don't fuck this up

It's 11 on Tuesday night here in Kyushu, which means it is well into election day in the good old US of A. my computer has 21 minutes of juice left in its belly and i left the power cable at school, but i wanted to blog tonight, at this important moment.

please vote. please please please. just go vote for obama. if you are of my generation, i dont have to tell you that this is the most important election we have ever voted in. I have two friends here in Japan from New York and Georgia and neither of them got off their asses early enough to get an absentee ballot and i can't tell you how dissapointed i am. I know you're reading this, Laura and Patrick. I mean look at Mccain. i mean look at PALIN. I mean look at what's happened to our country in the short time we have been politically aware and active.. I mean this is quite probably our last hope for decency in the world community. One thing i have learned by travelling and living abroad is that the bullshit that happens in our country affects everyone all over the world. It personally affects millions of people who can't DO anything about it. A vote might be shitty and often, yes, completely futile, but it's SOMETHING. especially if you live in a state that is actually debatable, unlike Illinois. Please people. If you are somehow still on the fence about voting please just do it. this matters. it really really matters a lot.

When i wake up tomorrow i hope it's all over. All the bullshit. All the "isn't Obama a Muslim?" All the campaign speeches with no content (that come from BOTH parties in droves). If I wake up tomorrow and John McCain is my next president, i might break my promise to my mother and never return "home" from Japan. I'm sorry, but it's been 8 years of utter bullshit. If we not only fall victim to, but ACTIVELY SELECT 4 to 8 MORE years of it, then i'm sorry but America can no longer be a representative part of my identity. That's not an America I want to be associated with. The polls say that given electoral votes, Obama has an over 98% shot at winning, yet the popular vote is something like 48/52. While i am relieved that he will almost certainly win, I have to ask WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON WITH THE POPULAR VOTE? Is half the country really willing overlook what can save our dying economy and what can bring us together because of what? RACE? party lines? Some propaganda they heard on TALK RADIO?

WHAT KIND OF IDIOTS LIVE IN MY COUNTRY????

Okay, well i trust that you will all do the right thing and when i wake up tomorrow i will not have to denounce my US citizenship. please vote. just please please vote.

I am really having a rad time recently in Japan.  I'm really striking a nice balance between a comfortable routine, staying busy, and having insane experiences. I have met so many wonderful people in the last month, including many new Japanese friends. I am realizing what i love about life here and starting to not care so much about the frustrating aspects of my work and life. What's more, the weather has been doing some simply amazing things. Every day is still an adventure.

I have been meaning to catch you up on my Halloween lesson, which was really really good, and all the wonderful parties and general merrymaking that went on this past weekend. Things are really great here. REALLY great. every weekend seems cooler than the last. Next week i'm planning a trip with a few friends to Osaka and Kyoto. Should be nothing less than breathtaking.