) Will has a highly contagious and virulent disease.
2) Will is in China.
3) Will is dead.

The correct answer, is, of course:
4) Will is having a very good new year to the extent that he doesn't have to get up during the period of day referred to as "morning" or "before noon." Will can also eat ice cream for breakfast if he wants. Will does not have to subsist on anything but Coke and breakfast cereal if he so desires!
Sorry 'bout that...anyways, leave a message after the "HA!"