LOTE Track Record: The Demon Drink
(comment reposted from here as this thread is a better fit)
On last Thursday’s collective planning session I was encouraged by Alberto and Noemi to post my comments on the Edgeryder drinking culture as it reflects upon our effectiveness as Stewards.
Here they are…
The Edge we Ryde explores survival strategy. Its primary concern has always been social cohesion.
The resources invested by ER to gather our brains imply a social contract that we are to provide access to our brains at their perkiest:
Three Case Histories:
Strasbourg '12 – Numerous Edgeryders find the historic towpath and local beer store, police come. Significant percentage (30%?) of our number march in two hours late next morning missing the well-chosen ritual welcome for downsizing rhetoric.session hosted by our local organisers. Embarassing.
Brussels '12-- Edgeryders purportedly launch a drinking contest between among others Iceland and Russia: results inconclusive. No established correlation between this occurrence and an ill-flavoured argument with venue host. Significant percentage (writer guilty as charged, although more a transit issue with tram #5) of participants exhibit diminished levels of creative listening the next day. Shame, shame.
Matera ’13 – Lively use of the town’s short distance wine industry and charming piazza life beckon. Key cultural event slides off program largely unnoticed; late night disturbance at favorite hostel; incongruously irate yoga master. Marked 3rd day sag with appreciable amounts of inelegant discussion practice. OMG
Is the alcohol fueled abandon of Northern Europe the Edge we choose to Ryde? Many of us have already researched this path sufficiently to supply refined reports of its viability. Are there indeed better ways of managing our brainpower? In the spirit of enlightened stewardship several proposals are pursuable…
- Flying the banner of total temperance? Culturally insensitive, not desirable
- Limit each café session to one unit? Useful, requires self discipline
- ER exercise ‘only drink with meals’ policy? Useful, requires self discipline
- Late October is prime olive picking time. The unMon has contact with local biodynamic oil producer. It may be possible to arrange a woofing exchange where a small team
of the dedicated put in several days of hard work. ( His payrate in € is unimpressive; in oil much more attractive.) The oil inhibits alcohol absorption.
- ER adopt time zones - no drink after 2400. Desirable, requires self discipline
- Wait and see if participants have matured since last year. Easy to implement
- We circulate this page on the ER platform and let things ryde? A pathetic compromise that can easily dominate ER airwaves for several vital weeks and leave the proposal generator badly ostracised. -- Requires no self-discipline.