I will plug until the beat is gone . . .

Various things I've read/learned/been interested with in the past week:

Smart:
Misuse of information and knowledge is like a gun in a fool's hand. (I forget who said it. Whoops.)

Scary:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2008257389_danny12m.html

Funny:
A title in The Economist -
The War Over Lobbyists
Or, pots denouncing kettles

TRUTH:
The end statement from afformentioned title - "Both candidates promise to change Washington. But the imperatives of politics, which requires lots of money and foot-soldiers, haven't changed yet."

Fascinating, but true:
The author is speaking about her husband dying from cancer (anyone that's basically watched a loved one die can understand) - "We held on to hope, which, in this crisis, was another word for denial."

A little more truth:
"If your joy is derived from what society thinks of you, you're always going to be disappointed." - Madonna

I'm also sickenly fascinated by our healthcare system. Or lackthereof. Or possible lackthereof (more of a personal fear, than national fear, I suppose). Do you know about your health insurance? When are you covered? When aren't you? What's your co-pay? What about prescription drug coverage? Howwww about alternative therapies (chiropractor, psychologist, etc.)?
News flash! This stuff will affect everyone. If it stays the same and Medicare doesn't exist anymore, people who are covered by insurance will eventually be just as screwed as those that aren't. How do you think the hospital pays for all those un-insured patients?? Equally frightening - with some of the proposed plans, people with insurance now will be penalized.
Why can't we just be like Europe? Their system works. (Okay, I have no real information on this, but everyone I live with right now is from either Belgium or Germany and they say it's much better than out system.)
I guess my biggest concern here is that I have the potential to be one of those uninsured, fresh out of college, doe-eyed, scared-to-death, chronic/pre-existing condition Americans with $1,000/month prescription costs. That number is prescriptions alone. Doctor's visits and lab reports every three months are another $1,000. So that's at least &16,000 a year. Surprise, McCain wants to give people a $2,500 tax break. I'm sorry. That won't help me sleep easier OR cover much of anything. Maybe like three months worth of insulin.

Our government is in serious trouble, right? People keep saying this, right? And other people keep hearing it, riiiight? But until more people really look into it and learn the basics and realize this affects them just as much as it affects the uninsured, we are screwedddd.

OH and people need to stop miss-pronouncing diabetes. It's die-uh-beat-eez.

Sky's the limit so you know I'm gonna rise and shine..

I understand the sensationalism that follows most forms of music, songs, artists and so forth. I get it. Trends come and go. A song is really popular for a bit and then it drops off. Or a following rises up and support continues. We've all witnessed this; maybe you've even been a part of it (hell, I loved "Sugar We're Going Down" when Fall Out Boy was first on MTV, but have since re-evaluated my preferences)..
I'd like to focus your attention to the hyphy movement. Can you do the thizzle dance? Because I've met and seen a lot of pictures recently of surburban white kids thizz facing like there is no tomorrow. Three weeks ago, I had a girl from definitely-NOT-in-the-hood, California try and lecture me on what hyphy is. I just saw yet another picture of three white kids (one from where I'm from in Seattle aka not the hood, another from Spokane aka even further from the hood and then a girl that went to a high school that charge 30k/year) with their thizz faces on. Why???? It hurts my brain.
My friends and I dabbled in thizz dancing back in 2006 because it was catchy and funny when not sober. But stopped (thank God) and grew out of it. I can try and give these kids the benefit of the doubt.. Maybe they're just discovering all that is Mac Dre (RIP) and the movement..? But good Lord. I would love to see an encounter of these kids and liiiike my boyfriend's high school classmates. Or even better - I'd love to plop these kids in the middle of Oakland, let's say MacArthur Boulevard and 80th. Or somewhere on International. These kids would be lost, scared, and completely out of place. I wonder what making a thizz face would do for them then. Hmmmm.

Now don't get me wrong. Sometimes I overstep my line of white-girl-dating-(half)black-boy status.. But. Even if I wasn't dating who I'm dating, I'm pretty informed on music. I enjoy most music genres (right now my Pandora is flip-flopping from the Roots (which gives me Tribe, Common, Nas, and other greatness) to Michael Franti (more reggae-ish/folk-y, but add in Jurassic 5 and Jack Johnson)). I have cousins in the Bay Area and have been exposed to the hyphy movement for a while, and have always been interested, for whatever reason. I can't say I relate to life in Oakland or other areas of the Bay that are dealing with similar issues, but I can read, watch, listen and learn.

Time to get off the soapbox again and write yet another paper.
Looking forward to being a tourist in 25 days. Woo! (Boyfriend will be visiting and we'll have plenty of time to wander the city!)

PS - Some people here do not like their internships/are just doing it because they think it will provide the best opportunity/don't even show up on time/don't have an internship that requires they show up on time. What the heck?? Why would you be here without some passion, desire and fire? I can't imagine.

We fuss, but we take it one day at a time..

I feel like my life is about boundaries.
Overstepping them.
Testing them.
Doubting them.
Challenging them.
And most importantly, fearing them.

When I was little, I was coloring. All of a sudden, I aggresively pushed all the crayons that were laid out on my kiddie table onto the floor. As they sprayed all over the kitchen, I giggled and laughed with glee. My dad reprimanded me, had me apologize, and told me not to do it again, or else. So I was coloring and coloring, trying my hardest to stay in the lines.. And then bam, I was compelled to spread the crayons all over the floor again. Of course, the consequence was to be put in my crib (we were in the process of transitioning to a "big girl bed") until I apologized and was remorseful. Supposedly I cried for a minute and then got to playing with my stuffed animals until I called out to my dad, "Daaaaddyyyyyy, I'm sowwyyyy" (total lisp, I was such a cute child). He came and got me and explained I could color, but everything would be taken away if I did it again. So I got back to staying in the lines. And was content. Until again, the crayons scattered. My dad looked at me and I threw my hands up in the air, shrugged my shoulders and said "I guess it's time for a time out, huh Daddy?" At this point, my parents developed harsher punishments and I learned not to overstep their boundaries in those situations.


Somewhat related, I also feel like I constantly deal with a great deal of contradiction..

A. My father works for Boeing in a Defense Contracting area. Of course there will always be a need for fighter jets in this lifetime (we all can dream for peace, but yeahh rightttt), and my father could easily find a similar job if Defense were to ever downsize, BUT I can't help but believe a Republican President would most likely guarantee his job and position forever.
B. My mother is a nurse. I have a chronic, "pre-existing condition". Period, point-blank, a Democrat as President would greatly improve both of our lives.
Which is more important? I guess it's two versus one, but still.....

A. I love being in DC. I think this is a once in a lifetime opportunity given the current political climate and my career interests. I have a great internship. My class is exposed to phenomenal speakers on a daily basis. I am learning a vast amount of information and actually enjoying it.
B. I miss my boyfriend. I've basically been with him seven days in the past four months. (No exagerration there.) Even worse, I won't see him until January. It's getting to the point where not only do I always think about him, I'm starting to count down the days here because I just want to be with him.
Am I taking this experience for granted? Will I regret this?

A. I want to go to church every Sunday. I want to work out at least two hours a day. I want to do each and every single reading for my classes prior to attending class. I really really want to do all these things and constantly remind myself of my interest, desire, and overall previous enthusiasm.
B. I haven't been to church since the first weekend. I make it to the gym five days a week. I read eventually.
Is having the intention to do something good enough? Am I pulling some wool over my own eyes?

So many questions to think about and explore answers. Hm. Maybe I'll figure it out eventually.


This week's focus is entitlement programs and public policies (healthcare, education, social security). These are my interests. This is why I'm here. I'm so excited.

The question was rhetorical, the answer is horrible: our morals are out of place and got our lives full of sorrow

Ignorance is bliss.
Or so they say...?
I think if anyone is ignorant in this day and age, they have no one to blame but themselves. These people should not be allowed to have an opinion slash speak, or at least have very limited access to the public and/or influencing other less informed people's thoughts. I understand, by definition (lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact; uninformed; unaware), WE ALL fall within the "ignorant" category at some point. BUT I believe I genuinely make an effort to only speak passionately about things I know, and keep the rest of my gibberish to myself or my very close friends. I try to stick to factual statements, not opinions of possibly correct ideas. A lot of the speaker's I have had the opportunity to hear from in the past two months have held high-ranking positions at prestigious newspaper/news organizations/polling agencies/etcetera. People ranging from Hillary Clinton's primary speechwriter (SO COOL) to Juan Williams (equally SO COOL). Each person has touched on today's 24/7 media, the rush and urgency placed on "breaking news"... Basically, our news cycle is detrimental to the quality of reports we, the American public, receive.
Read: mainstream media is bullsh*t.
The reliance our generation has on blogs as a main newsource is ridiculous. Yes, they are good for commentary. I fully support the search for information and self-exploration via others views, but these political blogs are being viewed as the end-all, be-all, infallible source. FALSE. Completely false. Until these bloggers support their claims with at least two credible sources, they should be ignored in the "news" genre. Jesus, even some newspapers these days only cite one source (USA Today, for example). This alone is a huge problem. But the bigger problem, in my eyes, is my generation’s faith in blogs. And the Colbert report. And entertaining news. HUGE PROBLEM.
...
I have some close friends that will be voting for the first time EVER come November 4th. Not only is it their first time they have the opportunity to use their god-given right as an American citizen to vote, but they have the potential to get the "change" they desire through a new president. Maybe I've lost my naive view of politics, or been exposed to too much policy and "insider" information (especially since being in DC), but these friends think they will be making a difference. Now, don't get me wrong. Voting is important. I think every person that doesn't vote should not be allowed to open their mouth regarding anything political in the next four years, but once someone is elected, it will take a significant amount of time for anything to happen, for any "change" to occur. I think many expect immediate change in policy and the economy and taxes and everything. But that just is not how it works. At. All.
The friends that will be voting for the first time are informed on the issues, or so they say/attempt to be. But only so much information can be fit in between classes and "totally raging man, yeahhhh". Which I understand. We're young. Fun should be had by all. But again with the ignorance-is-bliss theory, I question their sincerity. Do they understand the huge feats that will have to be accomplished within Congress and the Senate before this "Candidate for Change" will be able to actually implement this change he speaks of/promises? Maybe we allllll need a run through of School House Rock's "How a Bill Becomes a Law"...?

Hint: Congress people and Senators are who really matter. Lobby them! Tell them what you want their priorities to be! You are their constituent. They have to report directly to you. The President has to answer to ALL of America, who hold him less accountable because of this fact. Did you know that Congress currently has a 13% approval rating?? And how many of those Congress people will be back in their seats in January...? You'd be wildly surprised.
My ultimate questions are:
1. Will the youth actually vote?
2. Will the African American/Black (which is PC these days??) population vote??
We shall see......


Time to step off soap-box in the political realm. (I'm one of those damn bloggers with the opinions with no citations that I hate, AH!)
One more thing that absolutely infuriated me today - I was searching for newspaper articles for my internship (daily duty when I'm there; I find it very informative, useful and therapeutic) and found an article about addiction. The drug of addiction in this case was heroin. The author is the mother of this addicted person:
Blahblahblahblah talking about addiction and how it's embarrassing for her... "Experts describe addiction as a chronic, relapsing disease, 'like someone with diabetes that ends up with out-of-control blood sugar that may have been self-inflicted from not following his diet,' in the words of Wilson Compton, director of the division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Research at the National Institute on Drug Abuse." EXCUSE ME MR. COMPTON, but unless you were referring to type 2 diabetics (which you did not clarify because you are too ignorant (yes, I went there) to know any better, no diabetic brings "out-of-control blood sugar" upon themselves because diabetes is developed unknowingly. There are a small percentage of cases that are linked to genetics, but all other diabetics get it because their body is attacking itself because it feels like it. AKA there is no reason a person has type 1 diabetes. I slightly understand his intention if he was referring to type 2, but the fact that he failed to differentiate means he has no idea what he's talking about.

Okay, for happier news, I'm exhausted. I got four hours of sleep last night thanks to a housemate going absolutely bonkers (no exaggeration, we think she's bi-polar and dangerous). I am excited for the weekend, but oh, wait, I have one paper due Wednesday and another due the following Monday. It appears that I will not know what a weekend is like until maybe November? Ohhhh, goodie.

Summer's gone, I overslept and woke up to the chill of fall...

October. It's here. Already?? Seriously though, where has the time gone? The leaves are starting to change colors here. California doesn't have an obvious change of the seasons; it just drastically becomes winter all of a sudden in December. Therefore, I haven't experienced autumn the past two years. I am looking forward to this. It already just feels so good to walk outside. Putting on a sweater and hearing the leaves crunch beneath my feet is so comforting.
As a child, I was very meticulous. Swim suits hung up on the wrong racks in Nordstroms magically found their homes while my mom was paying. In the fall, I was afraid to legit play in the piles of leaves. I was more concerned with making a perfect pile. Once all my Magnolia tree leaves were together, it looked just right, and I didn't want to ruin it by jumping in it. That would totally defeat the purpose of making the pile in the first place. Right? Maybe that's why I'm so uptight now. I never had fun like the "normal", messy, rowdy kids.

A classmate and I attempted to study in the Library of Congress today, but the silly thing is closed on Sundays! Who woulda thunk it? So, plan B was to find a bookstore or another library. Lo and behold, there is a quaint little public library three blocks away from my townhouse. The hours are limited (not surprising, considering DC barely has enough money to fund its schools, let alone other necessary programs to keep a community running), but I spent four hours there today. It smelled like a library. Like a library that has been in use since before I was born.
Reminded me of my library at home in Seattle. Many good times were spent in that library.
Random thought of the day - I did the summer reading challenge a few summers in a row. The first summer, they had a public record board that kids kept track of their progress on. Well, each sticker stood for ten books. This was written in fine print. Did I read the fine print? Of course not. I won some really cool prize and didn't realize until after the fact that I was undeserving. Too little realization too late. Oops. I still think about that from time to time and laugh to myself.

Otherwise, this weekend hasn't been very productive. I have a weird head cold/congestion so I've been lazy and sleepy. No one in this city washes their hands OR covers their mouth when they sneeze/cough and it drives me crazy and spreads germs easily. I feel like I wash/purrell my hands frequently, but it hasn't been enough.
I will eventually write about all of the speakers I've heard so far. I'm writing a review sheet for studying purposes, so I'll make that a little more fun and put it up here.
I have a great desire to be a tourist in my own city one of these weekends soon. I just need to not have stuff to do/motivation/no more humidity. Hopefully next weekend.
Oh, and internship is still AMAZING. Love it love it.

So anyway, back to studying. This city is beautiful.



I love autumn.
This is going to be great.
It would be even great-er if my boyfriend was here.... Absence definitely makes the heart grow stronger.
And maybe no more tests/papers/assignments. That'd be IDEAL.