Today (being Tuesday) was my day for hauling myself out of bed early and heading into campus for tutorials and staff-led seminars - we had a "research methods" lecture from Ronnie, which was interesting information (for the most part) interspersed with the most random pictures and video clips - he had informed us up front that he tried to make the lecture more "lighthearted" and "amusing" so we wouldn't be terribly bored. :) An hour and a half break gave me time to go turn in books at the library and pick up some new ones - I realized that I was truly entering into the spirit of an MA program when I realized that, after browsing through the shelves upon selves of wondrous costume books, I ended up checking out 2 biographies of Elizabeth I, a sketching book, and a book on drag. :) Back to the room where we had a staff-led seminar on the topic of audience - except that "audience" when by the wayside as he began to meander off the topic of user-interface technology redefining audience (youtube, blogs, flickr, second life, etc) and began to just show off favourite new technologies. Interesting, but you arrive at the end of it going, "... huh." THE POINT of coming on to post today, however, is that every single person in my MA asked me straight off from seeing me, "Did you vote?!" I assured them that, yes, I mailed in my overseas ballot over three weeks ago. Again, the level of knowledge of the current political state over here is pretty impressive - everyone wanted to know when the polls closed, and many were able to list some of the swing states, wanting to know where they were, so they could keep an eye on them.
On a bragging note, a few nights ago Julia and I were up super late and talk fell to the election -I mentioned that one of the big things of this election was the incoming President's ability to elect new Supreme Court judges. Which led to explaining the Supreme Court, judicial, executive, and representative powers, the Senate and the House of Representatives, checks and balances, how a bill becomes a law - I was a one-woman Schoolhouse Rock and I really managed to surprise myself with how much I remembered from 11th grade Civics with Mrs. Campbell. :) (West Wing tends to help, too, though)
That said, it's after 6 here, but obviously the day is just getting started over there - if you haven't already, go out and vote! (If not for all the people of the world who are going to have to deal with him just as much as you will, only they don't get a say in the selection, then for me! Or, if not for any of those reasons, go vote so you can get some free Starbucks. :)
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