Category Archives: Politics

Shea Holds Down the Fort

While I was in Chicago for a conference for several days, Shea took care of the dogs and did some tabling at the Farmer’s Market. He also attended a VGN and made a keto-friendly cheesecake and got some pool time in with some friends, as well as going to karaoke.

ACLU Lobbying with Assemblymember Wilson

After a lovely lunch in downtown Suisun, a group of us from the Norcal ACLU Chapter had the privilege of meeting with State Assemblymember Lori Wilson to discuss pending legislation in Sacramento, including measures such as the problem with masked and unidentified “officers” and preventing assistance to the unhoused from being criminalized, which some municipalities have attempted to do. Assemblymember Wilson and her staff were terrific, as always. This was my third time meeting with her in the last few years. The other two times for me were with the American Heart Association on tobacco industry legislation. I love melding minds with such dedicated activists. From left to right are Kaila, me, Assemblymember Wilson, Tanisha, Cliff, and Kimberlee in the group photo.

These pictures include the decor in the waiting room and pictures Shea took of me. I didn’t dress up too fancily, but it was worth seeing what I looked like. I ditched the blazer because it was 100 degrees in Suisun that day. I look drunk in one of the pictures, but you get the idea..

Friend’s Book Signing

My friend and neighbor, Satish (Sam) Chohan, published a book called “Trojan Horse – Democracy Hijacked.” We got our copy at his book signing at the local JFK Library here in Vallejo. He’s on the Board of Glen Cove Community Association with me. I’m so proud to know him and volunteer with him as he and his lovely physician wife always have great ideas for our community!

You can buy his book on Amazon here!

Tobacco End Game Presentation at City of Hope’s Pride Health Symposium

After working remotely for more than four years, I finally had a good excuse to fly down and see our gorgeous campus in Duarte, California. I had sometimes waved to the building from the freeway when driving by on my way to vacation in Palm Springs, but on this day I had the privilege of speaking about my pro bono tobacco activism at the Pride Health Symposium!

This is the presentation of my life! In it I summarize decades of pro bono activism in tobacco control that I’ve done, but most importantly it exposes so much of what Big Tobacco continues to do to poison humans all over the world. I also concentrate on the strides that have been made locally in the Bay Area in the last several years, but since I started this in the 1990’s it’s always been about fighting the industry worldwide. My presentation is 50 minutes long and that’s after I had to cut it back. I was so honored to speak at the Pride Health Symposium at my employer’s campus for the Board I joined for LGBTQ employees. I gave this in late June for Pride Month, but I work on this issue all year long. It’s highly personal and I’m very proud of it. I can almost not believe I got through it. Thank you to so many for your support!

Here is the official video of the presentation I gave:

I was also recently asked to join the Board of Pride in the City, which is the LGBTQ employee group. My closest fellow co-workers also came from far and wide to support me, which was so heart-warming. I am very lucky to work with such great people and such an important institution fighting the scourges of cancer and diabetes every day!

Kelly took the beginning of my presentation.
Selfie video on our gorgeous zen campus!

Artichokes and Lemons

We had a wonderful time with fellow Stephanie Miller fan (we’re both Steph-heads), Vallejoan, and progressive activist friend Diane Hume in her gorgeous home and garden. We compared notes on several subjects and check out this beautiful haul I got from her garden! Fresh lemons and artichokes? My favorites!! Diane is another reason why I know I made the right decision when I moved to this city five years ago!