Saturday, April 20, 2024

The Controversial life of OJ Simpson

From a young age, Orenthal James Simpson (aka OJ Simpson aka OJ aka The Juice) was destined to be the center of attention.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:O.J._Simpson_1990_%C2%B7_DN-ST-91-03444_crop.JPEG

OJ Simpson

His first claim to fame was as an excellent dodger of tackles on the football field.

https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/lists/o-j-simpson-usc-heisman-trophy-profile/

Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Southern Cal's OJ Simpson dodging tacklers from Notre Dame

10/14/1967

He came to national attention as a running back for the University of Southern California. There, he won the Heisman Trophy, the ultimate award in all of college football.

He ended his college career in the 1969 Hula Bowl, the college all-star game taking place in the now-former Honolulu Stadium. During that game he ran 88 yards for a touchdown in one of the greatest plays in that stadium. Even today, his performance in that game was ranked as one of the greatest to have occurred in that now-former stadium.

OJ Simpson went on to play 11 years in the NFL as one of the greatest running backs of all time.

His highlights are still seen as the gold standard for running backs as he could dodge tackles better than nearly everyone else in sports history. Even today, the new generation of athletes (whose parents probably weren't even born yet when OJ was playing) watch his highlights in admiration as they dream of being the next OJ!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_bAKdDWjFQ

Just one of MANY highlight videos of OJ Simpson

His football career may have ended at the end of 1979, but OJ Simpson wasn't going to fade into obscurity. He already appeared in one of the most legendary TV advertisements for Hertz rental cars where he was seen running through the airport in a suit-and-tie. He was one of the first African-American athletes to appear in mainstream TV ads, paving the way for Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, Shaquille O'Neal, and many more.

OJ also became a film actor appearing in the historical film "Roots" and the comedy "Naked Gun" series.

He was also a sports broadcaster for ABC.

OJ seemed to have it all - the athletic talent, charisma, fame, fortune, whatever one desires.

However, OJ Simpson also had a negative side.

He was in an abusive relationship with his wife Nicole Brown Simpson. Over the years, she called the police on him after he gave her another beatdown.

But OJ Simpson had friends in the police department willing to cover for him. The whole thing was glossed over as OJ continued to appear in movies, ads, and sports broadcasts.

Nicole finally had enough in 1992, divorcing him for good. However, because they had children together, they couldn't totally avoid each other.

Instead of moving on, OJ continued to stalk Nicole. Nobody gets away with running from "The Juice".

Then on the night of June 12, 1994, as Ron Goldman was visiting Nicole's home, both were stabbed to death.

A few days later, the police revealed OJ Simpson as a suspect in the case.

Most of us couldn't believe it. OJ Simpson, the charismatic athlete who made us laugh in Hertz ads and Naked Gun movies? That guy? No way!

The LAPD asked OJ Simpson to turn himself in.

But OJ escaped with long-time friend AC Cowling driving the now famous white Ford Bronco on the freeway.

https://www.biography.com/crime/oj-simpson-bronco-chase-car-museum

Photo credit: Ted Soqui/Sygma via Getty Images

OJ in the white Ford Bronco

This was such big news that when my dad came home from work, he told me to turn on the TV as he was hearing about the Bronco chase occurring.

The NBA Finals were going on at the same time, as NBC cut away from the game to showcase the car chase.

OJ Simpson ended up surrendering when the white Ford Bronco reached his house.

=====

The trial

The trial became BIG NEWS.

That's all the TV stations wanted to showcase!

(note: social media as we know it today didn't even exist. The internet was a few years away from becoming mainstream. TV was the center of media consumption back then)

Nevermind that wars were going on halfway around the world, affecting many more lives!

Reporting on those issues doesn't attract as many viewers as OJ!

So there it was! It was OJ all-day!

Even as a middle-schooler back then, I thought this obsession with the OJ case was just too much.

It wasn't just about celebrity and a shocking crime.

This was only a few years after the 1992 LA Riots. The one that occurred after the 4 LAPD cops were found Not Guilty of assaulting Rodney King.

Tensions were already high in the City of Angles.

And now here's a case with 2 "white" victims (one Anglo woman and one Jewish man) and 1 "black" suspect (of course, OJ Simpson).

There were worries that a guilty verdict was going to set off riots in South Central LA again.

Nevermind that OJ Simpson never spent much time in South Central, that he had mostly European-American friends, and that he had cops as friends.

There were conspiracy theories that the LAPD was out to get OJ because he was a "famous rich black man".

It didn't help that one of the LAPD detectives involved in the investigation, Mark Fuhrman, was previously recorded making racist remarks about African-Americans.

There was a bloody glove (with OJ's DNA) found at Nicole's house) and the other bloody glove was found in OJ's white Ford Bronco.

But being that Fuhrman found the gloves, this brought up conspiracy theories of LAPD racism.

Then in the trial, OJ was asked to try on the gloves. He acted as if he had difficulty putting the gloves on.

Then OJ's lawyer Johnnie Cochran said "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit"

I've been in workplaces where the only gloves available were the "medium" gloves that don't fit my hands very well. Guess what phrase enters my mind when that happens? "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit!

I guess you must acquit me if I've done anything wrong while wearing those gloves).

https://www.businessinsider.com/oj-simpson-glove-why-2016-6

photo credit: Reuters/Sam Mircovich

As if nobody has ever put on gloves that didn't fit perfectly in the entire history of the universe

==================================

The thing about trials is that they're not about the morality of the situation, they're about the technicalities of the situation. It's about how what was mentioned in the trial fits the technicalities of the law.

During a criminal trial, the burden of proof is on the prosecution, who has to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Therefore, the defense doesn't really need to prove innocence, just planting a seed of reasonable doubt is good enough!

The jurors listened to 911 calls regarding OJ's past abuse of Nicole and heard all the forensic evidence linking OJ to the crime.

But there was still reasonable doubt, because the investigating officer Mark Fuhrman was a racist, and the gloves didn't fit perfectly.

So OJ was found "Not Guilty"

But remember, a "Not Guilty" verdict DOES NOT MEAN "proven innocent.

It ONLY MEANS prosecutors haven't proven guilt BEYOND a reasonable doubt.

So if you're a juror and if you still have any uncertainty, you have to choose NOT GUILTY

NOT GUILTY is NOT "certainty the person is innocent"

NOT GUILTY only means "guilt not proven beyond a reasonable doubt"

------

After the trials, the TV cameras showed crowds of European-Americans expressing disapproval of the verdict, while crowds of African-Americans were cheering.

Multiple commentators were saying that the African-American cheering of OJ's "Not Guilty" wasn't so much about the love of OJ (who had mostly European-American friends), but it was more about payback for Rodney King, Emmett Till, and all the other African-Americans who didn't get justice.

But Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman HAD NOTHING to do with the LAPD beating of Rodney King, NOTHING to do with Emmett Till's murder, NOTHING to do with slavery or segregation. Didn't matter, the attitude was "whitey has to lose sometime".

=============

Me, living in Hawaii, thousands of miles away, two African-American reactions here locally were memorable.

The first was in my 8th-grade computer class where an African-American boy said "I think OJ Simpson is guilty" and then a Polynesian girl asked him "Why aren't you supporting the black community?" Really? Does he have to confirm a stereotype?

(note: that school, Kawananakoa Middle School has VERY FEW African-Americans. The school's population is mostly Asians and Pacific Islanders)

( years later, when I mentioned about that to a college classmate who attended middle/high school with a larger African-American population, he said that African-American boy in my class would've been in big trouble if he said "OJ is guilty" out loud)

The second memorable reaction was on the day of the verdict. The verdict was supposed to come out at 7am (Hawaii time) which meant I would be on the bus to my high school (I was in 9th grade at that point). One African-American male on the bus was listening to the radio on his Walkman and said "Yes, yes, Not Guilty". Most of the other people on the bus were Asian immigrants so I have no idea what they were saying after they heard the "Not Guilty" verdict!

======

The murder trial was over, but Ron Goldman's father filed a wrongful death lawsuit against OJ.

That civil trial wasn't televised, so there was less content for the TV stations to analyze.

That trial didn't feature Mark Fuhrman, no trying on the gloves, but more forensic evidence against OJ.

OJ was found liable. Meaning that though he didn't have to go to jail, he now owed money to the families of the victims.

OJ left California, moved to Florida, and filed for bankruptcy. Based on Florida's bankruptcy laws, he didn't pay, though if OJ ever set foot in California, there would be a warrant and he would have to pay.

So no more Cali for OJ.

A few years later, OJ moved to Nevada. While living there, he found out that some of his autographed merchandise was stolen, and he gathered a group of men to confront the alleged thieves. But it was OJ that was then arrested for armed robbery. He spent 9 years in prison. Though he was trying to recoup what was actually his, the verdict was basically payback for the totally unrelated case of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

OJ Simpson was eventually released. By then, he was a social outcast. The former charismatic star was no longer a cherished celebrity, just another has-been who threw it all away!

OJ Simpson earlier this month of prostate cancer. He was 76 years old.

=====

PS: I remember a social media post wondering if OJ Simpson had CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy) a severe brain injury that has been diagnosed for many former football players. I wouldn't be surprised. It's up to his family if they want to investigate or publicize the issue.

=======

Thursday, March 21, 2024

on being neuro-divergent

First, what exactly is "neuro-divergent"

When I typed that term on a Google search (and a Bing search), one of the top results led to this definition from the Cleveland Clinic

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/23154-neurodivergent

Neurodivergent is a nonmedical term that describes people whose brains develop or work differently for some reason. This means the person has different strengths and struggles from people whose brains develop or work more typically. While some people who are neurodivergent have medical conditions, it also happens to people where a medical condition or diagnosis hasn’t been identified.

The article goes on to state the following

What does it mean when a person is neurodivergent?

The term “neurodivergent” describes people whose brain differences affect how their brain works. That means they have different strengths and challenges from people whose brains don’t have those differences. The possible differences include medical disorders, learning disabilities and other conditions. The possible strengths include better memory, being able to mentally picture three-dimensional (3D) objects easily, the ability to solve complex mathematical calculations in their head, and many more.
Neurodivergent isn’t a medical term. Instead, it’s a way to describe people using words other than “normal” and “abnormal.” That’s important because there’s no single definition of “normal” for how the human brain works.
The word for people who aren’t neurodivergent is “neurotypical.” That means their strengths and challenges aren't affected by any kind of difference that changes how their brains work.

Some of the listed categories of neurodivergent include but are not limited to

Autism spectrum (including Asperger's)
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)
Intellectual disabilities
Dyslexia
Bipolar
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Social anxiety
Down Syndrome
Tourette Syndrome

It would take forever to list them all.

It seems that anything that differentiates you from the norm (even if most things about you seem "normal") can get listed as neuro-divergent.

For example, I'd like to think of myself as an eccentric person.

I don't always follow the norm.

Some of my interests don't always match those of my peers

I have my own ideas (even some that might seem "out there")

I have a mix of extroversion (like how I'm very public about my opinions) and introversion (I love myself A LOT of "me time")

I started talking late (about 5 years old). I was placed in SPED until I was able to talk and express my thoughts. Once they heard me showing off what I know (and show off I did), they figured "this guy doesn't need SPED anymore."

In fact, I was above my peers when it came to geography, but just average when it came to math.

Throughout elementary, I had speech therapy (late talker) and occupational therapy (being that I learned skills slower than I learned facts).

I adjusted to my peers using humor, some of it not appropriate. Which caused me more trouble as I got older.

But I still did well academically.

Having speech impediments, plus being a minority (Latino in Asian-majority middle & high schools) caused me to be under-estimated by the same exact peers who later asked me for help with schoolwork.

But PE? Forget about it! I had size but too slow! Too small to be a lineman, too slow to play the running positions. Could hit a baseball but too slow to catch. I'll be too gassed to last long in basketball or fútbol/soccer.

The best PE was biker ed (4th grade) and weight training (high school). Still do both, need to remind myself to do them more often.

I was able to graduate from high school and earn 2 college degrees.

As for work, well, you can read about my mental health and career development in this blog post

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/03/my-mental-health-career-development.html

And that's what brought me to seek additional mental health services.

I'm not going to go over everything I discussed with those providers.

But I want to talk about my relations with being neuro-divergent.

Years ago, I did read about Asperger's (which is part of the autism spectrum). Some of the listed items matched me, some of them didn't.

I took those online tests. According to them, I didn't match the criteria.

Plus, I had to laugh at some of those questions.

Like "Do you prefer libraries or nightclubs?"

Why Not Both?

I'm reluctant to describe myself as autistic because when people hear about autism, they envision the following

a non-verbal student who screams at any inconvenience
someone who just stares into space, oblivious to all that's around

Come on, that's not me.

But I have some autistic tendencies

likes to organize items
obsessive interests
some level of rigidity
don’t like to change routine without advanced notice
gets in the zone when doing tasks
picky eater
sensitive to some loud noises

About the loud noises, I do like heavy metal music, but I'm not a fan of fireworks.

And I hate using earpieces, which was why I left the job at Nordstrom Rack, which you can read about it at

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-problem-with-nordstrom-rack-and.html

As for being a picky eater, learn more at https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2017/01/picky-eater.html

As for whether I have "Asperger's", I still have some level of denial because

Yes, I did have challenges learning to socialize, but not sure how much of it is autism versus how much of it is “youth, immaturity, and inexperience”

I mean come on, I'm not making the same socializing mistakes I did when I was younger.

While Asperger’s is commonly stereotyped as "can’t detect nonverbal cues", I think others misinterpret my nonverbal cues more than I misinterpret others

Also, the jobs that I had (retail, sub teaching) rely on understanding nonverbal cues and I don’t think that’s the problem for me.

Asperger's comes with the stereotype that one neither uses nor detects sarcasm. Is that me? Yeah, right! Sure, pal!

Obviously, I'm not going to pretend that I'm always immune to other people's mind games, but like most people, I get better at detecting them as I gain life experience. What fooled me back in the day usually doesn't fool me anymore.

As for nonverbal cues, I had a video series "Thoughts on Facial Expressions" which you can check out at

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJ98rQ_ByBQ8WAwBBKIQxtdSkQYzaxB3a

========

I already mentioned some sensory issues (i.e.. picky eater, sensitivity to some loud noises)

When I mentioned to the mental health professional that I hate being rushed, he mentioned that's an example of dealing with sensory overload!

Believe it or not, being a sub teacher is easier than retail for me because when I'm subbing, I'm not being rushed nearly as often as when I was working in retail.

Usually, sub-teaching is just teaching simplified lesson plans (well, most of the time) and I just ensure the students are following them.

Sure, a few of those students have their own issues and cause me sensory overload, but most of the time, it's not that bad, it's usually manageable.

Though I do admit I started my sub career without the right level of maturity or experience, I did eventually grow into the role! Which is how I've been able to last more than a decade :)

=======

In recent sessions, I did discuss with the mental health professional about learning skills.

As I mentioned earlier, I learn facts faster than I learn skills.

With patient guidance, I can eventually learn those skills.

However, many workplaces expect you to pick up those skills quickly!

I can't learn skills in a rushed environment. I need more time and practice.

I also learn best with visual guidelines (ie written guidelines, outlines, flow-charts, and written lists).

The great supervisors I had used visual guidelines in training me. The crappy supervisors didn't! Wow, what a coincidence!

So how do I ensure any future job would be the optimal environment to learn the necessary skills?

Well, I'm learning to be upfront before entering the job.

How?

By putting the following paragraph in all cover letters

To best ensure my success, I would like to inform you that I work best when instructions are offered with visual guidelines (ie written guidelines, outlines, flow-charts, written lists). I work best when instructed in a respectful and patient manner. With these conditions, I can thrive on the job.

Those who demand I pick up skills right away without visual guidelines can hire someone else instead.

Remember, the job search process is not only about employers weeding out applicants, it's also about applicants weeding out negative work environments.

After all, life is too short to deal with environments that are toxic to your mental health!

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Adventures with the Unihertz Titan

I'm one of those folks who prefer to type on a physical keyboard rather than a touchscreen.

When I got my first smartphone back in 2013, I chose the BlackBerry Q10 for its physical keyboard.

(learn more at http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2013/10/adventures-on-my-new-smartphone.html )

Then in 2018, I got the BlackBerry KeyOne.

(learn more at https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2018/09/adventures-with-my-new-keyone.html )

Over the years, I had to change the batteries for the KeyOne several times. By the end of this year and the start of this year, the battery kept draining faster and faster.

It was time to move on.

But move on to what?

BlackBerry hasn't made a new phone since the Key2 back in 2018.

The company left the mobile device business and decided to just focus on cybersecurity.

But I still wanted a smartphone with a physical keyboard!

I could attempt to get another BlackBerry on eBay.

But I also knew there other independent manufacturers who still made smartphones with keyboards. So I think it would be a good idea to reward those who still make those phones.

There was the Unihertz Titan, Planet's AstroSlide 5G, and F(x)tec's Pro1.

I decided on the Unihertz Titan.

https://www.unihertz.com/products/titan

The Unihertz Titan

Unihertz also had the Titan Pocket (in other words, a mini-Titan) and the Titan Slim.

The Titan Pocket and Titan Slim might've been easier to fit in my pocket.

But only the regular sized Titan allows users to insert the micro-SD card, which I can between devices.

So the Titan it is.

[note: the other QWERTY smartphones I mentioned (Planet's AstroSlide 5G, and F(x)tec's Pro1) are even clunkier than the regular sized Titan]

When I attempted to order the Titan direct from the Unihertz website, I ran into a problem. It stated that it wasn't able to ship to Hawaii (where I'm at).

Why would they not want to ship to someone who wants to buy their stuff?

I decided to email them at service@unihertz.com

We were able to work out a solution, and they got it to ship to Hawaii. I had to wait about a week, but the wait is worth it.

It's now been almost a month since I start using the Titan.

Yes, it's almost the same as the BlackBerry. Physical keyboard to type on. A touchscreen to scroll through. The best of both worlds.

And like the BlackBerry KeyOne, it's an Android phone, and I was able to transfer my contacts and apps to the Titan with ease.

The Titan has a stronger battery and more storage space than the KeyOne.

However, anything new will require a change of habits.

For one, the Titan is clunkier which means it takes more space in my pocket (good thing I don't wear skinny jeans).

And when it comes to typing, the alphabets are arranged in the same order, but the numbers aren't.

For the BlackBerry phones, the numbers were listed on the left side of the keyboard. For the Titan, they're listed on the right side,

So having numbers (plus punctuation marks and other symbols) arranged differently on the Titan's physical keyboard messes with the muscle memory I developed over the years with the BlackBerry phones.

The Titan's keyboard is larger though made of different materials (not sure what, it just feels different)

----

As for the Titan's touchscreen, it's more sensitive than the BlackBerry phones. The high sensitivity can be a pain if you unintentionally touch on the wrong thing on the touchscreen.

Also, just placing a cover over the phone can trigger the sensitive touchscreen.

=====

Some online reviewers didn't like the Titan's cameras, but so far, I'm satisfied with it. Photos came out good :)

As for the video-camera, I didn't even start using it until after I started typing this post.

Let's see how it goes.

I think it went very smoothly for a short video.

When time permitting, I'll make a longer video speech for YouTube.

=====

As for the phone's speaker, I think THAT can use some improvement.

If I'm listening on the top speaker (for phone calls), the volume is very limited.

Those who are hard of hearing would be better off using speakerphone, though speakerphone can be inconvenient if you're in a public area and don't want others listening in.

The speaker for the Titan's speakerphone (plus videos, audio, etc) is on the back of phone, whereas the speaker for the BlackBerry phones was on the bottom.

I prefer having the speaker on the bottom. It's more convenient when watching videos.

And if you don't want others listening to what you're listening to, there's the headphone jack on the top.

=====

There's still some things I want to investigate for the Titan.

I found out you can get replacement parts at https://www.unihertz.com/collections/replacement-parts

Now, does anyone in town know how to install them. I remember PhoneMedic (now out of business) were able to fix my Q10 keys. And Tech Armour were able to install the replacement battery for my BlackBerry KeyOne. I hope them (or anyone on my island) can repair my Titan if I ever need it repaired!

And is there a non-magnetic phone case that can fit over the Titan that isn't too tight (because the ones I bought on eBay were too tight. I just contacted one vendor about it).

====

But even with challenges, I'm going to ride with my Unihertz Titan.

It's an improvement over the KeyOne, I have access to Android apps, and most importantly, it has a physical keyboard :)

And it you want one, check it out at https://www.unihertz.com/products/titan

And you can contact Unihertz at service@unihertz.com. They gave me good customer service and I hope they can do the same for you!

========

ADDITONAL READINGS

"Adventures on my new smartphone" (this from when I bought the BlackBerry Q10 in 2013) https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2013/10/adventures-on-my-new-smartphone.html

"Adventures with my new KeyOne" (this from when I bought the BlackBerry Keyone in 2018)

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2018/09/adventures-with-my-new-keyone.html

"One decade with a smartphone" (from last year) https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/10/one-decade-with-smartphone.html

"Living a few hours without my smartphone" (from last year) https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/11/living-few-hours-without-my-smartphone.html

"For phones, don't put all your eggs in one basket" (From 2020) https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/06/for-phones-dont-put-all-your-eggs-in.html

"blackberry changes and the future of physical keyboards" (from 2016, when blackberry initially announced they're moving away from making new smartphones. However, after that year, they came out the BlackBerry KeyOne, then the Key 2) https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2016/12/blackberry-changes-and-future-of.html

"Blackberry's response to competition" (from 2014) https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2014/01/blackberrys-response-to-competition.html

Sunday, January 28, 2024

Am I still doing music?

I had several people asking me if I'm still making music.

The last time Pablo The Mad Tiger Warrior released an album ("Science Fiction Music"), it was January 1, 2021.

I did release a stand-alone single "Summer Fun" at the start of summer 2022.

It's now 2024, and people thought I gave up on music.

No, but I've been busy with other stuff that takes up time.

But I do plan to release another album soon. I can't give you the release date yet.

I already selected the tracks.

I'm still in the process of editing a few tracks, basically improving them to enhance the listener's experience. There's a few more I want to polish.

Then I have to figure out what order the tracks will appear. I do have an idea of the first track and the last few tracks.

Then artwork and videos.

At the same time, I still have a day job, plus organizing stuff at home, plus blogs, plus exercise, plus other stuff.

And of course, I have to pay distribution & disc manufacturing costs. I already racked up a lot of debt. Getting my computer fixed last year, and replacing my smartphone this month (I'll blog on it soon) used up credit money I've planned to pay for this album's costs.

But you can help by buying my music on Bandcamp, iTunes, and eBay.

You can buy merch with my art on RedBubble.

And you can also donate money to me via PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/pweg

With the right finances and sufficient time, you will get to hear Pablo The Mad Tiger Warrior next album, which will be "Urban Honolulu Jams 2"

Stay tuned!

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

coming soon

Yes, I know, I haven't blogged since the first hour of 2024!

Busy with stuff!

Work!

Volunteered 2 weekends with the Friends of the Library of Hawaii's annual Book & Music Sale!

Got a new modem & router to connect my computer to the internet!

But what I hope to blog about soon is my latest smartphone, the Unihertz Titan. It's like the BlackBerry with a physical keyboard, but a different brand.

I hope to blog about it in the near future.

Stay tuned!

Monday, January 01, 2024

2024 has finally arrived

2024 has finally arrived!

Sunday, December 31, 2023

My Final Blog post for 2023

2023 as come to an end and I'm ready for next year!

The biggest thing for me in 2023 was being a substitute teacher again.

Actually, I made a soft return in November 2022 (while I was still working part-time at Macy's), but this year, I was all in.

As mentioned in the blog post from May 2023

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-school-year-i-returned-to-school.html

So January, I was back with Kelly Services. I also reapplied with another private sub-agency Hi-Employment. I had a short history with Hi-Employment, for whom I worked with in late 2018. I had a longer history with Kelly Services. (2012-2018). I left both at the end of 2018, to take the library job with Kalākaua Middle School.
By February, I was working with both Kelly Services and Hi-Employment. Kelly Services works with private & charter K-12 schools. Hi-Employment does that plus the private preschools as well as some Head Start sites.
Though the bulk of my career is with the public schools, I haven't worked with them this year. The problem is that the DOE (like other state agencies) takes too long with job applications (the private agencies do background checks much faster) and even worse, take longer to pay employees. With the private agencies, I get paid next week Friday. With the DOE (or any state agency), I have to wait until the following month for my paycheck. I'd rather not wait.
If the Hawaii state government decides to start paying employees the following Friday, I'll reapply with the DOE ASAP! But sadly, the state government is FILLED with people who just don't want to change anything. Meanwhile, they're losing out on people like me who would love to contribute but can't be waiting an eternity for their paycheck.

I love the flexible scheduling that comes with substitute teaching. I also love going from school to school and working with the different students in different environments.

The worst thing about substitute teaching (and other gig jobs) is that there's no sick leave or vacation pay.

I had a 3-week illness (the flu, no covid) so that means 3 weeks of not getting paid. Stayed home and rest because I had low energy, but lots of coughing and mucus. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

This summer, I still had sub gigs at the various preschools. And this winter vacation, I'm subbing at a Head Start site. But the next vacation has no guarantee of a sub gig!

I'm on the lookout for a more profitable, full-time job where I can thrive.

However, finding a steadier job with better pay that matches my talents and my psychological well-being has been a major challenge for me.

As noted in a blog post from earlier this year....

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/03/my-mental-health-career-development.html

I did some have good temp jobs in the past, the problem is that they're temp
Library jobs are a good fit, the problem is people don't want to leave those positions, and I have to wait for someone to retire before a position opens up
When it comes to clerical work, organizing stuff is (usually) easy for me. The problem is having to do call-center duties, which would be too overwhelming for me
substitute teaching is a very good fit for me, the problem is there's no paid vacation or sick leave
I'm very selective in applying for positions so that I don't waste interviewing for positions that aren't a good match for me
it would be a good idea to apply for teaching assistant positions when possible. Just know if it's a good fit before applying
When applying for positions, the job listings usually list the generic criteria (especially true for state positions) but when interviewing for the specific position, what the employer is looking for is usually more specific than the generic criteria listed in the initial job posting
When it comes to those kinds of interviews, I sometimes aced certain questions (because they match my previous experience) but as soon as they ask about something I have no previous experience with, the vibe of the room changes
When writing cover letters or doing the interview, I'm going to be more upfront about what works for me (ie. written guidelines, polite instructions, etc). This is to inform the employer ahead of time of how to best guide me, and also to weed out employers that don't want to make those accommodations.

I did get some mental health services earlier this year. The problem is that after 9 months, he kept asking me the same questions (we're talking about open-ended questions that require long explanations) about things we discussed multiple times already. It's as if I was talking to the air.

But sometimes, leaving one service provider can land you with someone even worse, as noted in the following blog post

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/12/beware-of-psychologist-dr-mark-scott.html

I do have plans & ideas for further mental health services for 2024! But I'll keep the details private for now as they're still just ideas not yet put into action.

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This year marked my 2 decade anniversary at my current apartment.

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/07/20-years-at-my-apartment-2-decades-of.html

I experienced the biggest rent increase going from 2022 to 2023. I was worried about another big increase for 2024. But lucky for me, 2024 rent is going to be the same as 2023.

But still, I need more revenue to remain in my apartment for the long term.

I have considered the following options

look for other apartments to move into
ask friends if they want to be roommates in a 2+ bedroom apartment
Apply to be roommate via the Hawaii Homesharing program
stay in my current location and hope for the best.

I contacted the landlords for 2 affordable apartment units but I got no response.

I asked friends about being roommates, one expressed interest. We had discussions, but we haven't reached a final decision.

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This year also marked my 2-decade anniversary of this blog and my 1-decade anniversary of having a YouTube channel.

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/10/2-decades-of-blogging-1-decade-on.html

Just reading my earlier blog posts showed how far I have come in developing as a person, as well as how the world has changed over the years.

Learn more at .

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/11/a-brief-reflection-on-old-blog-posts.html

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Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior hasn't released any new music in 2023 and only released one single in 2022. This got people worried that I'm not making music anymore.

Well, I haven't had as much time to make music, but I did make enough tracks for my next album, which I plan to call "Urban Honolulu Jam 2", a follow-up to my 1st "Urban Honolulu Jams" (released 2016). I'm still in the process of changing titles for some of the tracks as well as figuring out what order should the songs appear. Also, I still have to figure out how I'll pay for distribution and CD manufacturing since I already have more than enough debt as it is. I'm open for donations via PayPal at at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/pweg

And don't forget that Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior has all kinds of merch (shirts, hats, pillows, postcards, stickers, magnets, and much more) showcasing my designs at RedBubble. They don't make it until you order it. Check out my designs and start shopping 😊 at https://www.redbubble.com/people/madtigerwarrior/explore

And going back to music, here are some of my favorite tracks from 2023

Smith "Lemon"
Latto v/Lu Kala "Lottery"
Coi LeRay "Players"
Lil Durk & J Cole "All My Life"
Miley Cyrus "Flowers"
Miley Cyrus "Jaded"
Depeche Mode "Ghosts Again"
Dua Lipa "Houdini"
XG "Left Right"
Toosii "Favorite Song"
Chvrches "Over"
Saweetie, Tyga, YG "Birthday"
Big Boss Vette "All the Pretty Girls Walk Like This"
Megan Trainor "Made You Look"
Doja Cat "Paint the Town Red"
Doja Cat "Agora Hills"
Drake w/SZA & Sexy Red "Rich Baby Daddy"
Lizzo w/SZA "Special"
Tate McRae "Greedy"
Jack Harlow "Lovin on Me"
The Chainsmokers w/Shenseea - My Bad
Teezo Touchdown "Familiarity"
Tiesto, BIA, 21 Savage "Both"
Post Malone "Chemical"
Jonas Brothers - "Waffle House"
Maneskin "Kool Kids"
That Mexican OT, Paul Wall & Drodi "Johnny Dang"

and the nostalgia tracks

Tyga, YG, Blxast "West Coast Weekend"
Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, RBX, The Lady Of Rage - "West Coast Party 2023"
Pitbull w/ Lil Jon "Jumpin"
Paul Russell "Lil Boo Thang"
Demi Lovato "Cool for the Summer (rock version)"
Luke Combs "Fast Car"
Hannah Laing, HVRR "Party All the Time"
Bobbi Storm "We Can't Forget Him"

and to end this year, and will probably be more impactful in 2024

Nicki Minaj w/ J Cole "Let Me Calm Down"