My four-step foolproof plan to fix our corrupted government:

Look, I'm no political expert, I have only a Bachelor's degree in international relations. But even I can see what's ruining politics in this country and here's my plan to fix it. The problem is all these "fixes" are probably never going to happen for the very fact that they exist. It's a catch-22 in that regard.

1. Campaign finance reform

Our government was set up to be a government of the people. Now it seems we have become a government of the money. Money, and therefore bribery, has infiltrated the halls of Congress by way of campaign spending. Rich individuals and rich interest groups can effectively buy candidates thanks to a campaign finance loophole that allows PACs and Super PACs. If you want to run for election in this country, you need either rich friends or to be rich yourself. Scholars have figured out that we don't live in a democracy any more, but an oligarchy. A country run by the elite. To fix this, we need to set a definitive limit on campaign spending and make Political Action Committees illegal. Money does not equal free speech. The end.

2. Senate and House term limits

Take Orrin Hatch. He's 81 and has been a Utah Senator since 1977 -- that's almost four decades. Not only is he old and needs to retire, but he is out of tune with Utah and stuck in his ways. Sure, you can say that he is "experienced," but his incumbency every six years means that no new voices with fresh ideas stand a chance to take his seat. Plus, he hasn't lived in Utah in 38 years, he's lived in Washington. How can he really represent his constituents when he doesn't know them? And living and working in Washington for 38 years will only make one jaded and lost in the games of politics.

Term limits mean a couple of things. It means no career politicians who become out of touch with the public. It means once a politician's term limit is approaching and he or she isn't worrying about winning the next election, they can actually work on tough, controversial legislation without fear of how their efforts and opinions could be misconstrued during the election cycle. Some people call presidents in their last term "lame ducks," but it must be a liberating feeling to know that they can fearlessly follow their conscience and freely do the job we've entrusted them to do.

3. Proportional representation for the House (and state legislatures)

Here's the biggie. I'm sick of our winner-takes-all system that has led to gerrymandering and extremist politicians. Proportional representation is the system the UK and most other democracies in the world follow. In fact, when the US goes into and "sets up democracies" in other countries, as we most "nobly" do all the time, we usually design a proportional representation system instead of our own winner-takes-all.

The difference is this:

In the current system, for House congressional elections we have electoral districts where 1 district = 1 candidate. That means whichever candidate with the largest share of the vote wins. It sounds simple enough, but it has led to our two party system and, thanks also to closed and caucus primaries, a polarizing of ideologies in Washington. It has also caused the gerrymandering of districts to make an all-Republican or all-Democrat area. I think the winner-takes-all system has led to our legislation stalemate.

Instead, a proportional representation gives a proportional number of seats to a proportional amount of votes. For example, the state of Washington has 10 representatives serving in the House. In an election year, if 40% of the votes went to the Democrats, then they would win 4 of the 10 seats. If 30% went to the Republicans, then they would win 3 of the 10 seats. If 20% went to Independents, they would get 2 seat. And if 10% went to the Libertarians, they get 1 seat. This allows smaller parties entry into government, allows more voices, and makes for a more competitive election because not only is the Democratic party fighting for a greater number of seats, but candidates within the party are fighting each other to sit in the seats their party will be allotted. On the ballots, we would vote for both parties and candidates.

4. Open primaries for the Senate

Since the Senate already doesn't have districts, the way to end the polarization of ideologies is to allow for open primaries. Or, at least, non-caucus primaries. When we hold caucuses, only the most politically-exuberant people come. They can take all day and can be boring if you're an average human. Meaning, the people with the most vehement and often extremist views are left in charge of electing the candidate who will represent us all in the general election. It makes no sense. Instead, we should have primaries with all candidates listed and the top two (no matter what party) move on to the general election.

So, there you have it. The Deborah Sutton approved guide to fixing our government.

Oh, and we need more women in congress.

How I plan to live a Gone with the Wind life on my mission in 16 steps:

From my peaches and preaching blog:

It's only fitting to make as many the Gone with the Wind references as possible when one is about to leave on a mission to Georgia. Here's to hoping that I am as glamorous, but not nearly as obnoxious and selfish as Scarlett O'Hara while I'm there.

Thank you Beth for helping me compile this.

1. Me the last few months with no job, just waiting and waiting and waiting to leave:

2. While I'm proselytizing:

3. When I score a "new" outfit from a sister who is going home:

4. P-day naps:

5. At a member's home for a delicious dinner after no member-provided meals for five days:

6. When I realize that I'm actually really quite alone, my companion hates me, and most people close their doors in my face:

7. When 18 year-old elder tries to act extra cool to impress me:

8. When my companion tells me about her boyfriend back home every day:

9. When only my mom emails me that week:

10. On the really bad, discouraging days:

11. But staying hopeful despite the bewilderment:

12. My companion's response when I get too excited about the news that the only hot elder will be at Zone Conference:

13. When I want to get hot Elder Ashley's attention at Zone Conference:

14. The other sisters at Zone Conference:

15. Me after my mission president gives me a stern talking-to about my choice of clothing:

16. What I wish will really be happening, but isn't because a) I'm on a mission so I'm a nun for 18 months and b) men like Clark Gable don't exist anymore.

(Just kidding on those last ones guys, I promise to never wear a scandalous red, feathery dress ever.)

Hi, I'm 23 and I'm attracted to men:

I finally read Mindy Kaling's book and it was incredible. Every young twenty- and thirty-something man and woman should read it. Men, for a glimpse into the female psyche; women, for something so relatable you'll laugh and cry and gurgle with emotion.

One of the chapters is called "Men and boys" and articulates brilliantly everything I feel about this harrowing distinction between males. That being said, below is my own essay on the topic:

I remember two vivid instances when my blossoming adulthood self had epiphanies about my own maturing tastes in men. It sounds gross, I know, but let me explain.

For me, as a teenager, I was into boys with skinny legs, flippy hair, and feminine faces. The ones who were late bloomers and as such were quiet and mysterious and social observers. Think Aaron Johnson in Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging and Logan Lerman circa 2007. They were so cute with their boyish skin, flat bums, and skater clothes.

Oh Aaron Johnson, you still make my teen heart swoon.

At 18, I remember the moment when I was eating french fries with my brother in Five Guys and this gorgeous 45-or-so year old man walked in. The fry midway to my mouth dropped. He was beautiful and tall and wore nice clothes and, most notably, he had this wonderful mixed dark brown and silver hair. A demigod in a fast food chain. Also, a demigod who could easily be my dad. The latter freaked me out. Ew, who am I? I was repulsed, but also intrigued by what I felt.

When I was a kid, we didn't have cable or satellite, only bunny ears sitting on top of a 1980s turn-dial television. It was color, thank goodness, but if you wanted to change between one of our four-and-a-half channels, you had to get up off the couch, turn the dial, and readjust the antenna as necessary. Among those four (and a half if you counted the WB beneath the static) channels, there wasn't much choice in after-school programming. I never watched cartoons, or Nickelodeon, and I didn't know who Lizzie McGuire was until I was 16. I did know every syndicated show on Pax. My afternoons consisted of reruns of Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Remington Steele, and Are you being served? My evenings were all about Touched by an Angel, Diagnosis Murder, and the nightly news. I was a very cultured kid.

Remington Steele was my favorite. Did I understand the complexities of the murders and affairs? No. Did I totally dig the romantic tension between Steele and Holt? Yes. Was Pierce Brosnan the epitome of male beauty when I was 9? No way, he had chest hair and it was gross. Yes, he was superior to even grosser Sean Connery. But at the time I was way more into hairless Mary Kate and Ashley movie love interests, Lance Bass, and sometimes Tom Welling circa 2001, but only because my sister thought he was hot.

At 17, I rewatched every season of Remington Steele on Hulu (back before there were commercials and things). To use Mindy's term, it was a sexual awakening for me. His coiffed hair, English accent, great-fitting suits, and tie bars were one thing, but at the end of nearly every show after Laura Holt and he have solved an impossible mystery, nearly died, and had a moment of almost intimacy, his shirt is always unbuttoned partway exposing that glorious chest hair, his sleeves rolled up exposing his even more glorious arm hair (I know, I'm disgusting), he's drinking a tumbler of scotch, and being incredibly romantic and caring of Laura. It was near impossible to watch, it was so titillating. All I wanted was replica of 1980s Pierce Brosnan to appear and sweep me away forever.

I would've posted a completely shirtless picture, but I didn't want you to think I was too gross.

(Yes, for those of you who have read the book, Mindy's anecdote about Pierce Brosnan brought to remembrance my own.) 

And after those moments and subsequent moments in my early college dating life, I realized that I'm into men. Not boys, men. Don't get me wrong, I can still be into skinny guys and I still love flippy hair. Being a man isn't all about looks, except for you know facial hair, arm hair, chest hair, wherever else hair, it's a state of being. 

I want a man, instead of a boy, because a man has a salary job and a college degree (or two), he knows how to buy jeans that fit, he knows what's the best haircut for his hair type, he knows how to look up good restaurants on Yelp and appreciates the quality of food being served, he makes plans, he's taken time to learn how to cook instead of deciding that it's a skill he doesn't need since he'll eventually get married so whatever, he wear nice shoes and clothes at a least a J. Crew level, he knows what's up in Yemen because he follows commendable news sources, he understands what feminism actually means and doesn't freak out when people mention it because, by definition, he is one, he wears a non-ostentatious watch, he reads books to learn, and, most importantly, he has adult conversations in order to resolve conflict because the I-can't-express-my-feelings-so-I'm-giving-you-the-silent-treatment is for kids, okay. The man also being undeniably handsome is also wonderful, too.

Yes, this was 1980-something and yes it's still acceptable to wear clothing like this. Especially if you're a hot ass private eye.