It had to be done...

As much as I love some of our local Alaskan blogs, there are times I feel that merely being able to comment on the stories they post is NOT nearly enough. So, for better or worse, I started this blog to add to the discourse.

In the interest of full disclosure I will say up front that I am a registered Republican, but not the kool-aid drinking neocon type. I am a fiscal conservative. Being poor most of one's life will do that to you. I am also one who happens to have an idea that Republicans desperately needs to get back to the roots of their party with progressive ideas, ideals and policy. Think Abe Lincoln. Think Teddy Roosevelt. Yeah those Republicans (and/or "Bull Moose").

As my friend CelticDiva would tell you, I am straight but not narrow (with ALL that entails). I support equal pay for equal work. I am pro-choice and frankly feel that as someone who doesn't own a uterus I don't really have much say in a woman's choice over what she decides to do with her body. I am a single parent, having raised a wonderful son from around his tenth birthday until he left home at eighteen. I am also the proud grandparent of two perfectly awesome grandsons. I am also a dual cancer survivor.

In my lifetime I have been a radio announcer for over fourteen years, having worked in Anchorage at KWHL/KFQD and KKLV/KHAR and KRKN. I was a musician, touring a wide swath of Alaska with the band "Sport N' Woodies" as well as being member of local Anchorage phenomenons "Local Hoax" and "Salvador's Dolly" along with my friends Jeff Menter and Keema Waterfield.

I am currently working as what is termed a "litigation support technician", with many of my duties and functions overlapping those of a traditional paralegal though I am not officially the latter. As such I do get to see a lot of the documents for many of the important cases that appear in both the federal and state court systems, but since it is my sworn duty to uphold confidentiality in all instances for the clients I work for I WILL NOT be leaking ANY information from said documents. I like my life and my job far too much to risk it by doing something as foolish as betraying the trust of my employer or our clients.

While I do identify as Republican it is almost guaranteed that I will piss off a bunch of people, both Republican and Democrat alike by my ideas. I consider myself to be a progressive thinker but one with strong tendencies towards what has been termed "moderate" or "centrist" ideals. I hope that you enjoy this blog and will welcome wholeheartedly any reasoned comments and ideas that you can add to the discourse. Even if we don't always see eye to eye on the issues.

-Laz