Back in the U.S.A

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Before I start my post, check out the new link!  Disney just got compared to something they might not appreciate.

I spent around 2 months in Brussels, Belgium interning for the European Parliament.
Sorry...I just love saying that all together.  It has a nice ring to it!

Anyways, it was definitely a worthwhile experience.  As I am very interested in international politics and diplomacy, this was the perfect opportunity for me to broaden my horizons and learn more about a government I was not very familiar with.

I worked in the office of the Vice of Legal Affairs.  I did so much copyright research and synthesizing that I am quite surprised my head didn't burst. Along with this, I got to draft speeches and messages for my MEP.  The research that I did do for my internship was very interesting and helped me to realize the interesting world of copyright and intellectual property law.  My only problem now is if I want to pursue intellectual property law, I need to have a degree in a science-related field.  Alas, I do not.  Dilemmas...

While in Europe, I got to go to some very beautiful and interesting countries.  While being in Belgium, I stayed in Brussels and travelled to Gent.  I also went to Zurich, Switzerland and Fribourg, Switzerland.  To Switzerland, I stopped in Koln, Germany.  Every place that I went to was so beautiful and breath-taking.  The landscape was to die for and the air was cleaner.  When walking along the river, I could not help but wonder why our lands and bodies of water could not be as clear and clean as it was in Switzerland.

After the two months, I am now home in the United States.  In Europe I would travel and do research to aid my MEP's knowledge on copyright, and to further his involvement in diplomacy.  What do I do now?  Study for the LSAT...sigh...

Until next time!

Transparency

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NEW LINK!
Check it out, it's...innovative to say the least.  However, warning, it's not the for the weak stomachs.

In other news, what are you waiting for Weiner?
You've already lied to the public.  
You started out by denying the pictures, saying they were not taken by you.  Then you recant and say you aren't sure, they could be yours, but you it is not a definite yes.  Then, finally, you tell the truth about taking pictures of your genitals and sending them promiscuously to some random woman - stupidly cheating on your very successful and beautiful wife.
One would think it would stop there, but of course not.  Four days ago Weiner announced he was resigning from office.  Unfortunate, but necessary after the political suicide this scandal has caused him.  However, it has been four days and he still has yet to leave office.

I am very sorry it had to end this way Rep. Anthony Weiner.  I'm sorry you did not have a tactful PR team telling you that it is always best, in these moments, to be as transparent as possible.  The public will have sympathy for you if you remain truthful and very apologetic.  We'll take it as a sign of loyalty to us - your constituency.  However, alas, you chose the worst route and now you are here.  The best thing you can do now is just leave.  Please, before your reputation begins to rust.

Never underestimate the power of having a creative and intellectual PR team.

"Junk Science"

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Let's start off this entry by talking about "junk science."
According to Rick Santorum, former Pennsylvania GOP senator and current 2012 GOP presidential candidate, climate change is "junk science."  They're saying that he publicly announced this to set himself apart from other GOP candidate, Mitt Romney.
So what does Mr. Santorum have to say to back-up this claim?  Here are some quotes from Santorum in Politico's article:
"I believe the earth gets warmer and I also believe the earth gets cooler," Santorum said. "And I think history points out that it does that and that the idea that man, through the production of CO2 — which is a trace gas in the atmosphere, and the man-made part of that trace gas is itself a trace gas — is somehow responsible for climate change is, I think, just patently absurd when you consider all the other factors, El Niño, La Niña, sunspots, moisture in the air. There's a variety of factors that contribute to the Earth warming and cooling."
"To me, this is an opportunity for the left to create — it's really a beautifully concocted scheme because they know that the earth is gonna cool and warm," Santorum said. "And so it's been on a warming trend so they said, 'Oh, let's take advantage of that and say that we need the government to come in and regulate your life some more because it's getting warmer.' Just like they did in the '70s when it was getting cooler. They needed the government to come in and regulate your life because it's getting cooler."
Is it just me or is this all jibberish?
Does he even understand how the scientists were able to prove that global warming exists?  Other factors?  How about the rising sea levels?
Word of advice Santorum, if you don't understand something, it may be best to just not speak of it - at least at the start of your campaign.

In other news, I did not have to go to the European Parliament today.  Since Fridays are half days, my MEP's assistants told me it wouldn't really be worth it.
So instead, I have been doing my readings on copyright from the comfort of my bed.  Mmm...warm sheets and government shut downs...

Well, that's all I have right now. Until further notice...

How could you Barbie?

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Finally got that brief on the "Copyright in the Digital Age" conference done. Hooray!
It was not a tedious or hard task.  To be frank, I just kept getting distracted by music and facebook...
ALSO other research.  It's hard staying focused on writing a briefing when I felt like there was other research just waiting to jump onto the Hanna-Knowledge train.
Speaking of other research, I actually did find some articles that looked very interesting and useful.  Here's to hoping to make a difference!

On a completely different note, have you guys seen Greenpeace's new campaign?
Apparently Ken just found out that Barbie is, of all things (anorexic), a serial killer!
Yes, she is into deforestation and Ken will just not have that!
Why, might you ask, is Greenpeace doing this?  Here's what they have to say:
Mattel, the manufacturer of Barbie, is feeding this nasty habit by using paper packaging for the world's most famous toy from Indonesia's most notorious rainforest destroyer Asia Pulp and Paper (APP). 
They even made a cute little video of Ken being interviewed and getting "surprised" with information on his beloved Barbie:


I personally have to say good job Greenpeace.  Way to really use social media to your advantage.  What most companies need to understand these days is if you want your message to go viral, get it on #Twitter, @Facebook, and post it on your blog.  This generation, my generation, is the most important public because they are the way that messages get into the limelight.

How about your thoughts?

Alright, that's all for know.  Until next time...

Helplessness Blues

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The above needs to be accredited to the lovely Fleet Foxes.

They're really hitting the spot right now as I am trying to relax after a day at the European Parliament.
I didn't do particularly much to need relaxation, but the stress of being rather bored today, I feel, is enough.

On a brighter note, I finally got my real badge! Now I don't have to call the assistants every time I want to enter through the building.
Hooray!


So in political news...how about Weiner?
Yeah, I know, old news.
For those of you that don't know, Rep. Anthony D. Weiner released photos of his penis on twitter. Of course, it got exploited.  For a while, he didn't fess up to it.  Saying he couldn't be quite sure that he had released that photo or not.  To that, I felt John Stewart said it best.  To paraphrase, how can you not know what your own penis looks like?
Regardless, he finally admitted to putting the photos on the web in relations with a woman.
Now?  He's refusing to resign and now Pelosi is calling for an ethics investigation on the whole scandal.
It's great that Weiner wants to stay committed to his job and what he probably feels are his "duties," but after this much scandal?  Nobody is going to want you to be in charge of anything. How can they? You couldn't even recognize your own penis and now you expect people to trust your judgment?

Well folks, that's all I have for today.  Until next time...

Pssst!

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A quick reminder...

Check out my "latest link" tab.
There you will find a link to what I found the most intriguing this week.
Hint for what it is about?
Her last name rhymes with failin'....
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Belgium is an interesting place.  Despite not having insurance, the doctor's appointment was 30 euros and the medicine was around 14 euros.  That's not bad considering the $90 prescriptions we are sometimes subjected to in the states.

Today I did not have to go in to the parliament.  Alessandra and Francesco (the assistants to my MEP, Luigi Berlinguer) are in Strasbourg, getting ready to vote on important issues.  There is a girl to let me in, but alas, she was not in today.
My fingers are crossed for the contract law reformations!!  Let's hope "could favour" doesn't lead to a disaster.  I've been recently doing so much research on copyright debates and laws that my head could explode.  But interestingly enough, I find it rather amusing...
If anything else, I know this will help me greatly for my future law school endeavors.

Speaking of which, must get on studying for the LSATs.  I'm very stressed since I am taking it in October, but I really just cannot motivate myself to start studying in Belgium.  However, July, August, and September are days in which there will be no sunlight for me.  It'll be LSAT books and test preps.

So here's to another day Brussels, Belgium.  Missing home like crazy, but loving Brussels while I am here.

Until next time...

A week in...

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It has been about a week since I have arrived in Brussels, Belgium.
What an experience!  How big the world seems when you travel somewhere different.
I have always been mainly intrigued with Asian relations.  Typical for me, perhaps, but so very interesting.
However, how can one truly learn the world if they don't go to regions they never thought they would?
Europe has never been in my area of focus, so of course, I had to go and see what the hype was all about.
Very glad I did so.  What an interesting environment.
I have never felt such an intense difference, where I cannot relate to any of my surroundings.
But there is no better way to learn about people and yourself.  That's where growth truly begins.

Though it has only been a week, the scent and comfort of home is never far.  I find myself always wanting to talk to the boyfriend or a friend just to be reminded of the simplicities of comfort...

How interesting European politics are!  Such diversity and commitment to beliefs.  Working with the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats has been quite the experience.  Yet, I would still never trade it for anything else.  Despite the hours of copyright research, I can't deny that I love it.

More to come, but for now, I will leave it at that.

Remodel

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Last week I had my finals.  This week, I am a free woman that is no longer a junior, but a senior.

What's in store for me now?


This summer I am off to Brussels, Belgium to be an intern for Luigi Berlinguer in the European Parliament.  When I come back from that, I will be hitting the books hard for the upcoming LSATs.
And then finally, I will begin my senior and final year of my undergraduate career.
However, this final year will be the most hectic year out of any of the other years.
Should be interesting... or too stressful.

Anyways, in lieu of all the changes coming up, I will be doing a remodeling of my blog.
New design layout, new posts, new me!

In other news, Osama bin Laden is dead and they have thrown his body in the sea!
According to Obama, they have known of his whereabouts for some time.  However, on Sunday, Obama had more confidence in his whereabouts and cornered Osama in Pakistan.  They caught him, he resisted, and then was shot in the head.

Obama's speech? Eh, it was a little soft and lacked a more moving quality.

Citizens of the United States are cheering and chanting the National Anthem in an uproar.
No doubt, a proud moment for Americans.  We are one step closer to having terrorism become a smaller issue.  But I must admit, it feels odd.  I understand, completely, that he has killed many in the name of extremism.  By killing him, we kill the core of the extremist movement.

But all of the cheering for someone's death just irks me on the inside...

Procrastination

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Maybe I should study for my midterm that will comprise 20% of my grade.
Or, maybe I should work on my application that I need to send in tomorrow.

Pft, naaa. It's only 1 A.M. No big deal!

This application will be for going abroad to Brussels and getting some good experience with the European Parliament.
It sounds really awesome and I can't wait! Hopefully I'll be accepted.

Writing the application for this makes me think more about the field I want to go into and why I want to do it.

After doing a couple of years of broadcast journalism intensely, I've realized that it's not really the field for me.  Not that there is anything wrong with it.  I give high regard to journalists that take their careers seriously and report for the benefit of the people that they call their audience.  They are the gatekeepers of information, making it one of the most important jobs out of any occupation in the world.

However, I'm more drawn to the legal changes that can be made.  The resolutions, the policies, the declarations, all of that jazz.  It's right up my alley, it's everything I want.  I want to write, implement, revise, lobby, and create the change that I really want to see happen in this world.

I know this sounds like a typical rant by a college student.  The type that's all empty talk with no real idea of what they're talking about.  I know I have much to learn, but I know how far I have come and appreciate every bit of knowledge about multiple issues I have learned over the years.

It's the need to do something bigger and more for the people that I coexist with in this world.  It's not enough to talk about it.  I want to do it.  I don't want to just sit pretty on the television screen and let everyone understand what's going on.  I want it to not have to be a reality to them because we're working on policies to make it better.  I want to give back to the world and the people in it because they have given so much to me.

Burning

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It is only the third day of classes and I can already feel the heat from being burnt out from school.
Don't get me wrong, I won't drop out of school to pursue some fantasy future that involves running away and opening up a bakery in Sweden with the love of my life.
However, it's hard to deny the stress that comes with furthering my education.


I'm motivated, ready to take what is mine, and won't take no for an answer.
I've got big goals and high hopes for my future.
I will persevere until I get to the top.


Is it worth it?


Despite this go-getter attitude, I have still managed to battle the question of whether or not I can handle any more schooling or stress.

My point?

There is no need to feel like a failure just because you're questioning things in life.
Everyone questions their decisions, what they believe in, and if they're headed in the right direction.

Christians always say that to truly understand your faith, you have to question it.
Teachers and professors always claim that the only way to truly learn is to ask questions during class.

It's never bad to question if you should continue doing what you're doing because it'll be clearer why you should.
There was a reason you entered college and wanted to pursue a higher education.
When you started out, you had goals and dreams and the vigor to pursue it.
Nothing has changed.  All that vitality and passion is still within your heart.
The only problem is that the stressors of life, whatever they may be, has tarnished it.

Go the website of a corporation you want to work for or read the work of your favorite writer.
Bring out the cleaning cloth and fall back in love with your future.
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I feel like an important question to ask oneself is what is truly upsetting.

Is it the fact that you can't find your favorite socks or figure out an ensemble for tomorrow?
Or is the fact that entire nations are fighting over control so they kill women and children? Could it be the people that don't even have the opportunity to read blogs? Is it possible that it lies within the ever warming atmosphere and its ability to obliterate this entire world?

Every day people get upset about something. Whether it's big or small, it effects you and you react to it. We all do it.
Yet, how can we gage what is worth a huge emotional reaction? Can we compare our problems to those huge problems out there and actually make ourselves feels justified for being so upset?

I've been battling with that question for a while. Can I really be so upset by my problems when they seem so miniscule to the overall world's problems?

I finally feel that I can say that a person cannot possibly put their problems on scale with those of the world's.

How a person reacts to something that is personal is completely up to them. A person should not have to feel like they need to justify their emotions. Something happened, big or small, and it effected you. That's all anyone ever needs to know.

The world's problems are not your personal dilemmas. You aren't in charge of them and you can't feel like you can put those huge problems in scope with yours. Personal problems are unique to you and hit you in a place that world problems can't even dive into. It's a place that hurts more and takes more to get to.

Give yourself the opportunity to have a good cry, regardless of whether or not you think you think it's acceptable.

Do what's right for you, what makes you feel better. Our lives are only as good as we can make them and emotions aid in helping us feel like life is real. Do what you need to do to make life colorful in emotion and blissful in mind.

A Week of Chocolate

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Midterms.  That word, in itself, is enough to explain all the emotions and reactions involved with that word use in context.  I suppose it doesn't help that students with deep procrastination issues are cramming on a Sunday night, hoping that it will do them some good.
In other news, it's good to see that nothing stopped the Iraqis from voting yesterday.  Despite all of the attacks and bombings (30 mortars, apparently) that went on throughout the day, the Iraqis pushed through and voted for, what they hope, is a change in their corrupt system of government. It's good to see that people are still standing strong for some type of political change, despite how the political change erupted and how they managed to get into the ideals that they have today.
Well, through all of this, chocolate seems to be the perfect medicine for the Midterm/International conflict blues.  Hopefully they'll get me through this week of testing!
Until further notice...

Nobel Prizes

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Though this is probably not new news to many of you, President Obama just received the Nobel Peace Prize.  It was given to him due to "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." (nobelprize.org).
They put significance on his vision, especially his efforts in the disarmament of nuclear weapons.
Also, he was commended for his ability to bring hope to such a vast amount of people.
Congrats, Obama.  Though you haven't particularly done anything yet, I know with time your ideas will be come to be.  Hopefully it will all be worth that Nobel Peace Prize.
Another winner was an IU professor for the Nobel Prize in Economics, Elinor Ostrom.
Through her original ideas of economic governance that challenged traditional thought, Ostrom shares it with Professor Oliver Williamson of UC Berkeley.

It's surprising to see people I'm really familiar with receiving these prizes.  Not that I haven't been before, but now they are so close to home.
It makes a person believe that one day, with enough work and determination, they could receive a prize of their own.

Until next time...

Sleepless Nights...

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That title isn't that accurate.  I could be sleeping, but I've chosen to catch up on work and talk to friends instead of maintaining a healthy balance of rest.
Then again, what else does one expect from a college student?  They say that a student has to choose two of the three: Academics, Socializing, Sleep.  I just never choose sleep.

Kim Jong-il and Wen Jibao apparently met up for some chit chat recently.  China agreed to keep stability in North Korea, even after Kim Jong-il has left.  China has also expressed its disagreement with the ideas of South Korean and the United States against the actions of North Korea.  
I personally find this to be a very frightening move.  As if it weren't enough that North Korea has nuclear weapons, now China, a nation so big and so populated that they have to sanction the number of kids couples have, has sided with them.

Well, until next time...

That Time of the Year

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Everyone is sick right now, not excluding me.  In every class, you can hear a chorus of coughs, sneezes, and sniffles.  Normally this would just seem like one of the many indicators of autumn coming to be.  However, instead of being happy for a beautiful season, people are fearing what's to come with the swine flu pandemic.  I suppose it doesn't help if you're in college, touching things that so many people have touched.
Yet, through it all, the fall time is my favorite season.  The leaves turn into brilliant colors of orange, red, and yellow as the temperature demands you to wear scarves and sweaters. 
Najibullah Zazi has been found not guilty to terrorism conspiracy charges.  Many people were back and forth on this idea, saying he was a good guy and great worker to him being at the center of a Qaeda plot to set off bombs in the U.S.  Though I don't know all of the very specific details, I must admit that his actions do seem rather suspicious.  
Until tomorrow...

One Month Deep

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It's been around a month since I've been at IU.  Expectedly, a good amount of homework and some good times to make life a little more balanced.  
On a side note, how about Qadaffi's speech at the UN?  He's definitely starting to show his age with his semi-audible speech.  
Well, that's all I have for now.  Until next time...

Introduction

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I have blogs dedicated to political news in the world and I have blogs dedicated to an emotional journey I have embarked on since birth.  However, now I just want a blog that is dedicated to anything that's on my mind.  Whether it be from the news or what's lurking in my heart, I want one place where all of it can come together.  This blog will be that very place.
And here it goes....
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