New download is up at 10AM Pacific Standard Time (PST). I don't know why people even use Internet Explorer anymore. I used Firefox for a couple of hours and fell in love with it. I don't go back unless something will only work in IE. Plus, if we set a record, I can tell my kids I was a part of that. XD

On that note, I wonder what I'm gonna do for lunch today...

So, Barack Obama is going to become the Democratic nominee for the 44th president of the United States of America. The first black to ever hold such a title. Can you believe, not just 143 years ago, probably would have been a slave in this country. Yesterday, Shepard Smith of the Fox News Channel said it best. At our country's inception, he would have been counted 3/5th of a person and 2/5th property. And going back to his Kenyan father's roots, it's only been 45 years since Kenya gained it's independence from Great Britain in 1963. America signed into law the Civil Rights Act in 1964, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race. That was just 44 years ago. And in that short time, while it took my ancestors nearly 100 years to strike down discrimination, it only took us 44 years to get a black nominee. We're moving forward America. We really can change.

All that said, I am a true bipartisan moderate. I am proud beyond words that there is a positive black male role model at the forefront of these elections, and I hope a lot of black men will look up to him and aspire to do something positive with their lives like he has. But on the other hand, I have to take a step back from that and weigh the issues. Who do I think will be the best candidate to lead this country come next January? Will it be McCain that I vote for, or will it be Obama? I'm hoping the Clintons will be completely out of the picture, because I just can't see myself supporting an Obama/Clinton ticket. Then again, McCain hasn't announced his VP candidate either, so I'm a bit worried on both sides. Nevertheless, this was the election set-up I was hoping for. Now, no matter who wins, I think I'll be satisfied. I really like both candidates (for different reasons, of course), and I think both have some changes in mind that would be good for this country. The campaign trail is heating up and I for one am excited about it. You can bet that I'll be casting my absentee ballot in November!

I'm in Aichi-ken, placed at the prefectural level, so apparently where I'll be living and teaching hasn't been determined. But I'm back in Aichi, where Nagoya is. This is good, right? Maybe? Please Jesus, let this be good...

Tired...

I had to work an extra shift at work because Barbara Walters was giving an interview at my school and as the local tech person, I had to record it. She was fairly interesting, but a bit out of my age range, I think. The auditorium was filled with old white women saying things like, "I remember when you interviewed Nixon..." And since I wasn't alive for Nixon (or Ford, or Carter, though I was alive for the last two years of Reagan). She was there promoting her book Auditioning, and the crowd loved her. She looks pretty good for 79...

JET placements are coming out, it seems. I got an e-mail from the Consulate today saying that I need to remember by five-digit ID number, since she'll be listing placements by number, not by name. One person on the Atlanta JET Forum said she already got her placement. I want mine too, though I'm scared as hell I'll be in the middle of nowhere. Perfect would be near Nagoya or Yokohama. I'm praying to you God, please let me be in a big city...

Right-o, bed time. Technically, since I worked an extra four hours today, I can come in four hours late tomorrow, but I have no care, so I can't take advantage of it. Damn. And thanks to everyone who gave me birthday wishes yesterday! I had a great time hanging out with friends, and I'll always have to remember that my first legal drink was a Mango Tango martini from the Fox Sports Grill. ♥

America's Next Top Model: Cycle 10 is finally over! I'm really happy about the result (which I won't spoil for anyone who hasn't seen it yet), but man, the girls over at topmodel sure are bitchy about who won. I think people should calm down and not let TV rule that much of their lives. It's only a show people. Yeah I love it, and yeah, the person I liked won (though the original person I loved got kicked off), but get a grip.

In other news, went to the OB/GYN. ( Cut for TMI ) Anyway, I've got no diseases and I'm fit as a fiddle, if a bit overweight. Gotta get that down this summer!

Oh, and it seems that Edwards has given his support to Obama. Technically this should mean that the white working-class will now give their vote to Obama too, but I don't know if that's gonna happen, since...well, they don't have the reputation for being the most racially accepting group in the world (not saying that open-minded people don't exist within this group). But this does make me wonder if Edwards is gonna go for the Vice President ticket again. Obama does need a Southerner on his ballot after all, and if he and Edwards get along, they might have a chance against McCain. I don't think people realize how strong a force McCain is right now. He may be old, but I still fear that man coming to my house and shoving a gun down my throat in the middle of the night, and I think people want that type of security in this time of war. Sure, we want change, but we want safety and reliability too.

Right-o, tomorrow I head back to work over at the college. I have no idea what I'll be doing, so I guess I'll take my GRE book and pick up a book from the library. Looks like this summer will be hard for scanning since it is currently resting (unplugged) on my floor. I've got a ton of books to sell and their covers need to be scanned, but I don't know how I'll get that done. I forgot that no privacy and getting yelled at for making a mess are reasons I don't like returning to my parents' house. Two months and ten days until I'm outta here!

I AM DONE WITH COLLEGE.

Done with papers, done with tests, done with lectures...now I just sit back and wait for my diploma on Saturday. I still have mixed feelings about this.

[Poll #1174775]

I really want to sit on my ass today and not go, but I feel like I should so I can glean the last bits on Reconstruction...

JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111111111oneoneone!!!!

I'll be saying GOODBYE AMERICA again on July 26th! Thank you JESUS, because I didn't have a job back-up plan!

*too excited to be coherent*