Zero Hour.

"Well there's fist-fights in the kitchen,
enough to make me cry.
Little mailman comes in,
even he's got to take a side.
Even the butler,
he's got something to prove.
...and you ask why I don't live here,
honey, how come you don't move?"
-Bob Dylan, On the Road Again

There is an aspect of leaving the makes me wish that I wasn't going away tomorrow (I mean besides the people I will miss terribly and the cozy feeling of stagnation that sounds a lot worse than it really may be); I'm talking about the presidential election.

During the 2000 election (Bush v. Gore), I was 20 and not paying attention to politics or really anything at all, other than trying to survive.

During the 2004 election (Bush v. Kerry), I was 24 and probably would have cared, but I was deployed at sea and away from all (non-biased) news during the election. I didn't know enough about either candidate to make a real decision. Not to mention the fact that one of the guys who was organizing the absentee ballot process made a joke about not bothering to fill out the ballot because all military ballots go into the same box anyway. Now, he was joking, but it scared me enough to decide not to even bother with the absentee process (which is a complete pain in the butt, and should be done better, considering that it's mostly the military (the people who are, all too often, effected by elections the most) who have to fill them out).

Now we are gearing up for the 2008 elections (? v. ?) and I find myself most interested in it...I mean I feel like it's my first election, but am not going to be around for the primaries, nor the choosing of Vice-Presidents. I'm sure most people would envy my ability to not have to go through the national trauma of a presidential election with no incumbent or VP candidate, but I've never really experienced it before as an adult, and the one thing I think that everyone can agree upon is that this one is going to be a big one.

"...and though the masters make the rules
for the wise men and the fools.
I've got nothing, ma, to live up too."
-Bob Dylan, It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)

So I'm going to take off and go to Europe and you all can take care of the primaries. When I get back, I'm sure things will probably contain a bit more vitriol, but I hope not. I imagine I will miss much, but from what I've seen so far is that most of what happens is either made up by the media, or at least blown up by the media, so I'm sure nothing that's actually important will really escape my attention, and I am really looking forward to hearing a foreign perspective on American politics (if there even is one).

Tomorrow's the day. Plane takes off around 3:00 PM CT and I don't know when the next time will be that I get to hook up to some wireless. Good luck while I'm gone.

I'm off.

"Ridin' down the highway, goin' to a show.
Stop in all the by-ways, playin' rock 'n' roll.
Gettin' robbed.
Gettin' stoned.
Gettin' beat up.
Broken boned.
Gettin' had.
Gettin' took.
I tell you folks - It's harder than it looks
It's a long way to the top,
if you wanna rock 'n' roll."
-Bon Scott (AC/DC), It's a Long Way to the Top (if you wanna Rock & Roll)