I’m finally updating this on Thursday morning 9/5/2019. The last week and a half have been very very busy. Between my day gig, the PodCast and pre production and post production doctors visits, errands and hosting my final big BBQ of the year even making time for rest has been more difficult than usual. But I am sleeping very very well and knock on wood!
So early last week I discovered Presidential Candidate Tulsi Gabbard a military combat veteran serving as the U.S. Representative for Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Elected in 2012, she became the first Samoan American and the first Hindu member of the United States Congress. I found her by complete accident and it is a stroke a luck that I finally found a candidate I can put my support. I was wacting YouTube PodCasts and came across comedian Nick Di Paolo who I used to hear on the old Howard Stern show. He broke down the cat fight between Kamala Harris and Tulsi Gabbard and CNN’s second Democratic Debate. I immediately googled her and after much research signed up for her website updates and ordered a sign for my window and a bumper sticker. You can see video of Nick Di Paolo laughing about it at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpdjH5Nyf90
Her resume is a stack of firsts: She is the youngest person ever elected to Hawaii’s state legislature and the first Hindu in Congress, as well as one of its first two first female combat veterans. Gabbard is American-Samoan, an ardent surfer (who got engaged while surfing) and has stretched across the political spectrum — nominating Bernie Sanders for president in 2016, and later that year meeting with then President-elect Donald Trump.
If elected president in 2020, she would take office before turning 40 and become the youngest person ever in the job. Here is what Tulsi Gabbard believes on some key issues in the 2020 race.
Climate change: Mandate an end to the use of fossil fuels for electricity by 2050. Ban fracking.
One of the most aggressive pieces of climate change legislation in Congress, Gabbard’s “OFF Fuels for a Better Future Act” would mandate a dramatic move away from fossil fuels. The plan would require electric utilities to use 80 percent renewable resources by 2027 and 100 percent by 2035. In addition, it would set similar goals for car emissions, mandating zero emissions by 2050. Finally, it would end all subsidies and tax breaks for fossil fuels and it would ban fracking.
Education: Tuition-free community college for all and tuition-free public university for most families.
Gabbard backs Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ proposal to cut or eliminate higher education tuition for most Americans. She would make community college tuition-free for all Americans, and four-year public colleges tuition-free for students whose families make $125,000 or less per year. The plan would pay for that tuition by imposing a new tax on stock and bond trades.
Guns: Ban assault weapons and require universal background checks.
In Congress, Gabbard has co-sponsored bills that would ban assault weapons and require background checks for all gun purchases, including closing what is known as the “gun-show loophole.”
Health care: Create “Medicare for All,” a universal, government-sponsored health care system.
Gabbard co-sponsored a bill to create a government-run system to provide health care for all residents of the United States. That bill, “The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act,” would pay for health care by increasing taxes on the wealthiest 5 percent of Americans, create a progressive excise tax on payroll and self-employment, tax unearned income, and also tax stock and bond transactions (not just the gains from those transactions).
Social Issues: Protect abortion rights. Ban discrimination based on sexual preference, identity.
Gabbard believes that abortion should remain legal and accessible. She voted against a proposed ban on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. She supports the legal status of same-sex marriage, opposes attempts to bar transgender Americans from the military and supports laws to ban discrimination based on sexual preference.
In both of these areas, Gabbard has changed her position since she entered politics at age 21. She was initially anti-abortion, or opposed to increased abortion access. In 2004, she opposed a bill allowing civil unions for same-sex couples in Hawaii. Hawaii’s LGBT caucus withheld their endorsement from her in 2016. She has said that her time in Iraq sparked soul-searching and led to changes in her beliefs.
Military intervention: Withdraw from Afghanistan and Syria.
In general, Gabbard believes the U.S. should be less involved in foreign conflicts and have a smaller troop presence in many places around the world. She has specifically called on the U.S. military to pull out of Afghanistan, arguing that American troops completed their mission there andallow the country to chart its own course.
Gabbard also opposes U.S. military presence and action in Syria. In 2017, she sparked controversy after announcing that she had met with Syrian leader Bashar -al-Assad at his invitation. A few months later, she sharply questioned U.S. conclusions that a chemical attack in 2017 was directed by Assad’s regime. And recently she has criticized those who say U.S. troops should stay in the country. Gabbard believes the U.S. is in Syria primarily to force a regime change, something she argues is a mistake and being pushed by leaders who are “attached to war.”
The congresswoman believes U.S. action around the world often benefits extremists. She also has argued that Democrats and others should not back away from the term “Islamic extremists.”
Saudi Arabia: End U.S. support for Saudi-led conflict in Yemen.
Gabbard has said the U.S. is complicit in a humanitarian disaster by giving support to the Saudis, because they have cut off aid to large parts of the Yememi population while battling rebels there. She also sent a controversial tweet that was highly critical of Trump following news that the U.S. was standing by Saudi leadership despite intelligence implicating the kingdom’s crown prince in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
A nice ride both in and back home from work on my own Taco Tuesday. I woke “hump day” morning to see that our last show was not only listened to across the states but also in: Hamburg Germany, Mexico City Mexico, Itoigawa Japan, Tambov Russian Federation, Vladivostok Russian Federation, Saint Leonards United Kingdom, Edinburgh United Kingdom, Craigieburn Australia, Concord Australia and Sydney Australia.
I ate shrimp tacos and fajitas for 3 days and LOVED it. The weather was perfect and somehow by a stroke of luck it only rained while I was in the office and it rained pretty hard but magically stopped shortly before I had to bike home from work.
Today found this little piece I penned 3 years ago.
I have a scrapbook full of memories and pictures on a wall
I’ve got a guitar full of melodies and poems for them all
I have a notebook full of love-songs with you on every line
But sweetest are the memories forever in my mind
It seems all my life I’ve shied away the chance of true love affair
From the misty eyes of a lovers eyes, and some who may have cared
With you there was no question, loves validity was there
Sunny sandy walks and late night talks of feelings that we shared
Montrose Beach Wednesday mourning
Valerie Kenwell in TX was watching an old PodCast and sent me this screen shot. I love when people do that.
Alcala’s Western Wear 1733 W. Chicago Ave. Chicago, IL 60622
After my doctor appointment with Oncologist May Hashimi, M.D. who is just wonderful I went to biked to the bank and then all the way over to Ukrainian Village on the west side to Alcalas https://www.alcalas.com/ which is 5.6 miles in traffic and no bike lanes. I got there and bought a nice new wool cowboy hat, scoped out my next one and browsed the gator boots.
I was feeling nostalgic and biked over to my first Chicago apartment from 1998 in Wicker Park on Hermitage where I lived for a year on teh second floor. It was the best apartment I had till I moved into this one in 2017 I was hoping the new Checkers would be open but it was not so I went to Choppers www.choppers-chicago.com and had a big wonderful burger. I hadn’t been there to eat in 20 years. It was so full of everything bad for me that I was harpy I was biking.
1659 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
I spent Saturday marinating boneless ribs, chicken legs, and tenderloins and cooked up Carne Carnitas, pulled pork and pulled chicken as well as some pasta salad and salsa for the Post PodCast BBQ. After I was done interviewing and doing a very funny PodCast with Billie and Leon from Electric Revolution I began grilling Cassie was a big help in taking down the PoCast gear and putting it away with me.
Angela Denk is with Deb Ty Coon, Alex Zander and Cassie Balazic
Once in a while the stars align and a feel-good meme hits me in the repost bone. Even less often, I’m kid-free and off work for a couple days.
An old sister, a new sister, a fellow writer and lover of music who has offered me space in his world, and of course my cat, because he sat vigil with me the first half of this weekend while I slept off most of this 👎🏻👎🏻 cold.
I’ve been all over the last 24 hours, geographically and otherwise.
Now I’m heading home to reunite with my babes who had their own adventures this weekend. Love love, my friends. Happy Labor Day
The one and only—someone to wax poetic over GnR with me. The host with the most.
A VERY MOTLEY KREW
Know her since 2003, Kaylani Lei Pornographic actress who I used to name and I’ve told her she was the prettiest face in adult. Lei was born in Singapore and spent most of her childhood in Massachusetts, United States. She is of Chinese and Filipino descent but does not speak any Tagalog.
