In August of 2005, I purchased a Fujitsu laptop. It was a perfect laptop with beautiful screen. But the honeymoon didn't last forever. Having worked at a Circuit City a few years ago, I knew the importance of extended warranties for electronic items, especially laptop's. Note: this isn't a blanket endorsement of all extended warranties, as you shall read below.

A few weeks ago, I started noticing that even when the AC adapter was plugged in, my computer wouldn't show it as charging or on AC power. I would have to move it around a little to get it to actually show that it was plugged in. The problem gradually grew worse and could very well be related to the issues I was having with either my hard drive or motherboard (boy, do I sound like I know what I am talking about)! The problems reached its peak when I had a week left of school and still had 5 papers to write. I had done 4 system restores, including a complete C: drive erase and this ate up my time like no one can believe-all of this during that last week of school!

My parents were flying into town for my graduation and I knew I would just send my laptop with them to take to Fry's, where I purchased my laptop and extended warranty, so they could fix my hard drive, motherboard, and the AC adapter (the jack, specifically). I was shocked and pissed when my step-dad called and said I would have to pay AT LEAST $200 for them to fix the jack as they considered that "physical damage" which voids the warranty.

However, the warranty contradicts itself in that it specifies that it would repair anything caused by "normal use" and the jack broke through normal use. Also, they wouldn't even run a diagnostics test on my laptop until I fixed the jack as they said the two problems (problem iwth hard drive and/or motherboard) could be related. I called and spoke with the store manager and tore him a new one. When I finally calmed down, he stated that they would fix the jack and run a diagnostics test for free if I would purchase a new jack online, which I did. He did this not because he bought my argument about the warranty but because of customer service, which I definitely appreciate.

Yet this reveals a significant problem with Fujitsu laptops and Fry's as Fry's could claim that any problem someone has with their computer is "physical damage" and in essence, their warranties cover nothing. And, I would argue that their warranties are contradictory as they claim to cover anything that breaks under normal use but won't fix that which is classified as physically damaged. Argh. The problem with Fujitsu jacks became even more of a problem when I was told my sister, with an earlier model of the same laptop, had the same problem with her jack.

I have called and spoken with Fujitsu and they claimed that if the jack had broke while it was covered under their warranty, unless the broke jack occurred because of abuse or neglect, they would fix it for free.

So, my warning is that you read every word in an extended warranty and you avoid Fujitsu laptops until this jack problem is resolved. Well, and maybe we should all switch over to Mac's because I am so sick and tired of crappy computers, the problems with Windows, and all of that.

God be with those of you who have a Fujitsu, enjoy that beautiful screen while you can, and those of you who have an electronic item covered under a Fry's extended warranty.

With that said, any recommendations for extended warranties (who has good ones, who has bad ones), laptop brands that are good, or any other advice relevant to this post, would be greatly appreciated.

They say that when a door closes, a window opens, and I would say that when one friendship ends or weakens, another is born or strengthened. For me, it has been 4 friendships that have become stable and constant good forces in my life. One strengthened last fall, one was born November 7th, and two were born when I sent a simple email offering to help two unknown women with a campaign on campus. Thank God four windows opened up for me.

This morning I was given an opportunity to participate in something this weekend. Something that will take me away from Pocatello this weekend and away from a close friend, perhaps my closest friend at this point in time, and someone who needs me right now.

Before I agreed to leave town, I called this friend, one of my windows, and asked if she would be okay with me gone. She said she would and that she would be angry if I didn't leave town this weekend. She spends her weekdays in Rexburg and weekends here, so I don't see her during the week. :( I miss her terribly during the week but her internship is up in five weeks and then she might move in for a few weeks until she can move into her apartment. I hope to turn her from a Republican to a Democrat. Wish me luck!

Those who know me know that I am a passionate political junkie and the fact that I am torn about leaving town to attend a political event because I don't want to abandon a friend when she needs me should tell you that I am loyal to my friends, though some former friends might beg to differ!

So I guess tonight I realized that me being torn isn't a bad thing, it's a good thing because politics shouldn't be my whole life and that the great friends I have will almost always take precedence over an event and had my friend asked me to stay in town, I wouldn't have hesitated in turning down my plans because friends and family are the most important things in our lives.

We know a friend is a true friend when they get mad at us because we turn down something we truly love to be with them or when we at least show that we are willing to skip something to just be there in support. They want us to experience the event more than be a shoulder for them to cry on.

Have you ever heard someone describe your life or events in your life? I have and it's weird. Many of you know that a few years ago my sister and I filed a lawsuit against the Mormon Church. If you didn't know, you can read about it here. Since the jury awarded us $4.2 million dollars, I have done numerous interviews. Interviews on the radio, television, in magazines and newspapers. In fact, I even did some anonymous interviews before it went to trial.

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a writer with the Seattle Weekly and asked to give an interview. Of course I said yes and the article he wrote was printed today. You can read it here. It's quite long, terribly sad, gut wrenching, and heart breaking. Most of it contains the stories of other people, but my story is towards the bottom. I've copied and pasted the bulk of the article related to me below.

Just to clarify, I do not attend BYU-Idaho and haven't since 2002. I did graduate from Ricks College and BYU-Idaho in 2001 and 2002, respectively. And no, I wasn't kicked out! I think the writer got confused and mistook Idaho State University for BYU-Idaho.

In case you are wondering, I wasn't active in the Mormon Church from approximately spring of 2002-until last month. I do now attend Church, although I attend with friend of mine at her ward. And while it is no one's business, I haven't been subject to any Church discipline for my lawsuit or my words during and after the trial.

My feelings about the Church, including its teachings and its culture, which comprises the structure, its leaders and all of that, are complex. I don't know that anyone could characterize my current Church activity and beliefs in any particular way because my situation, my feelings, and my current position are incredibly unique.

I find deep and significant problems with how the Mormon Church handles complaints of abuse. I have heard too many stories to think otherwise. In my opinion, the Mormon Church, often times, engages in criminal conduct related to child abuse. THIS HAS TO STOP. The innocence, safety, and protection of children override any constitutional rights to freedom of religion the Church claims, any rights to priest-penitent privilege, and any other legal argument the Mormon Church has used, uses, and will use.

This isn't a uniquely Mormon problem. It is a problem with many religions and organizations.
I hope that by speaking out, I can bring awareness to the problem in our own backyard here in Idaho, and that other victims will feel empowered and unafraid to speak out.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seattle Weekly cut and paste:

To hear it from those who have gone to the trouble of suing the Mormons, the reason the church has garnered so little negative publicity is not because it's purged itself of the sin of pedophilia but because it's extremely good at repressing its victims.

Sisters Jessica and Ashley Cavalieri won a $4.2 million award from the church in 2005 for abuse inflicted by their Mormon stepfather in the early '90s in Federal Way. Theirs is a case example of why we haven't heard much about pedophilia in the church: The amount of hurdles the girls had to clear to get their voices heard is staggering.

Because living in modern society while also obeying the church dictums is so hard to do—drinking and premarital sex are strongly discouraged, as are caffeine, violent music and movies, and an unbalanced diet—Mormon culture is necessarily insular. "They're trying to live so differently from the rest of the world, almost like the Amish," says Jessica, now a 26-year-old student at Idaho's Brigham Young University. That means, she says, the first move when it comes to child abuse isn't always to involve the cops. "The police are outsiders. They don't have the 'true gospel,' so they don't understand things like we do."

The Mormon bishop does understand, however. He's presumed to be competent enough to oversee a ward, a land division much like a political district. The church acknowledged its bishops' roles as proper receptacles of child-abuse information when it created its 1-800 help line, which only church officials can use. If the bishop decides a victim's tale of woe is compelling enough to pick up the phone, he can talk with "professional counselors" (according to the church's Web site) who will rattle off a list of protocol questions and perhaps refer the case to a church lawyer.

Jessica, who's seen the questionnaire, describes it as containing a lot of "risk-management" inquiries—"Did the abuse happen on church property? Did it happen during a church-sponsored activity?"—which made her feel as if the church was already preparing a defense against her claims that her stepfather was touching her at night and offering her money for sex.

The bishop can also do nothing, as was the case for Jessica. When she was 12, she told her bishop about the abuse. He sent her out of the room so he could chat in private with her parents and then dismissed the family, who went home without a word on the subject. Jessica took it for granted that the bishop had told her mother about the molestation and that her mother didn't care. Only after her stepfather confessed, five mentally hellish years later, did Jessica learn the truth: The bishop just told her mom that the two weren't "getting along" and suggested they needed to spend more time together in spiritual study. "He didn't have very much psychological training," says Jessica, "and didn't really understand that child molesters aren't something that can just be treated and cured with prayer."

When the Cavalieris finally decided to pursue their case on a nonspiritual plane, the Washington state judiciary, Jessica says two bishops she had told about the abuse denied ever hearing her tale of woe. Her best friend testified that she was "a complete psycho," while her Mormon neighbors, outside of court, called her "evil" and told her she needed to repent.

Since Jessica's story appeared in the papers, she says she's heard from approximately 50 Mormons with similar horror stories. "I think it's an epidemic," she speculates.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Thanks to a post at DU for reminding me about this.

Yesterday, Cindy Sheehan announced that she was quitting the peace movement. You can't blame the woman. A mother, whose son was killed while serving in Iraq, has encountered several attacks on her character, her role as a mother, an American, and a Democrat. Just look at the comments at the link above.

I can't even believe I am surprised when people attack women who speak out. And really, I should just expect the immature and sickening treatment from Republicans. I should wonder who drugged their koolaid with a downer when they aren't attacking brave women who dare to make us look ourselves in the mirror and face the consequences of ill-conceived policies that kill our men and women in uniform and innocent civilians in Iraq.

I saw Cindy Sheehan as more than the face of the peace movement, she was a mother who lost her dear child. Viewing her as anything other than a mother is diminishing the profound and important role she played in society.

So thank you Cindy Sheehan. You served as the face of a movement I participated in. You served as a voice of a movement I participated in. You fought the good fight and I was proud of what you did.

Below are some pictures I have saved over the years related to Cindy Sheehan and the fight she led and breathed life into.

Today, I received an email from a former ISU College Dem and someone who received her MPA (Master's in Public Administration) a few years ago. She told me she had been reading my blog and knew I was looking for work and sent me some links and job leads. Thank you if you are reading this!

The email made me confront my own feelings in regards to where I should be and where I should be willing to go. Pocatello doesn't offer the job opportunities that other cities do. It doesn't offer the prime opportunities to work on political/issue campaigns so that I can fulfill my dream of being some political expert who is respected in the industry. I don't want to be just respected, I want to be the best!

However, Pocatello is where some of my good friends reside, it is where I feel comfortable, it is where I am established with the local county party and somewhat known with candidates/politicians, and it is where I am currently. I won't move to another city unless I have a job offer, but how hard am I willing to look in other cities? So far, not hard, not hard at all. But does that need to change?

I highly doubt I will spend the rest of my life here, it just doesn't jive with so many of my plans and goals, but I don't know that I am quite willing to leave right now, or at the end of the summer.

In so many ways it makes a lot of sense to stay here for at least another year, if not longer. But it also makes sense to move to a bigger city, or to a state that actually values a two party system, or one that will offer more opportunities to get involved with politics, politics that match my beliefs. So I find myself staring at this conundrum and wondering what I should do. And never more than today did it feel more right to leave Pocatello but just as right, if not more, to stay.

I traveled up to Idaho Falls friday afternoon to meet a friend, we'll call her "S" because I don't feel right having her name all over my blog without her permission, though I know she wouldn't care and I have written about her before. We were going to shop a little, eat dinner, then meet her sister and her sister's boyfriend for Pirates of the Caribbean 3. I hadn't seen any of the Pirates movies, so I was a little lost, but it was pretty enjoyable and Johnny Depp is hilarious.

Saturday was spent going to garage sales, then I came home to watch some Felicity, took a nap, then met S (same one from yesterday) to help her pack as she needs to move out of her current house. We packed as we watched episodes from season 2 of The Office and played with two baby hamsters she bought for her brother. During this time, we had a little debate about Affirmative Action. The problem with those opposed to Affirmative Action is they point to little more than anecdotal evidence as proof that Affirmative Action is reverse discrimination.

I really hate debating Affirmative Action because it is not only controversial, but it reveals settle, though important, differences in people's core beliefs related to society, race, racism, discrimination, equality, and on and on and on. And really, is it not humorous that the biggest whiners about Affirmative Action are white men. White men who reside at the top of our stratified society in America and so many other countries. Ok, maybe I just find it humorous.

The fight led me to dream about a professor at ISU who has had a profound impact upon my life and my beliefs. When I walked across the stage to receive my diploma and hood for my Master's degree, then down the ramp to get my picture taken, this professor met me (just like she did when I got my Bachelor's) and handed me a card. The card read, "Rarely does a student like you come a long! You are truly exceptional. I love you and congrats!" It might sound weird that a professor said "I love you" to me, but not in this case. This professor has played a big role in my life since 2002. A confidant, a friend, a mother figure, and someone who has helped guide me to where I am today.

She is the one who has helped shape some of my beliefs about Affirmative Action and why I feel so strongly about it and though not perfect, and while I am adamantly opposed to quotas, I support Affirmative Action because it has benefitted not just people of color, but white women. It has led to a greater equality in the workplace and that cannot be denied. The means may not be perfect, and the ends aren't bearing a perfect fruit, but the goals of Affirmative Action (equality in the workplace) is perfect and one day, maybe, hopefully, and God willing, we won't need to force people to be fair.

This leads me to a conundrum I find myself in related to my blog, something you might have gathered from my words above...

My blog is more than politics, it is my blog, therefore it is about my life, the things in my life, and the people. I don't know how comfortable I feel naming people when I write about things. I've done it before, and I know most of the people I write about wouldn't mind it, especially if I kept it to their first name, but I think I should have respect for these people and not name them. If you know me well, you will know who I am speaking about when I write. I'm not going to edit any past posts, but from now on, I will try to be more careful when I refer to my friends and family.

I've banked with Washington Mutual for 8 years but their claims of superior customer service are just that, claims. I've banked with Bank of America as well since I got a car loan through them, but I only used them to make car payments, but my car loan is through someone else now. I find the Bank of America local branch has long lines and I am not totally sold on banking with them 100% yet.

Who do you bank with? Who should I switch to? I am just looking for a checking account, one that doesn't require a minimum balance or anything special. A debit card is a must, as I only write 2-3 checks a month (rent and car payment). I live across the street from Idaho Central Credit Union, which is nice, but I haven't heard anything about them. I have a lot of friends who use US Bank, but that doesn't mean much. Idaho State University has a credit union but I have never used a credit union before.

HELP!

For the last few months, I have become close friends with two women. The beginning of our frienship started out strangely. They were running for office on campus and I emailed one of them to offer assistance. Little did I know what that email would start and I am forever grateful that I did email her. These two women are Republican and in a lot of ways we are very different, but we have forged strong bonds, both in the frienships with each person individually, and as our friendship as a group of three.

Because they are Republican, I have to be somewhat careful in what I say when I am around them. I want to be honest and upfront, but I need to exhibit some sensitivity because they are good people who care about others. I joke that they can't really be Republican, they have hearts!

Tonight I got into a big fight with one of them. She voted for Luna (they both did) and I was an diehard supporter of Jana Jones (race of the Superintendent of Idaho Public Schools). It's the same argument I hear from Luna voters, though they admit Jana was more qualified, we needed change, we needed someone who will do something. Obviously that upsets me. First of all, Jana would've been change and Jana would've done something, just like Marilyn Howard did. I ended the fight when I signed off of MSN messenger and went for a walk. I wanted to cool off and I wanted to gather my thoughts.

When I was out for a walk, I checked my email and saw that this friend I had just gotten into a fight with emailed me. I was not surprised, really. This friend is so kind and thoughtful that it astounds me. Seriously, I didn't know people like her existed. She knows I watch Desperate Housewives so one time, just to be nice, she bought me a box of Desperate Housewives Valentine's Day cards. She also bought me something else but I haven't seen it yet. Gifts aren't everything and I don't need my friends to buy me things, but I think we can all identify with the feelings attached with receiving a gift if for no other reason than just because.

She spends her weeks up in Rexburg working on her internship and the weekends here, most of which are spent working her regular job. I miss her! The other night she texted me around 12:30am and asked if I was awake because she wanted to chat. We did chat, for almost two hours. The next morning, we chatted for another hour as she drove up to Rexburg. Then we texted during the afternoon, and talked on the phone after she got off work, then later that night, we imed on MSN before she went to bed. Not everyday is like this, neither of us have the time, but it was so nice to have someone to talk to that often, even if rare.

What Tom Luna made me realize is that frienships are more important than politics. They are more important than most everything and when we find a friendship, such as what I found with these two women, we must do everything we can to protect them.

My job search has been, well, interesting. I interviewed with a private social services agency in Idaho Falls under the assumption that they have clients ready to be worked with so I could start, if they wanted to hire me, immediately. Nope, that wasn't the case. They don't have any infrastructure setup in Pocatello and the earliest they would be ready is in at least 5-6 weeks.

I've been spending my time job searching via the Idaho Department of Labor and Commerce, the State of Idaho's human resource website, ISU's Career Center website, I've been checking the city and county's job listings (both rarely list anything above a laborer or acquatics instructor), ISU's website listing job openings with the university, Career Builder, yet all of their job listings are for these bullcrap internet type jobs, or jobs with the National Guard (no thanks!), and some various agencies personal websites. The only place I haven't regularly been checking is the local paper's classifieds. I guess I could, but I check just about everything else and I am probably not missing anything by not checking the Idaho State Journal.

The problem with getting a Master's degree at my age, though I am no spring chicken, is that I haven't been able to build up my resume. The jobs I want are either far far away (Washington D.C.) or I am not quite qualified for them.

I was talking to a friend last night on MSN messenger and he asked if I had applied for any political jobs. Being in Pocatello, I don't have a great selection of political jobs to choose from and until it is closer to the 2008 election, I can't really do much political work. However, I would love to assist any candidates with any campaign work that is needed in this area of the state or wherever I am when they need it.

So, I will keep searching and I will let you all know when I find something, if that ever happens!

“Eddie,” he said, “I’m a Democrat because I believe that party is more sensitive to the poor.”
(Pp. 16-18, “An Abundant Life: The Memoirs of Hugh B. Brown, Signature Books, 1988.)

Thanks to the Centerville Citizen for providing this quote.

Last night I was with some friends, most of whom are Republican, and the War in Iraq was mentioned. I knew a few of them, Republicans included, didn't agree that the war, even if justified (justified according to them), was headed in the right direction, so I felt more freedom to make a comment against the war. Whoopsy!

All of the sudden the war is a great thing because the Iraqi's got to vote and little girls can go to school now. I remarked that yes, getting to vote before getting blown up into pieces is wonderful indeed and the little girls can go to school knowing the rest of their family was just murdered...

I got annoyed because while Iraq wasn't this beacon of greatness before the war, invading and occupying didn't make it this beacon of greatness now. That even though a lot of the innocent civilian deaths wasn't at the hands of American troops, America destabilized the region, made it a breeding ground for terrorists and we are now at least partly responsible for all of the deaths, if not completely responsible.

One of the people who disagreed with me instant messaged me later and he asked if I was upset with him. I told him no because I knew that we agreed on at least 75% of the things with the war and the other 25% aren't things we disagree on because he is ignorant and uneducated. I told him that I get upset with conservatives, especially LDS (Mormon) ones who are always far too supportive of war, even if it is justified through self-defense.

Jesus is the "prince of peace." Christ taught that "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." And the Doctrine and Covenants tells us to "renounce war and proclaim peace." And really, I could go on and on with the words of Christ, the words of Mormon leaders who have taught us how to view war, and references from the scriptures, but I then remember the quote from Gandhi, who stated, "non-violence which is a quality of the heart cannot come by an appeal to the brain."

I became a pacifist, and there are many types of pacifists, because in my heart, I couldn't justify many wars and battles that have been waged and fought, not because of a scripture or quote, though they played a part in my conversion, but because my heart couldn't wrap itself around the idea of fighting for peace.

I guess I was annoyed last night because I felt that some of the people defending the war don't invest the time and energy that I do into investigating the war to be truly and accurately informed. This isn't to say that if you read and research you will disagree with the war, but if you want to support something, at least know what you are supporting! Just my two cents.

I think one of my favorite smells is bleach mixed with my laundry detergent on my whites.

I have a job interview in Idaho Falls on Monday. They have an agency in Pocatello, but their headquarters is in IF. Not a special job-something I have done before. But the pay is good, I do my own schedule, and I am qualified for it.

I am apparently NOT qualified for any job I have found that would let me use my Master's degree. I have the education people desire, but not the experience. I have no supervisory experience, no experience working in human resources, and most of my work background is in social services. My best bet is to continue working in social services, totally familiarize myself with Medicaid and all that jazz, and then apply for jobs with Health and Welfare.

I am on Michael Moore's emailing list and received an email today about his new movie, Sicko. I am totally stoked for this movie. I really really really like Michael Moore and I think he is an amazing American. However, notice that I don't call his movies "documentaries", and you won't hear me saying they are unbiased, completely upfront and not misleading.

About 5 feet in front of me are all of his movies that he has made (except that Canadian Bacon one and Pets and Meat), and his tv series, The Awful Truth (I'll buy TV Nation when it is released on DVD). I do believe I also own all of his books, even the one he released, Will They Ever Trust Us Again, with letters from soldiers.

I've watched a few movies over the last few days; Spiderman 3, Disturbia, The Good Shepard, The Painted Veil, Notes on a Scandal, and Al Franken: God Spoke. Spiderman 3 was the worst of the movies. All the rest are much better.

I miss school! But it's been nice to be done and realize that my nights won't be filled with looming deadlines, papers, tests, assignments, etc. Sunday during church I got excited because I realized I could go rent some movies without worrying that my time should be spent doing school work.

So I've spent the last few days rearranging, job searching, and being kinda lazy. One of my good friends is in Rexburg for the next 8 weeks doing her internship for her physical therapist assistant's program and I miss her! She will be in Pocatello on the weekends but most of that time will be spent at her job. One of my other good friends was doing a clinical rotation at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City this week. I've felt so lonely! I do have more than two friends in Pocatello, I swear! But these are two people I've grown close to and most of my friend time is spent with them.

Haven't been spending much time on politics. I heard the second debate for Republicans was interesting. I really don't like Rudy Giuliani. Actually, if he gets the nomination, I'll be physically ill. I cannot stand Mitt Romney-what a fake!

I love John Edwards. I hope he gets the nomination. I saw one poll that said he is viewed as the most moderate, yet he is actually the most liberal and he is the only Dem who can beat any of the top three Repubs (Giuliani, McCain, Romney). Hell yeah. Vote Edwards.

Count me in as one of those who doesn't let Al Sharpton define my religious beliefs (I'm Mormon), nor anyone else for that matter. However, I do believe his comment was taken completely out of context and I don't think he meant that Mormons don't believe in God.

It's taken a long time for me to get here. A place where a comment about my religion, even one NOT taken out context, doesn't eat away at me. I used to get really upset when a comment was made that revealed the deep anti-Mormonism that exists out there. It just isn't worth the time and worry to fret over every comment made and every accusation levied.

Me in my hood and other regalia.
My dad, me, and my mom.
My friend Manasseh and I.
My step-dad, me, and my mom.
My mom and I.

In around an hour, I take my last test at Idaho State University. It is my final in Management Communication. I didn't take the class because it fulfilled a particular requirement. Basically, I needed an extra 3 credits/1 class and I wanted to take something that would benefit me in a career. This class, while geared towards the private sector, did benefit me and I learned a great deal.

Yesterday I went and picked up my tassel (peacock color), cap, gown, and hood. My cap is WAY too small. I will look like a fool if I can't get a bigger size or if cutting the back (which will look stupid but less stupid than wearing it as is) won't help make it fit better. When I go to the graduation practice today, I am hoping they have an extra cap that will fit my large head. Cross your fingers!

My parents all get into town tomorrow. They could've been here today but every room in every hotel/motel in Pocatello is booked and has been booked for the last few weeks. There is a baseball tournament and nothing was available. So, my mom and step-dad are flying into Salt Lake City in a few hours and will stay in Ogden tonight then head up here tomorrow morning.
My dad and grandma are driving from Auburn, Washington (suburb of Seattle) and will stay in Boise tonight and head up here tomorrow morning.

My dad, who is one of those parents who loves the college bookstores, is so excited to take me to ISU's tomorrow morning. When I received my Bachelor's degree, he purchased a frame at the bookstore that is especially made for ISU. So, tomorrow he is letting me pick out one for my Master's.

Well, I suppose I should get back to studying and to the two msn messenger conversations I have going.

I just attended a poetry reading my friend Liz participated in and I noticed that the person sitting in front of me was Rep. Donna Boe-Donna Boe is a local legislator from Pocatello.

Not being from Idaho and being way more focused on national politics, I didn't come to appreciate local legislators from Bannock County until the last year or so. While I have dropped lit and knocked doors for District 30 candidates in 2004 and 2006, I remained a distant supporter and observer of what my local leaders were doing in Boise. However, over the last several months, I have become a big fan of Rep. Boe.

I have always noticed how kind Rep. Boe is and I appreciate her kindness on many levels. As a college student, I possess nothing special and certainly nothing that candidates want or need, aside from a fondness for walking and getting Democrats elected! I don't have a lot of money to donate, I don't carry any prestige and my endorsement won't really get someone any votes, so I appreciate it when a candidate/politician is nice to me and doesn't treat me as though I am a burden.

Rep. Boe treats people kindly and even though she ran unopposed in 2006, she still knocked doors, she still dropped her lit, and she still put up her signs. In fact, many have said she worked harder than another candidate who actually had an opponent! It's impressive that she not only outworked another candidate, but that she actually worked at all!

Rep. Boe isn't just kind and doesn't just work her ass off, she represents what sets Democrats apart from Republicans in this state-the willingness to actually REPRESENT Idahoans in the legislature. In fact, I didn't realize it until too late, but Rep. Boe played a big role in the passage of House Bill 125. While I do have some issues with House Bill 125, I know the intentions of many were good and the concern for the safety and well-being of children came first and foremost in their minds.

Often times when you hear an Idaho Democrat speak, we are either ragging on Republicans, someone in our own party, or some dumbass thing a politician did or said. Far too often we ignore the acts of bravery, the daily concern our leaders have, and the hard work they show. I am making a promise here and now to try better in showing appreciation for those leaders who sacrifice much by running and serving and who make me proud as a Democratic voter.

Thank you, Rep. Boe, and all those who make it easier to proclaim that I am an Idaho Democrat.

In three days I will graduate!!! I still have a ton of school stuff to do as well as some internship hours to complete, but I know I will get everything done. My computer/laptop has a corrupted hard drive, of this I am almost 100% positive. The AC adapter is also not working to my liking and even though it is plugged it, you have to fidget with it to get it to work. I am told this is a common problem with Fujitsu's.

So when my mom and step-dad leave to fly back to Seattle on sunday, I will be sending my beloved laptop with them. I purchased the laptop at Fry's in Renton, Washington, and in order to use the extended warranty, I need to bring the laptop back to a Fry's. Not surprisingly, there isn't a Fry's anywhere near Pocatello. I have restored the laptop 4 times and am pretty sure it needs work beyond my capabilities. So, here's hoping the warranty covers any work needing to be done (the warranty does not cover the battery-LAME!).

This has all led me to deeply consider getting a Mac when I get a new laptop, not that I expect that to happen anytime too soon, but I have grown so annoyed with Windows, and the only PC's I like are Sony's and Fujitsu's. Sony's are overpriced, and I am pissed I paid $1500 for this laptop only to have the battery act lame, the AC adapter poop out, and the hard drive crash, less than 2 years after I purchased the laptop.

I have turned in two out of my five papers due and one of them was about the book, Fiasco, which everyone should read! I have some interesting things to blog about and when I have time, expect daily posts again. I promise it will all be worth the wait. For now, I have laundry to do and papers to write.

In 6 days, I will have graduated and will have my Master's degree in Public Administration. It's strange to think about and pretty difficult to comprehend. The 5 papers and two semester long journals I need to complete make it hard to see past the next few days!

My blogging has been light because I have been trying to get some of these papers done and my computer has required not two, but THREE system restores since thursday night. The last restore, which was completed friday night, necessitated the complete C: drive erase (285 minutes is how long it took). I believe the C: drive erase is what those who store child porn on their computer do right before they think they will be caught! Never in my life did I think I would do something that could be compared to a child porn possessor.

Which reminds me of what Tara at The Political Game has been tracking. She has been following the new building of Bright Tomorrows-an organization that helps child abuse victims. They are getting a new building here in town and the community has come together to assist and to ensure the quick completion of the new building. Check out The Political Game and look through some of the posts and watch for future posts on the progress!

Well, I am enjoying a conversation with my friend right now on MSN Messenger, so I will end for now.

"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is."

--George W. Bush, 4/9/99, criticizing President Clinton for not setting a timetable for exiting Kosovo.


"I think it's also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn."

--George W. Bush, 6/5/99