Pablo's blog

Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Unpaid Advertisement

A week ago, I visited a doctor to deal with a frequent urination problem. I usually use the bathroom to piss every 30-60 minutes! People say that's a lot!

So last week, the doctor gave me the Detrol LA pills (I know, that sounds like Detroit-LA with teams in the recent NBA Finals)!

Big improvement. Now, the bathroom gap (for urinating) is 1-2 hours! I feel a bit more free now, and I've been more productive at work and at home!

As for diarrhea, I recommend Immodium AD. They're more powerful than Pepto Bismol.

But DONT TAKE MY WORD AS GOSPEL! People's bodies are different, you may want to do trial and error, or better yet, see a doctor!

Friday, June 11, 2004

My Crime Editorial on Hawaii Reporter

Here is my latest editorial on Hawaii Reporter (www.hawaiireporter.com) sponsored by the Grassroots Institute of Hawaii (http://www.grassrootinstitute.org/)

http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?ba7d1002-1a55-4b1d-b370-2cb6882fb59e

Getting Priorities Straight on Crimes and Punishment
By Pablo Wegesend, 6/11/2004 1:43:03 AM
A Fresh Perspective

Hawaii seems to be one of those states that is excessively harsh on non-violent crime and excessively soft on violent crime.

First let’s go over non-violent crime.

In the state of Hawaii, the legal definition of prostitution doesn’t just mean exchanging money for sex. It also means any touching between a stripper and a customer. On this premise, the police SWAT teams have raided strip bars.

The same SWAT team tactics are used on underground casinos, marijuana farms, and cockfighting venues. This sounds like what the Taliban would do.

Some say that prostitution, gambling, smoking marijuana and cockfighting have side effects for those involved. But are they really that bad that we need to send SWAT teams to stop them?

It is illegal for most places to allow smoking indoors. Shouldn’t it be up to the owners to decide? If someone doesn’t want to go where there’s smoking, one can go elsewhere.

This year, the state Legislature has made it illegal to urinate publicly in downtown. But during the hours when most downtown businesses are closed, it is hard to find a bathroom. At that point, it’s either urinate in one’s pants or urinate on the walls and bushes. But even during business hours, most businesses won’t let anyone use their bathrooms. So where do you go?

Also, in this state, the police have been chasing the homeless out of parks. City Councilmember Donovan Dela Cruz even proposed closing the parks late at night. So where are the homeless supposed to sleep when all the shelters are filled to capacity?

This state doesn’t allow civilians to carry concealed weapons in public, even if they don’t have a criminal record. That doesn’t prevent a huge guy from intimidating and assaulting others. But it does prevent the weak, the short, the injured, the elderly and the pregnant from defending themselves from those stronger than them. So much for enjoying the nightlife.

So while the state is showing the world it is tough on prostitution, smoking, gambling, cockfighting, public urination, homelessness and gun carrying, it is soft on the things that really matter. Violent criminals in Hawaii get a slap on the wrist! They look at the justice system as a joke.

For example, take a look at the Waimanalo Beach Park assault case. Manuel Kupahu and 2 other men viciously beat up Edward Van Lier Ribbink. Kupahu yelled anti-white slurs after Van Lier Ribbink discouraged Kupahu from abusing his dog. Van Lier Ribbink was beaten up, suffering broken ribs. Yet, Kupahu will only get a year in jail. On the same day, Chris Aki was convicted of manslaughter for killing an 11-year-old girl with a metal pipe. Manslaughter? This wasn’t a case of ignorant negligence; this is a case of deliberate, vicious violence. But with a manslaughter conviction, Aki will only get 20 years in prison. Why not life in prison?

Late last month, Wayne Anchetta, who punched his girlfriend in her stomach, dragged her by her hair, threatened her with a knife, poured nail polish and raped her, all on the same night, got only 30 years in prison. Anchetta will be 55 when gets out of jail. He could still be capable of the same violence by then. Why not jail him for life?

The worst case of the state being soft on violent criminals has to do with Judge Sandra Simms, who was rejected for re-appointment. Even by Hawaii standards, she was soft on violent criminals. While some local black activist call her rejection a sign of racism, they refuse to talk about her decisions as a judge.

One of the cases in her court involved Rodney Balbirona, who robbed and assaulted a tourist in the North Shore. Simms put him on probation, and then when he violated probation, Simms put him on probation again. It happened another time, and then finally she sent Balbirona to jail for 5 years. Why didn’t she just put Balbirona in jail in the first place?

In another case involving Judge Simms, Simms delayed a man’s jail sentence because he had a baby on the way. Never mind that the man cracked a teenage boy’s jaw.

This state is also soft on public road racing. The HPD discourages its employees from chasing racers. And all the proposed solutions to this are to take away the racers’ driver licenses or their car. Why not jail time? A hard-headed racer isn’t intimidated by the prospect of getting the license revoked. But put him/her in jail for 5 years, and he/she won’t be racing on public roads within that 5 years.

The state needs to get its priorities straight. It needs to think, which sins are the lesser of all evils, and which sins will get the full force of the law. We only have a limited number of cops, courts, prison space, money and other resources. So the state must be willing to risk being politically incorrect. That means legalizing prostitution, marijuana, indoor smoking, cockfighting, gambling, and concealed weapons. Enforcing laws on these means less time and resources going after violent crimes. And this state needs to get tough on unprovoked violent crime and public road racing.

Monday, June 07, 2004

Ronald Reagan

Two days ago, America's 40th President, Ronald Wilson Reagan, died

I don't have much time to go over his presidency in details, so here I go!

I think that by calling the Soviet Union an "Evil Empire" and telling Gorbachev "tear down this wall", Reagan showed that he had guts to say the truth, regardless of the what politically correct fanatics think!

He gave American it's pride back and has built a strong military to back it up!

He lowered taxes, which allowed for more investment and made the economy a lot stronger!

He said that big government is the problem, and he is right, However, he didn't live up to his promise to dramatically reduce government spending or to privatize government services!

He was too closely aligned to the Religious Right! His War on Drugs didn't really work since it emphasized militarizing our police force and building prisons. Reagan should've do what Netherlands done, which is legalize marijuana and more emphasis on drug treatment. His jailing of drug addicts in same prisons with violent killers only made things worse!

He was right in standing up to the communists! He was right in fighting the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, invading Grenada and standing up to the Soviets.

Unfortunately, he viewed any enemy of our enemy as friends. He should've been as tough on fascism as he was on communism. He funded South Africa's military durign the apartheid years when he should have told them to tear down the wall of aparthied. He also funded Saddam's military! We all know what Hussein did after that! Bushes had to clean up that mess!


Friday, June 04, 2004

My latest Ka Leo editorial

It is about the need for one person-dorms. The copy editor did a screw up in the title by putting "one-man rooms" instead of the preferred "one person rooms". After all, females are dorming too, and some might have the same thought as I. The preference over the words "one-person" over the words "one-man" isn't "political correctness", it's about respect!

Anyways, here's the editorial

http://www.kaleo.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/06/03/40be69c8cd586

UH needs additional one-man rooms

By Pablo Wegesend
Ka Leo Staff Columnist
June 03, 2004


I understand the university and the state of Hawai'i are in financial crisis. But once both reemerge, housing needs to be changed.

We need to build dorms made up of one-person rooms. The main reason why I don't live on campus anymore is because I am tired of sharing a room with another human being.

Some buildings have one-person rooms, but they are very limited and very hard to get. Some students try to become resident advisers just to get the one-person room -- which I tried without success.

If we had more one-person rooms, there would be more people living on campus. I know I would still be there.

I liked living on campus, occasionally chatting with neighbors and the front desk folks. The lack of privacy that is inevitable in two-person rooms drove me insane.

Some will say that sharing a room with another person is a good way to get to know people. I disagree.

If someone wanted to meet people, they could just join a campus club that interested them -- like I did -- or just hang out in the lounge or on the balcony -- which I did -- or work at the front desk of the dorm buildings -- which I also did.

But sharing a room forces people into paranoid about putting up with roommates who don't share the same values or habits.

Sharing a room forces people to be paranoid about not doing certain private things just to avoid stupid and intrusive questions.

Sharing a room forces people to hide parts of themselves to avoid conflict. Being in that situation isn't a healthy way of meeting people.

Some say that having one-person rooms will cause some to be reclusive and miss out on socializing.

So what? Let' em! That's their lives, not yours! If someone regrets not socializing enough in college, that's their problem, not yours!

But no one should be put into a situation of 1) long commutes; 2) staying home with family members one doesn't get along with; or 3) give up all privacy to live in the dorms just to avoid a time-wasting commute!