Friends

Friends might be the best things in the world.  I have never realized how great friends can really be, and I’m not talking about people you just have drinks with.  I’m talking about people you would trust your life with.  My roommate and best friend might just be the greatest guy in the world.  He has been the biggest support system for me in these last few months its amazing.  During the peaks of your life everyone is your friend but in the valleys that when you find out who your friends really are. 

Lately I have been in a valley and he has been there for me.  No matter what I needed he was there.  It’s kind of ridiculous to see this from another human being.  He can be incredibly cocky sometimes but I think the man has a right to be.  I think the only way we can really get through life is to have a great support system.  Even if we are incredibly successful we all need good friends and if we are blessed with great friends then we are just incredibly lucky and we just thank God for what he has given us.

Mentor

Now that the election is over I went back to what I was doing before I started with the campaign.  Cutco!  I first started with Cutco back in 2005 in California but when I moved to Arizona a few years I did not have a customer base any longer so I stopped and did a number of different jobs but eventually went back to Cutco mainly because you can make your own schedule and the money can be pretty good.  But I knew I was missing a lot of guidance.  That was something that I really had a lot of in California but now that I am in Arizona I was lacking it.

I got in touch with a friend of mine who used to work with Cutco a few years ago and was pretty successful and now he does motivational speaking throughout the country.  We talked for a couple days and he agreed to be my mentor for a year.  He had done this with other people working in Cutco as well as other professions and they had shown growth in their business so I thought that it would be a great place to start.  Having this man in my life really helped get things in perspective.  Money, health, work and school.  Because we had only known each other for a short time it was easier to talk to him rather than my parents and friends who I had known for a longer period of time. 

Having a mentor was probably one of the best things I have ever committed to doing.  It helps you be accountable to someone else which is fantastic by the way.  And because we have these commitments and calls almost weekly I am driven to meet them, and if I don’t we talk about ways I can next time.  I really wish I would have started working with him earlier.

Results

Numbers, numbers, numbers.  When the districts started reported all of our hearts started to sink.  It was crazy for all of us to think that what we had worked so hard for was for not.  We all saw how the state was in a downward spiral and with the passing of SB1070 we could no believe that people still wanted her in office.  Our what should have been a victory party soon turned into a something else completely different.  I know when I started to see all the districts turn red I felt lost.  Throughout the whole election even when people told me that he didn’t have a chance, I knew he could do it because of his background and his vision the people of Arizona would vote for him.  Especially after the debate when Brewer made a foul out of her self I thought for sure people would see her true colors. 

But when the news called it for Brewer even before all the districts had reported we were devastated.  The anger within the staff spread like a wildfire.  We could not believe that they would do that so early.  Soon after Terry spoke with his family then his staff and said that he was going to concede.  That announcement tore me apart.  Something that I literally bleed for was over.  It didn’t seem real but it was happening right in front of me.  I was crushed and so was the rest of the staff, there was not a dry eye between us.  It was almost as if someone who we loved had died unexpectedly.

E-Day

Finally the day that we have all been working for is here.  The morning did not start as planned because of my epilepsy I had to go home and get at least a couple of hours of sleep but by the time I got back to the office most of the teams that had gone out to put up signs around the state had not gotten back yet.  Once everyone was back we basically got our marching orders.  Teams of two were sent out one polling location to make sure it opened on time and one public location to make sure that people were aware that it was election day and to make sure people knew where their polling locations were.  The polling location that we went to had no problem so we moved directly to a school in the area.  The area that we were in was very hispanic which was perfect because that group usually does not vote and certainly does not vote in the midterm elections.  So using the little spanish I knew I was able to help several people find their polling locations.

Once we were done at the schools we were sent back to the office to make sure that every thing was running smoothly there.  I was only there for a short time until I was sent to a secondary site where we had people going in and out handing out information about Terry Goddard.  There I met up with another coworker where we helped the volunteers with the packets of information that they were handing out. 

The day seemed to go by so fast and as the polling locations closed we all separated and went home to change for what would hopefully for a victory party.  Being with Terry and his family and my colleagues on the roof of the hotel was like nothing else.  I would not have traded that time for anything else.  Knowing what we had done and understanding all of the sacrifices that we gave to get as far as we did made everything worth it.

The Day Before...

Finally it is here the day before the election.  All of our hard work is about to be done and left in the hands of the rest of the citizens of Arizona.  Today we are focused on all the last minute details, which are a lot in an election.  Mainly what can happen tomorrow that will prevent people from getting to a polling location and will people face discrimination there.  Most of the team will not get any sleep, as we will be splitting up at 5am to go throughout the state and place Goddard for Governor signs around polling locations.  Others will go to voting locations to make sure they open on time and are running properly.  And then we will move to schools or other busy locations and make sure people are aware that it is election day and they know where their specific polling location is.

Most of the morning we expect to be pretty busy since we need to be in so many different locations back to back but once we get divvyed up into groups later on in the day there may be down time.  Today will be all about contacting volunteers and making sure that we have enough people at each location to help voters get to polling locations and be on the streets as well.  Months and months of hard work all come down to one day.  It seems kind of crazy when you look at it like that. 

House Parties

As the election neared of course deadlines started to approach faster and faster.  Deadlines can be a good thing when they keep you in perspective but they can be a bad they when you disregard them and dismiss them.  But no matter what you do they don’t disappear and you need to make sure your work is completed by the time that date comes.  The main deadline that we had was a state-wide house party. 

This was a huge responsibility for our small team of interns.  We were put in charge of calling all the people who said they would be willing to help out in anyway to see if they would host a house party in their home.  As you can imagine this was not an easy task and the number they wanted from us was not small at all.  We were attempting to have 100 house parties throughout the state all at once were Terry would give a thank you conference call and talk about his vision for the future as well.  This task took some planning and improvising but we were able to accomplish it with some creativity.  We were suggested a script to tell people but we gave it our own style and made some other necessary changes to get the goal accomplished. 

I think in the end it came down to people understanding that it was going to take more than just Terry and his staff to win the election.  It was going to require the support of the state, or as much as we could get from the state. 

In it to WIN it #2

I have talked about this before; when you plan out something in detail you are more likely to accomplish it.  In my current position planning is everything.  If you fail to plan you plan to fail.  It is essential that you have a plan for every week and every month in order to achieve what you want by the end of the year.  You need to be in it whole-heartedly because if you are not you will never reach your full potential. 

Potential is a funny thing because a lot of the time we limit it to what other people perceive it be instead of we think it could be.  As we all grow up it seems that we put more and more limitations on our selves and restrictions on our own capabilities.  If for just one day we were to let those things go we could probably be able to accomplish some amazing things.  We are only limited by our own perceptions and if we only see ourselves as what we see in the mirror we will never be more than that but if we see what we truly are and what we could be each of us could life changers and amazing individuals. 

In it to WIN it #1

When you enter into an election and enounce your candidacy you should do it with the intention to win the election and then better your district and better your state, which you are representing.  A while ago I found out that although may have been the best person to represent the democrats in the Senate he was not running for the right reasons.  Rodney Glassman was running against a well-known name and veteran in the political world so he needed a strong game plan, which he lacked.  As the election progressed it was easy to see that John McCain had the upper hand on him in everyway.  Even though I am a die-hard Democrat if you listened to both candidates on the issues you would see that McCain was that right man for the job. 

Once the election was over I found out that Glassman was basically in it to just be able to say that he ran for Senate.  He had no belief in himself or his staff that he could actually accomplish what he had set out to do.  Things like this should not be allowed to happen but unfortunately they do and more often than not the public goes unaware of it.

It’s Getting Ugly Out There

In every election season you expect to see and hear some trash talking between the candidates.  But this season in Arizona the candidates decided to run a clean elections campaign so the attack adds did not come out until late in the game and when they did they were hardly noticeable.  The only one that I could remember that even caught us off guard was the rumor that Terry was homosexual.  But I don’t believe we even responded to the rumor, since Terry was married and has a son. 

But if you were to say go to California you would be bombarded by attack adds.  You would hear every dirty secret that every candidate wrong whether it be true or not and most of it was probably blown completely out of proportion but that is what attack adds are all about.  Distraction, distraction, distraction.  They are designed to get your focus off the issues and on the flaws of the other candidate.  Most people don’t participate in the mid-term elections but those who do don’t pay attention to the candidates issues so when they see these adds they get side tracked and just focus on which candidates adds are the most attractive or maybe worse they vote party line. 

Something Bigger Than Yourself

There are few opportunities that you get in life when can be involved with something that will effect not only you or your family but also the entire state.  Over these past few months I have had the opportunity to work with one of the finest political figures I have had the opportunity to meet.  I worked with Terry first at the Attorney General’s Office in the Crime Fraud and Victim Resources Department and then on as intern when he began his race for governor.  Terry has worked hard to better the state of Arizona first as Phoenix’s Mayor and now as the states main law enforcer. 

Being part of his campaign for Governor truly is something great.  You get a front row seat into peoples reactions into how the state is currently being ran and what they want changed.  You get to see what people really care about and what they are passionate about and how far they are willing to go to make the necessary changes.  During the campaign I met people all throughout the state and from every social economic class.  Terry was able to touch each group in a special way and they knew he would be able to help and be there for him because of what he has done for the state in the past.

Goals

 

Goals are a funny thing.  We should have them and I think on some level we all do have them.  Its whether we choose to realize them or not is what makes the difference between all of us.  Inside all of us is the potential for greatness its whether or not we choose to delve deep enough inside ourselves to seek it out.  When most people set out to create a goal all they focus on is the finish line the end result.  They never focus on the many steps it may take to get to achieve that end result.  It is so important for us to map out goals and the steps it takes to get.  Knowing what the end result is fantastic but what is important is to take it one step at a time otherwise you will overwhelm your self. 

 

I have seen this time and time again.  Nothing is impossible, nothing.  As long as you put the time and effort into something you bad enough you can achieve anything.  One of my favorite quotes is from Will Smith, greatness is knowing who I am and what I believe in and the willingness to die for it.  For me if you are willing to put yourself on that next level you can achieve anything.  If you are committed to something enough to die for it nothing can stand in your way.

 

Too Close To Call

With the election just days away and a new poll just released by a third party showing the gap getting even narrower the momentum in definitely on our side.   The countless days on the phone, strategy meetings and phone banks seem that they might pay off in less than a week.  All of my days are spent on the phone calling people from across the state; people who are supporters of Terry who said either in an email or online or in an office that they would like to help in some way.

Over the past few weeks my days have been spent talking to people, these potential volunteers trying to set up house parties, phone banks or group canvases. Arizonans know that this state is in a downward spiral and it is need of a change but I just hope that they will realize it in time for the election. 

Seeing these polls come out as often as they do drive me crazy because the numbers vary so often.  Some only show down a few points some say several.  Often you don’t know which ones to listen to.  All you can do is keep your head to the grindstone and work as hard as you can and keep listening to your constituents and pray that they are listening to you.

The Hunt

As you all know the economy has not seen an upside in a long time.  In fact we are in our second depression as if one wasn’t bad enough.  But those who know me know that I try to find the silver lining to anything.  So my friend and I attempted to team up and buy a house together.  We found a great three bedroom three bathroom in Tempe for $120,000.  But isn’t it always true that those things that seem to be too good to be true usually are.   

After we had an inspection done and a contractor do a walk through we found several things would make the home more trouble than it’s worth.  Something I have learned over the last few years of my life is when to walk away.  Even when you have the paperwork ready and people are counting on you to go through with it there is something that I always keep in the back of my mind.  Its just business, and especially when money is involved your needs and interests must come first above all else.

Separation of Powers

It is easy to be discouraged in a campaign.  Especially when you know your candidate is the right man for the job but he is a Democratic and your state is overwhelmingly Republican.  It seems that every day I get a phone call saying that we need to on TV more attacking Brewer and I totally agree but what a lot of people don't know is that even though Goddard is what is considered the top of the Democratic ticket this election is considered a "clean election" unfortunately.  Believe me unfortunately.  That means that each candidate is only allotted $600,000 in personal fundraising and the rest goes to the Arizona Democratic Party and then is divided among the candidates.  Thats why your not really seeing a lot of ads from either candidate on television but there are a ton on YouTube.  Because you have people like me who can take media that has been filmed at a previous event and splice it together into a 30 second clip and load it onto YouTube.

But what can really be discouraging but also bring interns together is the layout of the office.  We are in a unique building in Phoenix.  It is more of a rectangle than a square so all of the desks are lined up against the wall leaving no one really eye contact with each other.  On the far end you have all the people with titles and on the other end you have the interns.  This has built a strong comradery with the interns but a little internal turmoil within the office because of the separation.  I still have tremendous respect for my colleagues but I think who ever thought that it was a good idea to put everyone where they did was a good idea must have been out of their mind.    A campaign like this with such a minimal budget needs all the support it can get and something as little as desk arrangement should not be the straw in the camel's back.

The Field

A little bit ago another intern and I went to a local farmers market to pass out flyers for Terry to likely voters.  When I was doing sales I used to do recruiting events at malls, movie releases and other busy locations.  So I was no stranger to passing out flyers to strangers and maybe getting some weird looks back for it or even a "no" or two or three or more.  But thats besides the point.  As we were there we had the opportunity to meet and talk to a lot of registered voters and talk to them about the issues and Terry's stance on them which was fantastic.  Because not everyone is able to come down to our head quarters in Phoenix and talk to us.  But is seems among so many things the economy and educations seem be the things that are peoples minds right now.  We did ran across a few teenagers who when we went to talk to them said that they did not believe in voting.  Im not going to lie that that statement stopped me in my tracks.  How can a person not believe in voting.  Its going to happen whether you like it or not.  The government is going to continue to be there even if you don't participate in it.  Why shouldn't you exercise your right to vote, it is your right and your the only one that is taking it away form you.

I find it sad that less than 60% of registered voters voted in our last national election.  I don't understand how we can live in a society where so many people complain about the economy, housing and job market but almost half of them don't participate in our major elections and even less will participate in their state elections.  If you are going to complain about the way your country is ran participate in it.  Volunteer in a public office or better yet run for a public office.  The best way to change the system is to be part of it.  Remember " those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber".

Support

Coming from behind on anything is never fun and is never easy.  But when you are an intern and have a deep background in sales and on the phone its almost a neccessity that you are on the phone in each new job just because you are good at.  Recently I have been put in or kind of thrown into which seems to the case in political campaigns the position of field organizer.  I have been doing the followup calls of all the people who said they supported Terry whether it be on the internet or in our office or during campaign events.  So I have spent my last few weeks and weekends calling hundreds of people and seeing if they would be willing to come into our headquarters in Phoenix and help with a phone bank.  Most people love to help us which is great, and I really mean that they are so grateful to hear from me and to learn how the campaign is going, but their are a few who wonder why we are only doing a phone bank right now with only a month to go.

I think the public is used to seeing national campaigns with huge media blitz where every other commercial is a campaign one.  Where one candidate is bashing another or where a candidate is promoting their agenda over the other.  But then there are the state elections, that don't have the same financial backing.  They usually don't even have the same enthusiasm behind them.  Trust me those of us involved work until we cant work anymore until the very end even if we don't get a pay check at the end of the week.  Because we are all working for the same goal, we all believe in the same thing. And that is the issues and the candidate.   But most people especially the younger generation who were so caught up in this last Presidential election will probably ignore this election even though it will have more impact on their lives than they will even realize until the election is over.  

Networking Forum

In todays economy it seems that job fairs and training seminars are a necessity to those who are still on the hunt for a job.  This one was definitely a new one for me.  Networking is nothing new for me, being sales for a number for a number of years; but actually going to a forum for the purpose of networking is something new for me.

My main attraction for this event was Jim Bochenek who is the Director of Event Operations at the US Airways Center which of course is the home of the Phoenix Suns.  I am originally from California and of course grew up around the Lakers but now am a hard core Suns fan and tries to never miss a game.  But enough about my love with the Suns, back to the topic at hand; networking.  Its easy to network when its you in a room of 10-15 and you are all trying to talk to each other (ie BNI meetings) but now Im competing with 75 other college students for 1 persons attention.  The odds are not stacked in my favor.

One thing they kept mentioning was how each of them started on the ground floor usually as an unpaid intern.  I can understand that today we are faced with tough decisions like that. Do we stay in our current profession or do you take that risk and start a new path that you are not sure where it will lead at an unpaid position.  Even though all of these people kind of have the same type of job, event planning they all do it a little different.  I had an opportunity to talk to Mr. Bochenek about my experience with the Goddard for Governor and some of the events I have helped with and planned for him and to see if that would give me a leg up on my competition, and it seems that even with prior experience Im still put in the internship position.

I was never in this even when the job market with this horrible I could always jump from one job to another with no problem but now I find myself in the unknown.  You can almost say between a rock and bigger rock.  It seems that today you cannot only network but you must market.  Market yourself but thats a discussion for another day.

Recognition?

Today was a day like none other.  Early on before I had actually begun with this campaign I helped a friend write a paper on Veterans Affairs for the Goddard campaign.  Today I found out that it actually got published and will be implemented into action.  Jokingly I told my friend and Political Director of the campaign that our names were missing from the paper and he told me an important lesson that I will not forget.  You hardly ever get direct recognition for the work you do,  especially on the campaign no matter what your title you are always on the phones calling potential volunteers or on the computer putting together call sheets or in the office putting together yard signs.  The only thing that separates an intern and a Political Director most days seems to be a pay check, a title and a weekly staff meeting.

When being an intern it is easy at least for me to find a little resentment in my peers.  But Im always drawn back to what I feel may be my purpose in this campaign and in politics.  It's not recognition or applause that I seek; its knowing that you have helped someone else.  Being in politics you have the unique ability to shape and city, county, state or even country.  If you do it right and for the right reasons, not just for the glory and for the win but for the constituents you can actually cause a dramatic change in peoples lives.  I think a lot of voters have lost sight of this, especially during the midterm elections.

Its important to be proud of the little stuff.  Knowing you made a difference in the day.  Because you showed up, even though you were exhausted.  A favorite quote of mine "Pray not for more blessings, but for more wisdom to make the most of the blessings you already have." really kind of says it all.  When you have a win or talent expand on it, even if its something you don't really like doing but you know it can help other people, it will be worth it.

Traffic Cameras

I know a lot of Arizonans are glad that those cameras on the freeway are no longer active but when they were active they sure did cause a lot of headaches. I know I faced my share camera flashes especially when I would drive to california but today I found my self in front of a judge in an attempt to fight a traffic ticket. Against the advice of maybe wiser people and ignoring the notice in the mail that I was speeding on the freeway or the other notice to appear in court I did my duty as a citizen and did appear. Or thats at least how I justify it and believe that it is my duty to appear when I am summoned, who knows anymore. It seems that the court system in the U.S. has been so jumbled up in talk shows and other what I consider parodies that some people don't even consider our judicial system serious anymore. Today was definitely what I consider a parody of the judicial system.

Now I want to talk about everything that is wrong with what happens when you contest a ticket. It was nothing what I thought. I have had the opportunity and privilege to view court cases in action because of my internship with the Attorney General's Office so I felt that the hearing would have some kind of structure similar to those cases. So when I walked I knew my role and that the burden of proof was on the officer. I was obviously the defendant and and the officer acted as the prosecutor. Every argument I made either by siting a case or siting relating incidents the officer would always come back with the hearsay argument or "I cant comment on that" . My major question is, why is the officer acting as the prosecutor? The court room and judge seemed to be there just for show and it might as well have been the officer and I arguing face to face. The whole thing was a big shab and shouldn't have event taken place.

Give Until It Hurts

You know that exhausted feeling you get when you are attempting to accomplish everything that you want.  When it hurts to walk or you can barely lift your eyes at the end of the day.  My days have been filled with these feelings lately.  I do not regret the decisions I have made to get to where I am.  The way I look at it is no matter good or bad every situation or decision you make gives you an opportunity to put you closer to your goal.  All of us make mistakes in this life we cant help it, unfortunately.  But it is what we do with those mistakes that will make us better or worse for them.  The people who are closest to me know that I have had more than my share of them over these years, but by seeing them as opportunities to improve myself which in some cases is not always easy I am a better man for them.

The other day I was driving home from the Goddard for Governor Head Quarters and was in a nearly fatal car accident.  Luckily I was the only car involved in the accident, so I was the only person injured.  While on the 60 freeway, cars suddenly stopped ahead of me so I turned the wheel left to move into the next lane, but I over corrected and went into the center divider.  Once I realized were I was I overcorrected again but this time to the right spinning my car completely around and putting it in a dead stop facing traffic.  I was fortunate enough to have never have lost conciseness so when bystanders and emergency officials arrived I was alert and able to answer their questions.  By the time they helped me out of my car all that was injured was my right wrist and that was due to bracing myself against the steering wheel according to one of the officers.

Sometimes in a job you know that there is a light at the end but there is so much darkness that you forget about it.  Well because of my background in technology I am constantly on different blogs, facebook pages and websites seeing what new news is being published about either Goddard or the 2010 governors race.  Being exposed to so much free media gives you insight into what people really think about the issues and the candidates.  People are able to disguise themselves with usernames so this anonymity gives them a sense of freedom that they usually don't feel in society.  I have read great things, inspiring things in some of these chat areas and some things that are pure hatred and rantings with no cause but to spread their disgust onto others.  If knowledge is power than it is crucial that young people learn the issues and decide for themselves what is right and just and do not depend on their parents or pastors to determine their political decisions for them.  We can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to what is going on around us.

The Grind

Doing this job (and it is a job because if you were to treat it as anything less you would not be giving it the respect and time it deserves) I often think of the last season of the West Wing.  The one where Jimmy Smits plays a congressman running for president.  Well the reason I think of that particular season or even think of the West Wing at all is that there are several interns working on his campaign, they see all the ups and downs and successes and failures that he goes through on his race for the Presidency.  I feel that I am much like those interns that I see Terry go though those same things.  When he had the hugely successful debate against Jan Brewer but when a poll came out a few days later it still showed that he was down pretty much the same amount that he was before the debate.  I am no mind reader but that depressed me and I have only worked for him for a few months so I can't even imagine how he is feeling.

The desire to succeed is in all of us, some choose to fulfill it and others choose to ignore it.  I know from Terry's past political ambitions going from Mayor to Attorney General he has not ignored his desire to succeed in this world.  Some of us see opportunities as obstacles, I used to be one of those people.  It was great to dream big but when a big opportunity finally came to me it seemed like a huge brick wall that I had no foreseeable way through.  When this opportunity came to me to work for a campaign, some thing that I have never done nor never thought of doing I jumped at it.  When you see something special in someone and know that they can do great things and that you could have the opportunity to be a part of that, only a fool would pass up the opportunity to work with them.

An intern's job may not be glamorous but it is rewarding. Every day is different and every person you meet is truly a treasure.  Some days I spend it loading yard signs into trucks or transporting signs and posts to different locations around the valley.  But other days I have the opportunity to introduce Terry to a crowd and setup a room for him before he gives a speech.  Everyday I know I am making a difference, the people who support the campaign understand what kind of change can be brought by Terry as governor, and that is huge I have never been apart of something this big before.

Working for ..... sake

It seems that more and more people are starting careers as interns in hopes of getting a full-time paid position at a later date.  The rise in this as everyone already knows is the economy.  As more and more companies file for bankruptcy or move overseas, competition for jobs becomes harder and harder.  Arizona has been one of the hardest hit economies in the country where 1 in 10 people are without a job.  Things that used to be just a bonus on a resume like a degree or previous experience in a related field are now essential.  They put you in front of a line of what used to be a few but has now turned into a few hundred.  Without a degree you can cross out most job opportunities and you are left to rely on experience alone which will still put you behind a person with a diploma.  I, myself have been working as an intern while finishing my degree since May, first at the Arizona Attorney General's Office and now recently on the Goddard for Governor campaign.

Elections are won and lost not on a persons stance on an a particular issue but on fear.  Basically focusing in on what people are dreading the most and make their opponent the focus of that dread.  This election is a prime example of this, you have Jan Brewer saying that their are decapitations happening on a regular basis in Southern Arizona and you have Terry Goddard stating the economy in Arizona is at one of its lowest points it has ever been.  Because of this it is our duty as the constituents to know what is fact and what is fiction.  It is essential that we do our research on not only the candidates for Governor but for all the people who are running for public office, you can no longer vote down the party line, it is crucial to know what a candidate stands for and what the candidate has stood for in the past.

I do believe that this may become one of the most rewarding job that I will ever have.  Being able to see how a candidate for a public office is formed and see the process they go through to be elected.  I've had the pleasure to meet so many different people with such a diverse background that I can honestly say that it would never had occurred otherwise.  But I have come to a few pretty hard conclusion relatively fast, and that is, when Terry is elected Governor of Arizona there may not be a job for me in his office.  Due to my lack of qualifications.  The other is that no matter what the outcome of the internship, it is more about the connections made during it and the experiences gaining through it that make it worth it.  If that makes any sense at all.