Deborah Brollini

Now is your time

2012-01-09T20:36:00.002-09:00

"Confess to Pick. Click. Give." and help spread the word.

2012-01-08T10:44:00.006-09:00

It's that time of year again - time to "Confess to Pick. Click. Give." And we hope you'll help us spread the word.

The details:

From Dec. 23, 2011 through Jan. 16, 2012, three (3) lucky winners will win a $500 donation in their name to a participating Pick. Click. Give. nonprofit organization in Alaska.

The first winner will be chosen at random on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011.
The second winner will be chosen at random on Friday, Jan. 6, 2012.
The third winner will be chosen at random on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012.
How you can help:

1. Post to Facebook - Add a message about "The Confessional" to your organization's Page Wall, for example:

"You can support an Alaska nonprofit by "confessing" to Pick. Click. Give. Learn how you can also be entered to win a $500 donation in your name to an Alaska nonprofit of your choice. http://bit.ly/confess2012"

Of course, you'll want to personalize and customize that message. And remember to tag Pick. Click. Give. in your update so our fans can see it, too.

2. Tweet out the information (personalize it for your organization), for example:
Alaska: It's time to "Confess to Pick. Click. Give" & support the causes you care about http://bit.ly/confess2012

Alaska: Win $500 toward an Alaska nonprofit when you "Confess to Pick. Click. Give." http://bit.ly/confess2012

If you mention @pickclickgive so we can retweet you!

3. Share this link with your friends, fans, and followers in email messages, instant messages, and other online communications: http://bit.ly/confess2012

We hope you'll support this effort to spread the word about Pick. Click. Give. to benefit Alaska nonprofits and Alaskans across the state.

2011 Brollini Christmas Greeting

2011-12-14T23:35:00.000-09:00

The Wonderment of Senator Wielechowski

2011-12-03T23:52:00.008-09:00

How much fun is it for me to share with you that I have had to actually block Senator Wielechowski on Facebook. Yup, the nice Senator did not appreciate me calling him out on twitter during session when he was misrepresenting on the Senate floor about the Fraser report data. The man would not let it go, so I blocked him. Senator Wielechowski did not realize at the time that I attended the Meet Alaska Conference in January, and taped all of it.

One thing the public should realize is that Senator Wielechowski was not born or raised here. He has a lot of opinions, and they need to be put into context. If you don't know Senator Wielechowski is a lawyer, and works for the IBEW. So big labor is his passion.

I am a mother, and love my children out loud, and I am fighting for their future each and every day. How does Senator Wielechowski look his kids in the eye while he flushes their future? I can look my children in the eye,

Anchorage man walking his reindeer

2011-11-08T22:09:00.001-09:00

Yes Virginia there is a future

2011-10-30T22:54:00.011-08:00

I am a big thinker, and crazy enough to believe that I can change the world. I truly believe that we can all make the world a better place if we think beyond ourselves, do what is right in our hearts, and live our lives with integrity.. we can leave the world better than we found it. Seeing the world differently, optimistically, and seeing our future...can become our reality. Yes Virginia there is a future.

Man eating an apple. LOL

2011-10-24T22:57:00.001-08:00

Cory Booker shares an inspirational and profound lesson

2011-10-23T20:53:00.004-08:00

“The reality is..our perceptions of the world will often shape the very realities we experience and if we have the courage and the indomitable will to be a person that despite what ever circumstances are physically before us, to have this belief in our heart that things can get better, should get better, will get better, that the potential is there for transformation, we can do incredible things. Especially, when we join our spirits with others.“ Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, NJ

The Men I Admired (and still do)

2011-10-08T14:29:00.014-08:00

Randy Pausch, and Steve Jobs both died of pancreatic cancer, and were two men that I admired. They were both big thinkers, and innovators, and the world lost two great minds to a deadly disease.

It took me 45 years to really understand what “doing what your passionate about” really meant. It has been a long journey, and I am thankful for my friends, and mentors for pushing me in the right direction. I have wasted a lot years living my life for others, and for the first time I’m living the life I deserve, and have never been happier.

Here are two powerful commencement speeches which both Randy Pausch, and Steve Jobs discuss, "doing what your passionate about:"

“You will need to find your passion. Many of you have already done it. Many of you will later, and many will take till your 30s or 40s. But, don’t give up on finding it.

You will not find that passion in things, and you will not find that passion in money, because the more things and more money you have, the more you will just look around and use that as the metric, and there will always be someone with more.

Passion must come from the things that fuel you from the inside, and honors and awards, are nice things. But only to the extent that they regard the real respect from your peers.

In my experience, no mater what you do at work, or what you do in official settings, that passion will be grounded in people, and it will grounded in people, and the relationships you have with people, and what they think of you when your time comes” - Randy Pausch

"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." - Steve Jobs

J.R. Martinez & Karina - Rumba - DWTS 2011

2011-10-04T07:38:00.003-08:00

JR dedicates "If your reading this" by Tim McGraw, and dance to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

2011-10-02T22:10:00.000-08:00

She's going to Vegas Alaska

2011-06-22T09:24:00.003-08:00

Juneau, Alaska's Anna Grayson audition on America's Got Talent last night. She has moved on to Las Vegas. Go Anna Go

Andrew Halcro reads from "Going Rogue"

2011-06-12T16:26:00.010-08:00

My political wingman Andrew Halcro reads from Sarah Palin's going Rogue. Hysterical. Andrew Halcro got under Sarah Palin’s skin

Oh how I love social media

2011-06-09T17:45:00.002-08:00

I am the oil and gas, and Alaska legislative social media queen. Using social media to fight for Alaska, and my children's future.

Normandy American cemetery

2011-05-29T07:44:00.003-08:00

A frenchman thanks a veteran and the United States for liberating his country.

SNL w/Tina Fey as Sarah Palin

2011-05-09T15:50:00.002-08:00

Job well done; justice has been served

2011-05-01T19:54:00.003-08:00

To the men and women of our US military. Job well done. God bless you.

How Great thou Art

2011-04-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

Carrie Underwood w/ Vince Gill. Beautiful.

Brollini Family Christmas greeting

2010-12-19T18:52:00.003-09:00

Alaska's tragedy; domestic violence

2010-12-05T12:15:00.013-09:00

I attended the Eva Foundation Gala (Eva Gala) on November 27, 2010. The gala supports victims of domestic violence, and those they serve are women, children and the elderly. It is a sad commentary that Alaska leads the country in domestic violence, and violent rape. However, we have a Governor taking on this issue, and we have an Alaska community who through organizations like Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis (AWAIC ), and the Eva Foundation that give women the opportunity, and permission to leave abusive partners. I have been a victim of domestic violence and have been a past client of AWAIC.

I have always been ashamed of being a client of AWAIC. But, it was not until I attended the Eva Gala did I realize that my time with AWAIC was a real turning point in my life. I was encouraged to go to AWAIC by my pastor, and close friends. My intake, and experience was not what I expected. I expected this would be “a sit around complaining about my life” exercise. Nothing could be farther from the truth. AWAIC was about helping me, my children, and healing. In comes Detective Glen Klinkhart.

Glen is a childhood friend of mine. His sister was murdered when we were teens, and I always figured the Anchorage Police Department (APD) would be his path. What I was not expecting was Glen presenting to an AWAIC group session. I cried through his entire presentation because I was ashamed. After the presentation he came up to me, and lovingly asked what was going on. I shared with him what had been going on in the home, and his words to me were “those holes in the closets and those holes in the walls will eventually be your head.” Glen was the only one who was able to reach me, and I was done with the relationship forever after our conversation.

At the Eva Gala I introduced Glen ”as the man who saved my life” (which he hates) to my table of girlfriends. What he shared with my friends, “I just opened up the door.” It was my job to walk through the door, and I had never looked at my AWAIC conversation with him in that manner. I believe there was a level of trust I had with Glen. Glen was an APD detective who was instructing on domestic violence at the time, but also a long-time friend who gave me permission to share, and allowed himself to be a safe place for me to fall. Glen did open up the door, and I walked through it… to the rest of my life.

Not all victims have a “Glen,” and have that safe place to fall. Often times friends and family will distance themselves from a victim out of frustration “why does she stay.” I experienced that with many of my close friends. But, after I left the relationship they surrounded me with love and support. For those who have friends in abusive situations, it is not your job to judge. It is your job to listen and provide support. Your friend or family member will leave when they are ready.

The good news in this story is that I now have wonderful men in my life who are respectful, kind, and loving to me, and my children. I have spent the majority of my adult life allowing myself to be disappointed and hurt by men. I am blessed to have men in my life who are only interested in my happiness, and respect me as a woman. I’ve learned a lot over the past two years by focusing on myself. Even though my life experiences have been painful… I would never change the experiences or outcomes. I am who I am today because of those experiences, and I love my life.

Senator Ted Stevens

2010-11-24T00:38:00.009-09:00

I know many out there differ with me politically. But, we can all agree Ted Stevens left a mark on our state.

I think about him everyday and thank him for my blessed life.

Enjoy your birthday Senator (November 18th). I know your shaking it up for Alaska.

Just a little video of thanks from me to Uncle Ted and his family.

I've been gathering pictures and video from my archive, and put this together after visiting with Lily Stevens on November 17th.

Is suicide a selfish act?

2010-10-04T19:12:00.028-08:00

I have been Dan Fagan free for a week now. I have a lot of respect for Dan Fagan and we agree on so much more that we disagree on. I have a love-hate relationship with him, and always will. We can beat each other up on issues, and not take it personally. I have chosen to not call into the show to debate Murkowski/Miller, or 8(a) because I felt it would not be productive, or helpful. Mainly for me.

I have gone “Fagan free" because of comments he made on his radio show September 27th regarding the suicide of an attorney who prosecuted Senator Ted Stevens. He stated that suicide was a “selfish act.” However, what took me off guard was his response to a caller who asked him to consider what he was saying, and Dan callously wanted to know if the caller wanted him to put up a suicide hotline. That may not be the context or the actual statement. But that spoke volumes to me about Dan’s heart regarding suicide.

My best friend committed suicide 27 years ago in the fall of our senior year. No one knew she was depressed including her family. Last fall 2009, I was listening to a community health aide tell her story about her best friend committing suicide when she was in junior high. I shared with her that my best friend committed suicide in my senior year, and I know now I will never get over it.

I have a friend Representative Anna Fairclough whom shared with me last summer that her father committed suicide, and we share a heavy heart. Anna has been working tirelessly to end suicide in our state. Rep. Fairclough sponsored legislation to look to end daylight savings time in Alaska. Why? There might be evidence of increased death, and suicide due to a daylight time change. This legislation was defeated. My friend committed suicide the week after the daylight savings time change. I ask those legislators who opposed this legislation. What if it saves one life? What if it saves the ones left behind a lifetime of guilt and shame? Please reconsider.

http://alaskajournal.com/stories/031910/opi_6_002.shtml

http://www.timeanddate.com/news/time/alaska-daylight-saving-time.html

2010 Alaska State Fair

2010-09-04T22:40:00.000-08:00

O America

2010-02-05T09:28:00.001-09:00

Not available on youtube mobile

Brought tears to my eyes... as a woman who has a profound love of my country and my state. God Bless America, and the GREAT state of Alaska!