Vox Day, another insecure sexist
In my previous post, I discussed how men like Don Fender, who still demand traditional gender roles, are really inscure men trying to hide how soft and weak they are!
There's another editorialist who fits that description - Vox Day who writes for World Net Daily
here's his archives
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/archives.asp?AUTHOR_ID=175
Vox Day title's his editorial page as Vox populi. So the Latin phrase "Vox populi, vox Dei" means "The Voice of thePopulace = the Voice of God."
So we know how delusional Vox Day just judging by his pen name and his editorial page name.
But it gets worse, as you can see from his following words
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=47735
To put it more clearly, if a woman consents to extramarital sex, she is committing a moral offense which is equal to that committed by the man who engages in consensual sex with her, or by the man who, in the absence of such consent, rapes her. Christianity knows no hierarchy of sins. Since only the woman who is not entertaining the possibility of sex with a man and is subsequently raped can truly be considered a wholly innocent victim under this ethic, it is no wonder that women who insist that internal consent is the sole determining factor of a woman's victimization find traditional Western morality to be inherently distasteful.
What an a-hole!
A person owns his/her body. A rape violates the victim's ownership rights. What's so hard to understand about that?
Vox Day is the same guy who publicly threatened Al Franken and called him out to a fight. By doing that, Vox Day is already violating a law. So does that mean that Vox Day ought to be raped while doing prison time?
It's one thing to ask that woman take precautions to avoid date rape. However, we need to make sure we enough outrage against the rapist. After all, when a bank gets robbed, we have outrage towards the robber, not the bank.
Vox Day also said in many previous articles that women shouldn't work, they should stay home and make babies.
In reality, when that happens, it makes the woman vulnerable to more abuse because she knows that without her abusive husband, she can't survive on her own.
This is why pimps treat their sex slaves like shit! Rip them girls off their money and abuse them, so they got nowhere to turn!
Vox Day calls himself a "Christian". I call him an insecure asshole, who's trying to hide his softness and vulnerabilities by writing stupid junk like that!
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
King Kong, Gender Roles, Insecurity
Extreme Right Wing Conservative Don Feder applauds the new King Kong movie for portraying stereotypical gender roles.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=20675
Here's my response to Don Feder's words
------------------------------------------------
Feder:Feminism supposedly having liberated us from gender stereotypes, today’s heroines are emotionally androgynous. They compete with men, pursue them sexually – essentially, they are men (and not the better sort) with breasts and vaginas.
Pablo:This is so idiotic! So, a woman refusing to be excessively vulnerable is "man with breasts and vagina"? So women ought to be excessively vulnerable to the point where she's an easy target for abuse? If not, she's a "man with breast and vagina"? That's stupid!
Or is Feder such a weak man that he's intimidated by women who show signs of strength? Maybe he's a "woman with a penis and testicles" or as Arnold would say "a girlie man"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feder:In a way, all men are King Kong: powerful, brooding, potentially destructive creatures waiting for a woman to touch our hearts and tame us.
Pablo:Bullcrap!
There's a lot of men who are so passive, that it takes a stripper to even bring his wild side out! Otherwise, they're passive all day! And even in bed with a a woman, some men are passive!
And then there's men who have no internal interest in being tamed! The only thing they want from a woman is to conquer and rape her! No amount of tender-hearted-ness from a woman will ever tame them. Otherwise, there would be no domestic violence
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feder:And all women are Ann Darrow, simultaneously fragile and compelling, possessor of the magic to transform primitive males (monsters-in-waiting) into protectors and the builders of families and civilizations.
Pablo:Some women don't want to be around "primitive males" because they'd always be monsters, regardless!
Women as fragile? A large percentage of middle school girls dont even show a fragile side at all! They're gossipy and loud, ready to visciously put down anyone who don't meet their standards! I was once in middle school as a student and I work at middle schools now! So don't tell me otherwise!
In some cases, some wild, rowdy women are the ones get tamed by a man who is strong, suave and sensitive!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion: Feder is a weak, insecure man who is scared of women with any sense of inner strength. Feder is scared of women who are loud and expressive! Feder is not a real man! He hides that he's demanding traditional gender roles to mask his softness!
By the way, Feder reminds me of this one roommate I once had! And I told that room-mate his mind is in the 12th century. Then he stopping talking like Don Feder!
Extreme Right Wing Conservative Don Feder applauds the new King Kong movie for portraying stereotypical gender roles.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=20675
Here's my response to Don Feder's words
------------------------------------------------
Feder:Feminism supposedly having liberated us from gender stereotypes, today’s heroines are emotionally androgynous. They compete with men, pursue them sexually – essentially, they are men (and not the better sort) with breasts and vaginas.
Pablo:This is so idiotic! So, a woman refusing to be excessively vulnerable is "man with breasts and vagina"? So women ought to be excessively vulnerable to the point where she's an easy target for abuse? If not, she's a "man with breast and vagina"? That's stupid!
Or is Feder such a weak man that he's intimidated by women who show signs of strength? Maybe he's a "woman with a penis and testicles" or as Arnold would say "a girlie man"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feder:In a way, all men are King Kong: powerful, brooding, potentially destructive creatures waiting for a woman to touch our hearts and tame us.
Pablo:Bullcrap!
There's a lot of men who are so passive, that it takes a stripper to even bring his wild side out! Otherwise, they're passive all day! And even in bed with a a woman, some men are passive!
And then there's men who have no internal interest in being tamed! The only thing they want from a woman is to conquer and rape her! No amount of tender-hearted-ness from a woman will ever tame them. Otherwise, there would be no domestic violence
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feder:And all women are Ann Darrow, simultaneously fragile and compelling, possessor of the magic to transform primitive males (monsters-in-waiting) into protectors and the builders of families and civilizations.
Pablo:Some women don't want to be around "primitive males" because they'd always be monsters, regardless!
Women as fragile? A large percentage of middle school girls dont even show a fragile side at all! They're gossipy and loud, ready to visciously put down anyone who don't meet their standards! I was once in middle school as a student and I work at middle schools now! So don't tell me otherwise!
In some cases, some wild, rowdy women are the ones get tamed by a man who is strong, suave and sensitive!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion: Feder is a weak, insecure man who is scared of women with any sense of inner strength. Feder is scared of women who are loud and expressive! Feder is not a real man! He hides that he's demanding traditional gender roles to mask his softness!
By the way, Feder reminds me of this one roommate I once had! And I told that room-mate his mind is in the 12th century. Then he stopping talking like Don Feder!
Monday, December 26, 2005
Response to Geography Lesson
In my previous post, I mentioned about this Chinese male who said that he "didn't consider Filipinos to be Asians".
My friend Stuart Hayashi (who is Japanese American) has this to say
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I do not see any problem with Filipinos being considered "Asians,"regardless of whether or not they are generally darker than East Asians like the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans.
In fact, the very point that Filipinos are necessarily darker --for genetic reasons -- is subject to debate. In the nineteenth century and early twentieth centuries, a number of prominent whites (such as many of President Theodore Roosevelt's favorite nonfiction authors) described East Asian Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Tibetans, etc., as "brown-skinned." This was not without reason.
It can be argued that Japanese nationals are often light-skinned due to environmental factors rather than genetic, given that people of Japanese ancestry who have lived in Hawaii for many years often become quite brown. This may not be surprising to scientists who have found that the skin color of the first humans was brownish/bronze instead of black (they say that the first humans probably looked more like bushmen than like West Africans).
Indeed, reflecting upon his stay in Hawaii during the Massie Case, attorney Clarence Darrow made a comment in his memoirs that was along the lines of, *Honolulu looks just like any other American town,except that everybody is brown*. He said this upon observing, not only Native Hawaiians, but East Asian immigrant laborers as well.
By what standard are we to judge what makes someone "Asian"? When we consider their continent of residence, the indigenous peoples of India are "Asian," are they not?
I also find it weird when Russians are called European, since they too live in Asia and are always referred to as "The East." And it is true that, for some years, Russia was actually a political territory ruled by that famous Mongoloid conqueror, Genghis Khan.
And, if only East Asians like the Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese are to regarded as "the only real Asians," then how are weto classify the people of Kyrgyzstan? A lot of them are Muslims with Sinic-(i.e., Chinese)-looking facial features. But a number of Kyrgyzs are Caucasoid-looking, too.
It may be true that the Philippines is not located on the Asian continent. But, then again, neither is Japan or Hong Kong. Technically, the Japanese don't live in Asia; they are on an island chain.
And the English aren't on any continent either. So maybe we shouldn't use the word "European" on them?
What term are we to use for South Asians like Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis, and Kashmiris? Dravidians were the indigenous peoples they descended from, but the South Asians have ancestors of various other ethnicities, too. Since they actually dwell on the Asian continent, perhaps they and the Russians are "more Asian" than the Japanese? And, as you pointed out, what are we to say of the Indonesians and Malaysians?
If Fiipinos are not "true Asians" for some racial reason, then what about Pacific Islanders who have both Negroid and Mongoloid ancestors?
Your points about the classifications of "Asian races" are very much on the mark. It is not as if ethnic researchers' modern classifications of "races" are as scientifically exact as "2 + 2 = 4."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pablo's comments: Stuart made interesting good points up there.
The Chinese American male I mentioned earlier was a total ignoramus who went to the same high school as myself. He flunked a social studies class as well as a few math classes (proving that not all Asians are good math).
That ignoramus was ignorant of geography, even the geography of the continent his ancestors came from
.All that ignoramus knew about Asians was what he saw in person in Hawaii. Meaning, most of the Asians he seen were Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos, Vietnamese and Laotian. He's most likely was not familiar with Indonesians, Mongolians, Burmese, Malaysians, Cambodians, Tibetans, Kahzaks, Uzbeks or Krygyzs. He just noticed that Filipinos are darker than the other Asian groups common in Hawaii, so he placed them in the same category as other brown skinned people common in Hawaii (ie Polynesians) which is totally ridiculous.
Just go to any myspace profiles of Filipinos, under race, they'll put Asian, NOT Pacific Islanders.
Asians tend to go in the following categories : Northeast Asians (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Mongolian, and the ethnic groups in Siberia), Southeast Asians (Filipinos, Vietnamese, Laotians, Cambodians, Thais, Burmese, Indonesians, Malaysians), South Asians (Indians, Pakistanis, Bangledeshis, Sri Lankans), Central Asians (Kahzaks, Uzbeks, Krygyzs, Tibetans)
West Asia is more commonly knowns as the Middle East, so the people there are placed in a different ethnic categories.
Russia covers parts of Europe and Asia. Those who are ethnically Russians are white Europeans. They were able to conquer mass amounts of territory in Europe and Asia and have mixed with other ethnic groups. So in Russia, we have white Europeans, Middle Eastern people, and Asians)
As for Pacific Islanders, we got Melanesians (New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia), Micronesians (Marshallese, Chuukese, Chamorros, Palauans, Pohnpei) and Polynesians (Hawaiians, Samoans, Tongans, Tahitians, Maoris)
Native Fijians have been considered Polynesians by some, Melanesians by others. Fiji also has a large population of South Asians, imported to work on plantations, just like how Japanese and Filipinos were brought to work in Hawaii plantations.
Australian Aborigines look similar to Melanesians, though some scientist have placed them in separate categories.
So Stuart Hayashi was right when he said "It is not as if ethnic researchers' modern classifications of "races" are as scientifically exact as "2 + 2 = 4."
In my previous post, I mentioned about this Chinese male who said that he "didn't consider Filipinos to be Asians".
My friend Stuart Hayashi (who is Japanese American) has this to say
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I do not see any problem with Filipinos being considered "Asians,"regardless of whether or not they are generally darker than East Asians like the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans.
In fact, the very point that Filipinos are necessarily darker --for genetic reasons -- is subject to debate. In the nineteenth century and early twentieth centuries, a number of prominent whites (such as many of President Theodore Roosevelt's favorite nonfiction authors) described East Asian Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Tibetans, etc., as "brown-skinned." This was not without reason.
It can be argued that Japanese nationals are often light-skinned due to environmental factors rather than genetic, given that people of Japanese ancestry who have lived in Hawaii for many years often become quite brown. This may not be surprising to scientists who have found that the skin color of the first humans was brownish/bronze instead of black (they say that the first humans probably looked more like bushmen than like West Africans).
Indeed, reflecting upon his stay in Hawaii during the Massie Case, attorney Clarence Darrow made a comment in his memoirs that was along the lines of, *Honolulu looks just like any other American town,except that everybody is brown*. He said this upon observing, not only Native Hawaiians, but East Asian immigrant laborers as well.
By what standard are we to judge what makes someone "Asian"? When we consider their continent of residence, the indigenous peoples of India are "Asian," are they not?
I also find it weird when Russians are called European, since they too live in Asia and are always referred to as "The East." And it is true that, for some years, Russia was actually a political territory ruled by that famous Mongoloid conqueror, Genghis Khan.
And, if only East Asians like the Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese are to regarded as "the only real Asians," then how are weto classify the people of Kyrgyzstan? A lot of them are Muslims with Sinic-(i.e., Chinese)-looking facial features. But a number of Kyrgyzs are Caucasoid-looking, too.
It may be true that the Philippines is not located on the Asian continent. But, then again, neither is Japan or Hong Kong. Technically, the Japanese don't live in Asia; they are on an island chain.
And the English aren't on any continent either. So maybe we shouldn't use the word "European" on them?
What term are we to use for South Asians like Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis, and Kashmiris? Dravidians were the indigenous peoples they descended from, but the South Asians have ancestors of various other ethnicities, too. Since they actually dwell on the Asian continent, perhaps they and the Russians are "more Asian" than the Japanese? And, as you pointed out, what are we to say of the Indonesians and Malaysians?
If Fiipinos are not "true Asians" for some racial reason, then what about Pacific Islanders who have both Negroid and Mongoloid ancestors?
Your points about the classifications of "Asian races" are very much on the mark. It is not as if ethnic researchers' modern classifications of "races" are as scientifically exact as "2 + 2 = 4."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pablo's comments: Stuart made interesting good points up there.
The Chinese American male I mentioned earlier was a total ignoramus who went to the same high school as myself. He flunked a social studies class as well as a few math classes (proving that not all Asians are good math).
That ignoramus was ignorant of geography, even the geography of the continent his ancestors came from
.All that ignoramus knew about Asians was what he saw in person in Hawaii. Meaning, most of the Asians he seen were Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos, Vietnamese and Laotian. He's most likely was not familiar with Indonesians, Mongolians, Burmese, Malaysians, Cambodians, Tibetans, Kahzaks, Uzbeks or Krygyzs. He just noticed that Filipinos are darker than the other Asian groups common in Hawaii, so he placed them in the same category as other brown skinned people common in Hawaii (ie Polynesians) which is totally ridiculous.
Just go to any myspace profiles of Filipinos, under race, they'll put Asian, NOT Pacific Islanders.
Asians tend to go in the following categories : Northeast Asians (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Mongolian, and the ethnic groups in Siberia), Southeast Asians (Filipinos, Vietnamese, Laotians, Cambodians, Thais, Burmese, Indonesians, Malaysians), South Asians (Indians, Pakistanis, Bangledeshis, Sri Lankans), Central Asians (Kahzaks, Uzbeks, Krygyzs, Tibetans)
West Asia is more commonly knowns as the Middle East, so the people there are placed in a different ethnic categories.
Russia covers parts of Europe and Asia. Those who are ethnically Russians are white Europeans. They were able to conquer mass amounts of territory in Europe and Asia and have mixed with other ethnic groups. So in Russia, we have white Europeans, Middle Eastern people, and Asians)
As for Pacific Islanders, we got Melanesians (New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia), Micronesians (Marshallese, Chuukese, Chamorros, Palauans, Pohnpei) and Polynesians (Hawaiians, Samoans, Tongans, Tahitians, Maoris)
Native Fijians have been considered Polynesians by some, Melanesians by others. Fiji also has a large population of South Asians, imported to work on plantations, just like how Japanese and Filipinos were brought to work in Hawaii plantations.
Australian Aborigines look similar to Melanesians, though some scientist have placed them in separate categories.
So Stuart Hayashi was right when he said "It is not as if ethnic researchers' modern classifications of "races" are as scientifically exact as "2 + 2 = 4."
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Geography Lesson
I remember a while back, some this one Chinese guy said that he didn't consider Filipinos to be Asians, because Filipinos are brown-skinned!
That's a stupid thing to say!
Does that guy consider Indonesians, Malaysians, and Cambodians to be Asians too? Because that what Filipinos look like!
That moron think that only yellow skinned Asians are "true Asians". That would include Chinese, Japanese, Koreans and Vietnamese.
That moron said that Filipinos belong to same category as Hawaiians and Samoans.
That's stupid! GET A MAP!
The Phillipines is NOT near Samoa or Hawaii. It is NEAR Indonesia and Malaysia!
Filipinos, Indonesians and other Southeast Asians are darker than other Asians, because they got more exposure to sunlight (DUH!)
Just like how a Native Guatemalan is DARKER than a Native Canadian. Same race, but different exposure to sunlight!
Samoans and Hawaiians dont consider Filipinos to be of the same race. In fact, many Samoans and Hawaiians make fun of the way Filipinos talk and what they eat!
Plus, Filipinos tend to be shorter, have slanted eyes, and have thin hair, whereas Polynesians to be larger, dont have slanted eyes and have thick hair.
So why do Filipinos live in Kalihi, Waipahu and Ewa, along with the Polynesians?
It's not cultural, it's economic.
Same reason you'll find Laotians and Vietnamese living in Palolo Valley along with Samoans, Tongans and Micronesians.
Most immigrants from Samoa, Tonga, Phillipines, Micronesia, Vietnam and Laos can only afford to live in Kalihi, Palolo, Waipahu or Ewa.
I can understand if an 8 year old is confused on this. An adult (like that Chinese man who didn't think of Filipinos as Asians) should know better!
I remember a while back, some this one Chinese guy said that he didn't consider Filipinos to be Asians, because Filipinos are brown-skinned!
That's a stupid thing to say!
Does that guy consider Indonesians, Malaysians, and Cambodians to be Asians too? Because that what Filipinos look like!
That moron think that only yellow skinned Asians are "true Asians". That would include Chinese, Japanese, Koreans and Vietnamese.
That moron said that Filipinos belong to same category as Hawaiians and Samoans.
That's stupid! GET A MAP!
The Phillipines is NOT near Samoa or Hawaii. It is NEAR Indonesia and Malaysia!
Filipinos, Indonesians and other Southeast Asians are darker than other Asians, because they got more exposure to sunlight (DUH!)
Just like how a Native Guatemalan is DARKER than a Native Canadian. Same race, but different exposure to sunlight!
Samoans and Hawaiians dont consider Filipinos to be of the same race. In fact, many Samoans and Hawaiians make fun of the way Filipinos talk and what they eat!
Plus, Filipinos tend to be shorter, have slanted eyes, and have thin hair, whereas Polynesians to be larger, dont have slanted eyes and have thick hair.
So why do Filipinos live in Kalihi, Waipahu and Ewa, along with the Polynesians?
It's not cultural, it's economic.
Same reason you'll find Laotians and Vietnamese living in Palolo Valley along with Samoans, Tongans and Micronesians.
Most immigrants from Samoa, Tonga, Phillipines, Micronesia, Vietnam and Laos can only afford to live in Kalihi, Palolo, Waipahu or Ewa.
I can understand if an 8 year old is confused on this. An adult (like that Chinese man who didn't think of Filipinos as Asians) should know better!
Phony War on Christmas
All the Extreme Right-Wing Christian fanatics are crying about the so-called "War on Christmas".
Why?
All because some store employees say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"
All because some people believe that the traditions of non-Christian religions ought to be celebrated too!
Those Right-Wing Christian fanatics complain about being persecuted because someone said "Happy Holidays", some woman's titties got exposed during Super Bowl half-time, because someone wanted a Pledge of Allegiance without forcing atheist to say "under God", because some want the traditions of Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, etc to be honored!
THAT'S NOT PERSECUTION!
In some nations around the world, people get imprisoned and even executed for being Christians. In some nations, Christians get raped, physically tortured and shot at! In some nations, terrorist bomb Christian churches. All just for being Christian.
This is what happens in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and other nations.
Yes, a lot of these occur in mostly Muslim nations. Christians who are escaping such conditions try to move to America. Yet, some so-called Christians wants to ban all immigrant from Mostly Muslim nations? Even those who are trying to escape them?
PS: I prefer saying "Merry Christmas" over "Happy Holidays", but that has nothing to with the Right Wing Christian fascists!
All the Extreme Right-Wing Christian fanatics are crying about the so-called "War on Christmas".
Why?
All because some store employees say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"
All because some people believe that the traditions of non-Christian religions ought to be celebrated too!
Those Right-Wing Christian fanatics complain about being persecuted because someone said "Happy Holidays", some woman's titties got exposed during Super Bowl half-time, because someone wanted a Pledge of Allegiance without forcing atheist to say "under God", because some want the traditions of Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, etc to be honored!
THAT'S NOT PERSECUTION!
In some nations around the world, people get imprisoned and even executed for being Christians. In some nations, Christians get raped, physically tortured and shot at! In some nations, terrorist bomb Christian churches. All just for being Christian.
This is what happens in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and other nations.
Yes, a lot of these occur in mostly Muslim nations. Christians who are escaping such conditions try to move to America. Yet, some so-called Christians wants to ban all immigrant from Mostly Muslim nations? Even those who are trying to escape them?
PS: I prefer saying "Merry Christmas" over "Happy Holidays", but that has nothing to with the Right Wing Christian fascists!
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Racial Conflicts
1) Starting this past weekend, there were racial riots in Sydney, Australia.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/12/14/australia.racial.unrest.ap/index.html
It started when 2 Lebanese men attacked a white lifeguard at a Sydney beach. The Euro-Australians retaliated by attacking those who look Middle Eastern. Then the Middle Eastern youth fought back.
I remember reading in a newspaper that one of the white Australians said that all Middle Eastern people in Australia should go back to the Middle East. Nevermind that his ancestors from Europe stole Aborigine land in Australia.
It was only a few years ago, when the Aborigines rioted in Sydney in retaliation for a cop killing an Aborigine male.
Yet, Prime Minister John Howard is downplaying racial tensions in Australia?
I know that not all Australians are prejudiced, but those riots are proof that there is a racial conflict going on there.
2) In a recent post, I mentioned that Compton was once mostly-white, then mostly-black, and now a mostly Latino community.
Here is an article about the conflict between African Americans and Latinos in South Central LA. Very scary stuff
http://www.amconmag.com/2005/2005_12_19/cover.html
3) This past October, there was a riot in Birmingham, England.
This was started when a bunch of Pakistani males raped a Jamaican girl. This then lead to massive fights between Pakistanis and the African-Carribeans
http://www.guardian.co.uk/race/story/0,11374,1599126,00.html
4) So why I mentioning all this on the blog?
To let people be aware of what's happening, and how diversity has it's challenges. In a globalized world, a lot of people are migrating to different places. And when different groups meet in a certain places, some shallow knuckle-heads in each group will start some drama. Calming it down will take a lot of effort and dialogue
1) Starting this past weekend, there were racial riots in Sydney, Australia.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/12/14/australia.racial.unrest.ap/index.html
It started when 2 Lebanese men attacked a white lifeguard at a Sydney beach. The Euro-Australians retaliated by attacking those who look Middle Eastern. Then the Middle Eastern youth fought back.
I remember reading in a newspaper that one of the white Australians said that all Middle Eastern people in Australia should go back to the Middle East. Nevermind that his ancestors from Europe stole Aborigine land in Australia.
It was only a few years ago, when the Aborigines rioted in Sydney in retaliation for a cop killing an Aborigine male.
Yet, Prime Minister John Howard is downplaying racial tensions in Australia?
I know that not all Australians are prejudiced, but those riots are proof that there is a racial conflict going on there.
2) In a recent post, I mentioned that Compton was once mostly-white, then mostly-black, and now a mostly Latino community.
Here is an article about the conflict between African Americans and Latinos in South Central LA. Very scary stuff
http://www.amconmag.com/2005/2005_12_19/cover.html
3) This past October, there was a riot in Birmingham, England.
This was started when a bunch of Pakistani males raped a Jamaican girl. This then lead to massive fights between Pakistanis and the African-Carribeans
http://www.guardian.co.uk/race/story/0,11374,1599126,00.html
4) So why I mentioning all this on the blog?
To let people be aware of what's happening, and how diversity has it's challenges. In a globalized world, a lot of people are migrating to different places. And when different groups meet in a certain places, some shallow knuckle-heads in each group will start some drama. Calming it down will take a lot of effort and dialogue
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Old Hawaii
It is natural for people to reminisce about the old days. I'm only 25 years old, and already feel nostalgia about the good times of the past.
That's totally OK when you're sitting alone at your home or when talking story to old-time friends.
However, some people use that as an excuse to oppose any developments, whether it's a new condo building, a new neighborhood or a new Wal-Mart being built.
Many of those opponents were those who grew up in Hawaii in the 1950's and 1960's and want Hawaii to stay that way.
How ironic, since back when they were children, the grownups (who grew up in the 1920's) already wished things were the way they were when they were young.
People just assume that the way things were when they grew up was how it was before they were born.
If those people were living in caveman times, they would oppose the idea of building homes outside of caves, not to mention basic sanitation, electric systems and other things we take for granted today.
Things change, and it happens everywhere.
In the infamous community of Compton (in the LA metro area), it was once an all-white town. We might find it hard to believe since it's the home of gangsta rap.But when African Americans moved in, all the European Americans moved out. And nowadays, all the Mexicans and Central Americans are moving in, and the African Americans are moving out.
The same happens in Hawaii.
McKinley High School in Honolulu was nicknamed "Tokyo High" 40 years ago. Yet, today, that's not even the case.
I was at that school's graduation ceremony last June, and I hardly seen any Japanese people.
Most of the Asians I saw were Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese and Filipinos. I also saw more Samoans and Micronesians than Japanese.
One friend who went to Washington Middle School (in Honolulu) 10 years ago said that school was mostly Japanese. NOT ANYMORE!
I worked at Washington Middle as a substitute teacher, and I can tell you that Japanese are a minority there. They're outnumbered by Koreans, Samoans and Micronesians.
The point is, things change! People move out of neighborhoods, other people move in.
Communities change. Times change.
I'm not saying it's good or bad, it just is!
It is natural for people to reminisce about the old days. I'm only 25 years old, and already feel nostalgia about the good times of the past.
That's totally OK when you're sitting alone at your home or when talking story to old-time friends.
However, some people use that as an excuse to oppose any developments, whether it's a new condo building, a new neighborhood or a new Wal-Mart being built.
Many of those opponents were those who grew up in Hawaii in the 1950's and 1960's and want Hawaii to stay that way.
How ironic, since back when they were children, the grownups (who grew up in the 1920's) already wished things were the way they were when they were young.
People just assume that the way things were when they grew up was how it was before they were born.
If those people were living in caveman times, they would oppose the idea of building homes outside of caves, not to mention basic sanitation, electric systems and other things we take for granted today.
Things change, and it happens everywhere.
In the infamous community of Compton (in the LA metro area), it was once an all-white town. We might find it hard to believe since it's the home of gangsta rap.But when African Americans moved in, all the European Americans moved out. And nowadays, all the Mexicans and Central Americans are moving in, and the African Americans are moving out.
The same happens in Hawaii.
McKinley High School in Honolulu was nicknamed "Tokyo High" 40 years ago. Yet, today, that's not even the case.
I was at that school's graduation ceremony last June, and I hardly seen any Japanese people.
Most of the Asians I saw were Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese and Filipinos. I also saw more Samoans and Micronesians than Japanese.
One friend who went to Washington Middle School (in Honolulu) 10 years ago said that school was mostly Japanese. NOT ANYMORE!
I worked at Washington Middle as a substitute teacher, and I can tell you that Japanese are a minority there. They're outnumbered by Koreans, Samoans and Micronesians.
The point is, things change! People move out of neighborhoods, other people move in.
Communities change. Times change.
I'm not saying it's good or bad, it just is!
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Rape of 11 year old girl
On November 22, 2005, an 11 year old girl was raped by 5 boys in Beretania Community Park near Kukui Gardens.
http://starbulletin.com/2005/11/27/news/story02.html
I have been following this story because the victim and 3 of the agressors have been reported to attend Central Middle School, where I occassionally work as a substitute teacher.
I dont know the names and even if I did, I'm not allowed to say them publicly. Plus, names aren't important for you to know. What is important to know is how it happened, and how it can be prevented.
As the rape was occuring, NO ONE called the police, even this happened in the MOST densely populated area of Honolulu.
Possible reasons:
1) Assuming that because there's many people living nearby, there must've been someone who called the police already, so why bother?
Why bother? Because everyone else is thinking "why bother", so just call the police anyways. Plus, if the police are getting 100 calls about it, THAT'S GOOD. That puts neccessary pressure on the cops to get to the scene immediately.
2) That area has a large number of immigrants, many of whom aren't confident enough in their English speaking skills to speak to an emergency dispatcher.
That could be YOUR situation if YOU are in a place where you dont understand the language.
--------------------------------------------
A letter to the Star Bulletin
http://starbulletin.com/2005/12/03/editorial/letters.html
Parents responsible for alleged rapistsThe recent rape of the 11-year-old child, allegedly by five juveniles (Star-Bulletin, Dec. 1), is a prime example of what we can expect from the youth of today if parents continue to raise their kids in an immoral environment. I blame the parents of the alleged rapists for their actions.
I strongly feel that these kids should be held as adults. If that cannot be done because of the laws pertaining to youthful offenders, then their parents should be held responsible. Immorality begets immorality.
Kimo Holland
Honolulu
-------------------------------
MY RESPONSE (hopefully to be published on the Star Bulletin soon)
I have been paying special attention the case of the 11 year old girl raped near Kukui Gardens, because I occassionally work at Central Middle School as a substitute teacher. It was reported that the girl and her attackers go to that school.
On the 12/3/05 edition of the Star Bulletin, Kimo Holland blamed the parents of the rapist for the rape.
Does Holland know who the parents are?
The reason I ask is because many kids dont even bother listening to their parents or their teachers, regardless of how strict they are!
Remember, kids have a mind of their own. Their minds are not blank slates, though we sometimes wish they were.
Maybe those rapists were brought up in an immoral, abusive, drug-filled environment. But then again, not even kids who grow up in a conservative household are immune from the urges of committing rape and other viscious crimes.
Until I know about their home environment, I won't hold the parents responsible for their children's crimes.
Pablo Wegesend
Honolulu, HI
------------------------------------------
Too many boys think raping girls is a fun game. Why else would they do it? That's why they ought to be punished.
The boys who commited the crimes are currently awaiting trial. Hopefully, they get some time in jail, and more importantly they learn to regret their acts.
On November 22, 2005, an 11 year old girl was raped by 5 boys in Beretania Community Park near Kukui Gardens.
http://starbulletin.com/2005/11/27/news/story02.html
I have been following this story because the victim and 3 of the agressors have been reported to attend Central Middle School, where I occassionally work as a substitute teacher.
I dont know the names and even if I did, I'm not allowed to say them publicly. Plus, names aren't important for you to know. What is important to know is how it happened, and how it can be prevented.
As the rape was occuring, NO ONE called the police, even this happened in the MOST densely populated area of Honolulu.
Possible reasons:
1) Assuming that because there's many people living nearby, there must've been someone who called the police already, so why bother?
Why bother? Because everyone else is thinking "why bother", so just call the police anyways. Plus, if the police are getting 100 calls about it, THAT'S GOOD. That puts neccessary pressure on the cops to get to the scene immediately.
2) That area has a large number of immigrants, many of whom aren't confident enough in their English speaking skills to speak to an emergency dispatcher.
That could be YOUR situation if YOU are in a place where you dont understand the language.
--------------------------------------------
A letter to the Star Bulletin
http://starbulletin.com/2005/12/03/editorial/letters.html
Parents responsible for alleged rapistsThe recent rape of the 11-year-old child, allegedly by five juveniles (Star-Bulletin, Dec. 1), is a prime example of what we can expect from the youth of today if parents continue to raise their kids in an immoral environment. I blame the parents of the alleged rapists for their actions.
I strongly feel that these kids should be held as adults. If that cannot be done because of the laws pertaining to youthful offenders, then their parents should be held responsible. Immorality begets immorality.
Kimo Holland
Honolulu
-------------------------------
MY RESPONSE (hopefully to be published on the Star Bulletin soon)
I have been paying special attention the case of the 11 year old girl raped near Kukui Gardens, because I occassionally work at Central Middle School as a substitute teacher. It was reported that the girl and her attackers go to that school.
On the 12/3/05 edition of the Star Bulletin, Kimo Holland blamed the parents of the rapist for the rape.
Does Holland know who the parents are?
The reason I ask is because many kids dont even bother listening to their parents or their teachers, regardless of how strict they are!
Remember, kids have a mind of their own. Their minds are not blank slates, though we sometimes wish they were.
Maybe those rapists were brought up in an immoral, abusive, drug-filled environment. But then again, not even kids who grow up in a conservative household are immune from the urges of committing rape and other viscious crimes.
Until I know about their home environment, I won't hold the parents responsible for their children's crimes.
Pablo Wegesend
Honolulu, HI
------------------------------------------
Too many boys think raping girls is a fun game. Why else would they do it? That's why they ought to be punished.
The boys who commited the crimes are currently awaiting trial. Hopefully, they get some time in jail, and more importantly they learn to regret their acts.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Being Thankful
Thanksgiving was 2 days ago.
What am I thankful for?
1) I'm thankful that my home has running water, electricity, and flushing toilets. Stuff that so many Americans consider basic is stuff many people worldwide don't even have. Imagine your life without them. That's the life that millions worldwide have to put up with every day. That's the life our ancestors had to put up with.
2) I'm thankful to be able to live alone! I dont have to worry about others nagging, asking me stupid questions, etc when I want to have some privacy! I can actually have some time of peace & quiet. Plus, it helps you think better when others aren't always talking to you.
3) I'm thankful for improved relations with my family! A few years back, I felt alienated from my family due to some bad decisions they made. But at least they have acknowledged it and we have discussed them. And it made us all better people. And I'm NO LONGER alienated from them.
4) I'm thankful for the Internet! I dont have it at home, and I need to use the public library to access the Internet. But at least it's there. Because of the Internet, I have access to information that is hard to find elsewhere. And I even have my websites and email address to communicate my thoughts to the world.
5) I'm thankful to live in America! Most nations dont even have the same freedom or economic opportunity we have. I can post my thoughts on this blog without worrying about being thrown in jail for it. I live in a nation where we have luxury items that others don't have.
6) I'm thankful to live in Hawaii! Having sun and trade winds (most of the time), you can't get any better than that! It's a multi-racial society that is more succesful in cultural integration than most parts of the world. It's a good place to raise kids who can appreciate cultural diversity.
7) I'm thankful to live in Honolulu! It's the funnest part of Hawaii. It has all the malls, nightclubs, parks. It is Hawaii's center of business and government. It has some great institutions like the University of Hawaii, Ala Moana, Nuuanu YMCA, Palama Settlement, McKinley High School, Ward Center, Kahala Mall, the list can go on. It has a decent bus service (most of the time). And you can have easy access to nature (ie. the beaches, the botanical gardens, the green valleys) while living in an urban environment.
8) I'm thankful for glasses! Otherwise, I have difficult reading this screen.
9) I'm thankful for all the fun memories I have! They remind me that life can be fun :)
10) I'm thankful for all my good decisions! Such as refusing to take drugs, refusal to drink any alcoholic beverages, refusing to smoke, deciding to eat less & walk/bike more (which helped me loose weight), to excell in school, the list goes on and on.
11) I'm thankful for my friends! Some people dont have any.
12) I'm thankful for Detrol LA! Otherwise, I'd be urinating every half-hour.
13) I'm thankful for being employed! Though I'm not making big $$$, I'm thankful I'm getting some.
Also, being a sub teacher, I get to work at different schools and meeting new people. It's an adventurous life.
Conclusion : While most of our conversations goes along the line of "I wish I had this" or "I hate this", we must remember that in certain things, we have it better than others and to be thankful for it!
Or you'll be the guy that when told "others have it worse than you", he said "Really?"
Yes, really!
Thanksgiving was 2 days ago.
What am I thankful for?
1) I'm thankful that my home has running water, electricity, and flushing toilets. Stuff that so many Americans consider basic is stuff many people worldwide don't even have. Imagine your life without them. That's the life that millions worldwide have to put up with every day. That's the life our ancestors had to put up with.
2) I'm thankful to be able to live alone! I dont have to worry about others nagging, asking me stupid questions, etc when I want to have some privacy! I can actually have some time of peace & quiet. Plus, it helps you think better when others aren't always talking to you.
3) I'm thankful for improved relations with my family! A few years back, I felt alienated from my family due to some bad decisions they made. But at least they have acknowledged it and we have discussed them. And it made us all better people. And I'm NO LONGER alienated from them.
4) I'm thankful for the Internet! I dont have it at home, and I need to use the public library to access the Internet. But at least it's there. Because of the Internet, I have access to information that is hard to find elsewhere. And I even have my websites and email address to communicate my thoughts to the world.
5) I'm thankful to live in America! Most nations dont even have the same freedom or economic opportunity we have. I can post my thoughts on this blog without worrying about being thrown in jail for it. I live in a nation where we have luxury items that others don't have.
6) I'm thankful to live in Hawaii! Having sun and trade winds (most of the time), you can't get any better than that! It's a multi-racial society that is more succesful in cultural integration than most parts of the world. It's a good place to raise kids who can appreciate cultural diversity.
7) I'm thankful to live in Honolulu! It's the funnest part of Hawaii. It has all the malls, nightclubs, parks. It is Hawaii's center of business and government. It has some great institutions like the University of Hawaii, Ala Moana, Nuuanu YMCA, Palama Settlement, McKinley High School, Ward Center, Kahala Mall, the list can go on. It has a decent bus service (most of the time). And you can have easy access to nature (ie. the beaches, the botanical gardens, the green valleys) while living in an urban environment.
8) I'm thankful for glasses! Otherwise, I have difficult reading this screen.
9) I'm thankful for all the fun memories I have! They remind me that life can be fun :)
10) I'm thankful for all my good decisions! Such as refusing to take drugs, refusal to drink any alcoholic beverages, refusing to smoke, deciding to eat less & walk/bike more (which helped me loose weight), to excell in school, the list goes on and on.
11) I'm thankful for my friends! Some people dont have any.
12) I'm thankful for Detrol LA! Otherwise, I'd be urinating every half-hour.
13) I'm thankful for being employed! Though I'm not making big $$$, I'm thankful I'm getting some.
Also, being a sub teacher, I get to work at different schools and meeting new people. It's an adventurous life.
Conclusion : While most of our conversations goes along the line of "I wish I had this" or "I hate this", we must remember that in certain things, we have it better than others and to be thankful for it!
Or you'll be the guy that when told "others have it worse than you", he said "Really?"
Yes, really!
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Riots in France
In the last few years, a lot of Europeans talk about how America is so violent, so filled with inequalities, so intolerant, etc, etc.
The Europeans need to look at the mirror before pointing fingers in America.
The riots that have been going on in France is proof that the Europe isn't so peaceful, tolerant nor a society of equality.
These riots started after a police chase which resulted in two North African immigrants getting electrocuted.
But this wasn't just over 2 kids getting electrocuted. This is was the result of many North Africans in France (some immigrants, some descendants of immigrants) feeling left out of mainstream society and wanting to destroy things. And off course, the usual group of thugs take advantage of an emotional event to vandalize just for the sake of vandalizing.
This isn't the first time these sort of things happen in Europe.
At the end of last year, after a Morrocan immigrant killed a Dutch film-maker, there were riots in Amsterdam, with fights between neo-Nazis and North African immigrants.In this past summer's bombing in London, a few Pakistanis (and one Jamaican) who grew up in Britain) were involved.
There are many factors contributing to all this.One is that whites in Europe don't really accept non-white immigrants. So those immigrants clutter together for protection. Their children grow not fitting into mainstream European society. But those children wouldn't fit into their parent's homeland either. Their neighborhoods are all they got.
Add to the fact, that many of the immigrants in Europe are Muslim. Being that those immigrant teens are being rejected by mainstream European society, even more they'll defensively cling on the Islamic culture, even more so than their parent's generation. And with Islamic fanaticism gaining steam, this is a deadly combination.
Some say that those riots are the result of liberal multi-culturalism.
Here is Naomi Klein's reply to that (though the article was on London's bombing, it still fits the current situation in France
http://www.thenation.com/article/terrors-greatest-recruitment-tool
This last statistic shows that the brand of multiculturalism practiced in Britain (and France, Germany, Canada...) has little to do with genuine equality. It is instead a Faustian bargain, struck between vote-seeking politicians and self-appointed community leaders, one that keeps ethnic minorities tucked away in state-funded peripheral ghettos while the centers of public life remain largely unaffected by the seismic shifts in the national ethnic makeup. Nothing exposes the shallowness of this alleged tolerance more than the speed with which Muslim communities are now being told to "get out" (to quote Tory MP Gerald Howarth) in the name of core national values.
The real problem is not too much multiculturalism but too little. If the diversity now ghettoized on the margins of Western societies--geographically and psychologically--were truly allowed to migrate to the centers, it might infuse public life in the West with a powerful new humanism. If we had deeply multi-ethnic societies, rather than shallow multicultural ones, it would be much more difficult for politicians to sign deportation orders sending Algerian asylum-seekers to torture, or to wage wars in which only the invaders' dead are counted. A society that truly lived its values of equality and human rights, at home and abroad, would have another benefit too. It would rob terrorists of what has always been their greatest recruitment tool: our racism.
Talking about multi-culturalism, it is a challenge. I have mentioned on this blog that in Honolulu, immigrant teens from the Phillipines, Samoa, Vietnam and Micronesia dont always get along, causing some fights at schools. But not everyone Filipino hate every Samoan, not every Samoan hate every Vietnamese, etc, etc. In fact, some learn to get along. That's how many people do it worldwide.
Even with those troubles, Honolulu has yet to see riots on the scale of what's happening in France. Even with it's troubles, Hawaii has been very good in integrating many cultures.
But then again, there isn't a community of Islamic fanatics here, like there is in Paris.
In the last few years, a lot of Europeans talk about how America is so violent, so filled with inequalities, so intolerant, etc, etc.
The Europeans need to look at the mirror before pointing fingers in America.
The riots that have been going on in France is proof that the Europe isn't so peaceful, tolerant nor a society of equality.
These riots started after a police chase which resulted in two North African immigrants getting electrocuted.
But this wasn't just over 2 kids getting electrocuted. This is was the result of many North Africans in France (some immigrants, some descendants of immigrants) feeling left out of mainstream society and wanting to destroy things. And off course, the usual group of thugs take advantage of an emotional event to vandalize just for the sake of vandalizing.
This isn't the first time these sort of things happen in Europe.
At the end of last year, after a Morrocan immigrant killed a Dutch film-maker, there were riots in Amsterdam, with fights between neo-Nazis and North African immigrants.In this past summer's bombing in London, a few Pakistanis (and one Jamaican) who grew up in Britain) were involved.
There are many factors contributing to all this.One is that whites in Europe don't really accept non-white immigrants. So those immigrants clutter together for protection. Their children grow not fitting into mainstream European society. But those children wouldn't fit into their parent's homeland either. Their neighborhoods are all they got.
Add to the fact, that many of the immigrants in Europe are Muslim. Being that those immigrant teens are being rejected by mainstream European society, even more they'll defensively cling on the Islamic culture, even more so than their parent's generation. And with Islamic fanaticism gaining steam, this is a deadly combination.
Some say that those riots are the result of liberal multi-culturalism.
Here is Naomi Klein's reply to that (though the article was on London's bombing, it still fits the current situation in France
http://www.thenation.com/article/terrors-greatest-recruitment-tool
This last statistic shows that the brand of multiculturalism practiced in Britain (and France, Germany, Canada...) has little to do with genuine equality. It is instead a Faustian bargain, struck between vote-seeking politicians and self-appointed community leaders, one that keeps ethnic minorities tucked away in state-funded peripheral ghettos while the centers of public life remain largely unaffected by the seismic shifts in the national ethnic makeup. Nothing exposes the shallowness of this alleged tolerance more than the speed with which Muslim communities are now being told to "get out" (to quote Tory MP Gerald Howarth) in the name of core national values.
The real problem is not too much multiculturalism but too little. If the diversity now ghettoized on the margins of Western societies--geographically and psychologically--were truly allowed to migrate to the centers, it might infuse public life in the West with a powerful new humanism. If we had deeply multi-ethnic societies, rather than shallow multicultural ones, it would be much more difficult for politicians to sign deportation orders sending Algerian asylum-seekers to torture, or to wage wars in which only the invaders' dead are counted. A society that truly lived its values of equality and human rights, at home and abroad, would have another benefit too. It would rob terrorists of what has always been their greatest recruitment tool: our racism.
Talking about multi-culturalism, it is a challenge. I have mentioned on this blog that in Honolulu, immigrant teens from the Phillipines, Samoa, Vietnam and Micronesia dont always get along, causing some fights at schools. But not everyone Filipino hate every Samoan, not every Samoan hate every Vietnamese, etc, etc. In fact, some learn to get along. That's how many people do it worldwide.
Even with those troubles, Honolulu has yet to see riots on the scale of what's happening in France. Even with it's troubles, Hawaii has been very good in integrating many cultures.
But then again, there isn't a community of Islamic fanatics here, like there is in Paris.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Locals Lacking Local Knowledge
You would think that a 23 year old person who lived in Hawaii his whole life would have basic knowledge about Hawaii.
But a former friend (profiled in my 9/29/05 post) was so ignorant about some basic things, it can be great comedy to those who know Hawaii well
Here's a sample of his ignorance (by the way - all this was said when he was already in his 20's)
1) He thought Waimanalo and Waianae were right next to each other (in reality, there on opposite sides of Oahu)
2) When me and a then-roommate mention about Mililani, the former friend asked "is that past Aiea". (when commuting from Honolulu) HELLO, it's WAY PAST AIEA!
3) He was shocked when I mentioned that McKinley High School (our alma mater) was one of the least local schools on the island. He then "McKinley has some local people" HELLO, other schools have WAY MORE LOCAL PEOPLE than McKinley. What, does he actually think other schools on Oahu is 50% immigrant like McKinley? And don't get me started on the Neighbor Island schools, their students are even more "local" than the average Oahu school!!
4) He mentioned that having difficulty understanding the pidgin spoken in Honolulu public schools. HELLO - pidgin spoken in rural Hawaii schools is WAY STRONGER PIDGIN than pidgin spoken in Honolulu. Pidgin spoken by those in Palama or Palolo is nowhere nearly as heavy pidgin as the pidgin spoken in Waianae or Puna.
5) Even in his 20's, he still seem to think that the Central Middle School district (Palama, Mayor Wrights', Kukui Gardens, Chinatown, downtown) is typical of Hawaii. NO IT AINT. The Central Middle School is the MOST urbanized district, one of the most ghetto districts, and definitely the MOST immigrant district in Hawaii!
Most Polynesians in Hawaii don't act like the Bloods from Mayor Wright's. Most Asians in the Central Middle School district are Chinese/Vietnamese/Filipino immigrants! Most Asians in the rest of Hawaii are descendants of Japanese and Filipinos who came to the plantation 100 years ago.
This ought to be common sense.
That guy needs to go around all over Oahu, not just Honolulu!
You would think that a 23 year old person who lived in Hawaii his whole life would have basic knowledge about Hawaii.
But a former friend (profiled in my 9/29/05 post) was so ignorant about some basic things, it can be great comedy to those who know Hawaii well
Here's a sample of his ignorance (by the way - all this was said when he was already in his 20's)
1) He thought Waimanalo and Waianae were right next to each other (in reality, there on opposite sides of Oahu)
2) When me and a then-roommate mention about Mililani, the former friend asked "is that past Aiea". (when commuting from Honolulu) HELLO, it's WAY PAST AIEA!
3) He was shocked when I mentioned that McKinley High School (our alma mater) was one of the least local schools on the island. He then "McKinley has some local people" HELLO, other schools have WAY MORE LOCAL PEOPLE than McKinley. What, does he actually think other schools on Oahu is 50% immigrant like McKinley? And don't get me started on the Neighbor Island schools, their students are even more "local" than the average Oahu school!!
4) He mentioned that having difficulty understanding the pidgin spoken in Honolulu public schools. HELLO - pidgin spoken in rural Hawaii schools is WAY STRONGER PIDGIN than pidgin spoken in Honolulu. Pidgin spoken by those in Palama or Palolo is nowhere nearly as heavy pidgin as the pidgin spoken in Waianae or Puna.
5) Even in his 20's, he still seem to think that the Central Middle School district (Palama, Mayor Wrights', Kukui Gardens, Chinatown, downtown) is typical of Hawaii. NO IT AINT. The Central Middle School is the MOST urbanized district, one of the most ghetto districts, and definitely the MOST immigrant district in Hawaii!
Most Polynesians in Hawaii don't act like the Bloods from Mayor Wright's. Most Asians in the Central Middle School district are Chinese/Vietnamese/Filipino immigrants! Most Asians in the rest of Hawaii are descendants of Japanese and Filipinos who came to the plantation 100 years ago.
This ought to be common sense.
That guy needs to go around all over Oahu, not just Honolulu!
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Gun control fanatics defeated in Brazil
Gun control fanatics look at the USA for being the evil boogey-man for having the nerve to not ban guns.
Don't worry, USA has Brazil on it's side.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1023BrazilGuns23-ON.html
Associated Press
Oct. 23, 2005 03:00 PM
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - Brazilians soundly rejected a proposal to ban guns in a national referendum Sunday, striking down the bid to stem one of the world's highest firearm murder rates following a campaign that drew parallels to the U.S. gun control debate.
Thank you Brazilians. At least I know that citizens in other nations have some sense.
Here's what one Brazilian said.
"I'm don't like people walking around armed on the street. But since all the bandits have guns, you need to have a gun at home," said taxi driver Mohammed Osei, who voted against the ban.
AMEN!
The reason Americans and Brazilians are against a gun ban is because guns can be useful in self defense.
Criminals prey on the weak.
Not everyone is strong enough nor fast enough to fight off an extremely violent attacker! This is where handguns come in.
Someone try to rob you - you shoot them.
Someone try to rape you - you shoot them.
You CANNOT reason with a violent attacker.
Once the violence begins, time for negotiation is OVER!
Ideally, guns should be used as a last resort. Unfortunately, too many times, the last resort is all you have left!
But what about the police?
Analysts said the pro-gun lobby benefited from equal time on television in the final weeks of the campaign and that they cannily cashed in on Brazilian skepticism of the police."They ask the question: 'Do you feel protected and do you think the government is protecting you?' and the answer is a violent no," said political scientist David Fleischer of the University of Brasilia.
Violent bullies attack when the police aren't around!
By the time police arrive it's too late. You're either severely injured, killed, robbed or raped!
NRA (National Rifle Association) public affairs director Andrew Arulanandam called the proposal's defeat "a victory for freedom.""It's a stunning defeat for the global gun control movement. They poured millions of dollars and millions more man hours trying to enact this gun ban and they failed. The aim of this gun ban movement was to use Brazil as the rallying point to enact gun bans in the United States. We're happy they were defeated," he said
.Let's hope the NRA can help defeat gun control fanatics in the rest of Latin America, as well as Europe, Asia, Australia, and the rest of the world
Gun control fanatics look at the USA for being the evil boogey-man for having the nerve to not ban guns.
Don't worry, USA has Brazil on it's side.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1023BrazilGuns23-ON.html
Associated Press
Oct. 23, 2005 03:00 PM
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - Brazilians soundly rejected a proposal to ban guns in a national referendum Sunday, striking down the bid to stem one of the world's highest firearm murder rates following a campaign that drew parallels to the U.S. gun control debate.
Thank you Brazilians. At least I know that citizens in other nations have some sense.
Here's what one Brazilian said.
"I'm don't like people walking around armed on the street. But since all the bandits have guns, you need to have a gun at home," said taxi driver Mohammed Osei, who voted against the ban.
AMEN!
The reason Americans and Brazilians are against a gun ban is because guns can be useful in self defense.
Criminals prey on the weak.
Not everyone is strong enough nor fast enough to fight off an extremely violent attacker! This is where handguns come in.
Someone try to rob you - you shoot them.
Someone try to rape you - you shoot them.
You CANNOT reason with a violent attacker.
Once the violence begins, time for negotiation is OVER!
Ideally, guns should be used as a last resort. Unfortunately, too many times, the last resort is all you have left!
But what about the police?
Analysts said the pro-gun lobby benefited from equal time on television in the final weeks of the campaign and that they cannily cashed in on Brazilian skepticism of the police."They ask the question: 'Do you feel protected and do you think the government is protecting you?' and the answer is a violent no," said political scientist David Fleischer of the University of Brasilia.
Violent bullies attack when the police aren't around!
By the time police arrive it's too late. You're either severely injured, killed, robbed or raped!
NRA (National Rifle Association) public affairs director Andrew Arulanandam called the proposal's defeat "a victory for freedom.""It's a stunning defeat for the global gun control movement. They poured millions of dollars and millions more man hours trying to enact this gun ban and they failed. The aim of this gun ban movement was to use Brazil as the rallying point to enact gun bans in the United States. We're happy they were defeated," he said
.Let's hope the NRA can help defeat gun control fanatics in the rest of Latin America, as well as Europe, Asia, Australia, and the rest of the world
Kamehameha Schools Leaving Native Hawaiians Behind?
With all the controversy surrounding the Kamehameha Schools, one Native Hawaiian has an interesting idea
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Oct/25/ln/FP510250357.html
(Kimo) Kelii said the school, founded by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop in the late 1800s, has "done a pathetic job in the education of all Native Hawaiian kids."
Kamehameha's trustees, he said, should consider shutting down the flagship Kapalama campus and instead funnel its vast resources into public schools where there are large numbers of Native Hawaiians such as Wai'anae, he said. Kelii also criticized OHA for not doing enough to help Native Hawaiian children get a better education.
If Ken Conklin said the same thing, he would be called an insensitive racist. But Kimo Kelii has made a lot of sense!
Too many Native Hawaiian activists waste energy demanding more special privilleges for those born Native Hawaiian, and not enough energy finding a solution to the problems of Native Hawaiians living in poverty on Oahu's Leeward coast.
Kamehameha Schools is filled with many rich & upper class students (some of them who don't even look Native Hawaiian). The trustees don't even bother to collaborate with the DOE on helping schools where many low-income Native Hawaiians attend (ie. Nanakuli, Waianae). The trustees don't even bother helping with teaching strategies, they don't bother giving their immense wealth ( $6 Billion worth of assetts) to fund repairs of those schools
Keeping one well-funded private school (Kamehameha) segregated isn't going to help low-income Native Hawaiians be prepped to succeed in the 21st Century globalized economy!
If I had a $6 billion endowment, I'd give assistance to Hawaii schools that are struggling. Some of those schools have a large Native Hawaiian population (ie. Nanakuli, Waianae). However, ALL students who attend those schools will get assistance!
That's right - even the Samoan, Marshallese, Laotian, Filipino, European, and yes, Native Hawaiians and everyone else, will get assistance! Let's not forget that even non-Hawaiians are also struggling too.
I wouldn't shut down Kamehameha. It can still be a great school that can both emphasize Native Hawaiian culture and prep its students for the 21st century globalized economy! I'll just integrate that school, and use it's resources to help ALL Hawaii residents, even those unlucky to have ancestors in Hawaii before Captain Cook's arrival.
To those who graduated or attending, Kamehameha Schools, please dont take it personal. I know some great people who attended that school. I just dont agree with it's racial admissions policy.
With all the controversy surrounding the Kamehameha Schools, one Native Hawaiian has an interesting idea
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Oct/25/ln/FP510250357.html
(Kimo) Kelii said the school, founded by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop in the late 1800s, has "done a pathetic job in the education of all Native Hawaiian kids."
Kamehameha's trustees, he said, should consider shutting down the flagship Kapalama campus and instead funnel its vast resources into public schools where there are large numbers of Native Hawaiians such as Wai'anae, he said. Kelii also criticized OHA for not doing enough to help Native Hawaiian children get a better education.
If Ken Conklin said the same thing, he would be called an insensitive racist. But Kimo Kelii has made a lot of sense!
Too many Native Hawaiian activists waste energy demanding more special privilleges for those born Native Hawaiian, and not enough energy finding a solution to the problems of Native Hawaiians living in poverty on Oahu's Leeward coast.
Kamehameha Schools is filled with many rich & upper class students (some of them who don't even look Native Hawaiian). The trustees don't even bother to collaborate with the DOE on helping schools where many low-income Native Hawaiians attend (ie. Nanakuli, Waianae). The trustees don't even bother helping with teaching strategies, they don't bother giving their immense wealth ( $6 Billion worth of assetts) to fund repairs of those schools
Keeping one well-funded private school (Kamehameha) segregated isn't going to help low-income Native Hawaiians be prepped to succeed in the 21st Century globalized economy!
If I had a $6 billion endowment, I'd give assistance to Hawaii schools that are struggling. Some of those schools have a large Native Hawaiian population (ie. Nanakuli, Waianae). However, ALL students who attend those schools will get assistance!
That's right - even the Samoan, Marshallese, Laotian, Filipino, European, and yes, Native Hawaiians and everyone else, will get assistance! Let's not forget that even non-Hawaiians are also struggling too.
I wouldn't shut down Kamehameha. It can still be a great school that can both emphasize Native Hawaiian culture and prep its students for the 21st century globalized economy! I'll just integrate that school, and use it's resources to help ALL Hawaii residents, even those unlucky to have ancestors in Hawaii before Captain Cook's arrival.
To those who graduated or attending, Kamehameha Schools, please dont take it personal. I know some great people who attended that school. I just dont agree with it's racial admissions policy.
Hawaii versus Fresno State
This Saturday UH football team will play Fresno State at Aloha Stadium.
This is one of the biggest rivalries in the Western Athletic Conference.
Reasons for that include
1) Fresno State fans are notoriously rude to visiting teams - throwing stuff (including screwdrivers) and yelling nasty insults.
2) Hawaii has beat Fresno State when Fresno State thought they were hot shit. You know, Fresno State has some big victories early in the season, then all of a sudden, they play at Hawaii, then they loose
3) However, Fresno State gave a crushing defeat to Hawaii last 70-14. Hawaii wants revenge this weekend.
4) Both teams have aggressive reputations.
5) Both have coaches with NFL experience, and have mustaches (though Hawaii's June Jones shaved his off)
The cities of Fresno and Honolulu also have the following in common
1) both are medium sized cities surrounded by land traditionally used for agriculture.
2) both have traditionally blue-collar "working class" populations
3) neither has a major league professional team, so their college football teams are the biggest show in town
And both cities have some differences
1) Fresno is traditionally a conservative area in a mostly liberal California, whereas Hawaii is traditionally liberal
2) Fresno is populated mostly by Caucasians (many of whose ancestors left Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas during the drought of the 1930's and found some good farmland around Fresno) and by Armenian and Mexican immigrants (many also were farm labor or working in the city).Fresno also has it's share of African Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders
Hawaii is populated mostly by Pacific Islanders (including Native Hawaiians as well as Samoans, Tongans and Micronesians) and Asians (some whose ancestors worked in rural plantations, others who arrived in the last 2 decades in live mostly in Honolulu). Hawaii also has it's Caucasian and African American population (lot of them 1st came as military folks stationed there, then chose to make Hawaii their home) and a small number of Latinos (including myself).
It will be an exciting Saturday, and I look forward to being at Aloha Stadium. Hopefully, the Hawaii Warriors defeat the Fresno State Bulldogs (I'll call them puppies)
This Saturday UH football team will play Fresno State at Aloha Stadium.
This is one of the biggest rivalries in the Western Athletic Conference.
Reasons for that include
1) Fresno State fans are notoriously rude to visiting teams - throwing stuff (including screwdrivers) and yelling nasty insults.
2) Hawaii has beat Fresno State when Fresno State thought they were hot shit. You know, Fresno State has some big victories early in the season, then all of a sudden, they play at Hawaii, then they loose
3) However, Fresno State gave a crushing defeat to Hawaii last 70-14. Hawaii wants revenge this weekend.
4) Both teams have aggressive reputations.
5) Both have coaches with NFL experience, and have mustaches (though Hawaii's June Jones shaved his off)
The cities of Fresno and Honolulu also have the following in common
1) both are medium sized cities surrounded by land traditionally used for agriculture.
2) both have traditionally blue-collar "working class" populations
3) neither has a major league professional team, so their college football teams are the biggest show in town
And both cities have some differences
1) Fresno is traditionally a conservative area in a mostly liberal California, whereas Hawaii is traditionally liberal
2) Fresno is populated mostly by Caucasians (many of whose ancestors left Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas during the drought of the 1930's and found some good farmland around Fresno) and by Armenian and Mexican immigrants (many also were farm labor or working in the city).Fresno also has it's share of African Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders
Hawaii is populated mostly by Pacific Islanders (including Native Hawaiians as well as Samoans, Tongans and Micronesians) and Asians (some whose ancestors worked in rural plantations, others who arrived in the last 2 decades in live mostly in Honolulu). Hawaii also has it's Caucasian and African American population (lot of them 1st came as military folks stationed there, then chose to make Hawaii their home) and a small number of Latinos (including myself).
It will be an exciting Saturday, and I look forward to being at Aloha Stadium. Hopefully, the Hawaii Warriors defeat the Fresno State Bulldogs (I'll call them puppies)
Monday, October 17, 2005
I Lived a Quarter Century
This past Saturday, I became 25 years old.
1) I didn't have time to update this blog that day (I use the public library computers to surf the Internet), but I did have an adventurous day.
In the morning, I had breakfast with my parents and grandmother at Kam Bowl's in Kalihi (they got the best fried rice & scrambled eggs). That is my birthday tradition to eat over there.
Later, in the noon/afternoon time, I did my usual weekend duties of laundry and cleaning.
In the evening time, me and a few friends were at Eastside Grill to watch a UH football game. Though it's always better to watch a game at the stadium, I preferred to save $$$ and watch it a bar. It's a fun social thing, and you don't have to get drunk. I just drank 7up & water.
2) I'm 25 already? Damn I feel old! (though someone said to me that day that I'm still a young guy).
The reason I say I'm getting old is that now I feel like a full-on adult. Though I have been legally an adult for 7 years, I wasn't always feeling that way. I never felt like a full-0n adult when I was in college, but I do now.
The reason is now, I have to work and support myself. I'm not attending school anymore, though I do work at the schools. And now I gotta be a mature adult.
To good thing about being a full-on adult is that now, there's no real pressure to be a part of a clique! Now, there's no pressure for me to always hang out with friends or else others think I got none. It's always strange that just because I'm not around a friend 24/7, I got accused by some of not having friends. If those folks even paid attention, they would know with whom and where I hung out.
As a full-on adult, there's less flight-or-fight pressure. As a teenager, if you don't lash out in anger, you're considered a wimp or a pussy! So what do you in tough situations? Lash out in anger. Which I have done! And I would be pissed off if my friends dont back me up in a fight!
In one case, a former friend (profiled in the 9/29/05 post) told me that someone said false things behind my back. Of course, I wanted to fight that rumor-spreader. Problem is, that "friend" didn't want to back me up in a fight! I considered that "friend" a coward.
However, I handle things different. When I was working at Palama Settlement this past summer, there were tense situations. In one case, a woman was pissed at me for disciplining her nephew. In another case, a co-worker (who only got hired because someone else quit) was being bossy and rude. In those situations, I told my supervisors about how those folks been acting. It's better to tell the supervisors about it instead of lashing out at that "irate auntie" and bossy co-worker. You can't be a doormat (wimp) but you can't lash out in anger, so you gotta find the middle ground - being calm but stern! That is something I have learned from my supervisors at Palama Settlement, and something I wish I've learned earlier in life!
Going back to that rumor-spreader in high school, I have learned that you shouldn't go telling people "so and so said this about you!" If you hear someone saying negative stuff about me, DONT TELL ME ABOUT IT! And I wont tell you if someone said negative stuff about you! I'm an adult and I dont need to spread bad vibes.
The problem with being an adult is that you have even less time to hang out with friends. Every one my age is busy working and taking care of their own children. They don't have time to call or hang out! Even to invite friends to a party is a pain in the ass nowadays, since everyone is so busy with their own lives. (though in one case, one friend was too sick to attend my birthday party)
Also, being 25 and a full-on adult, that means childhood, adolescence and young adult hood is over. That means all the good memories are just memories, and there's things I've wished I have done, but didn't have time to do them. I remember feeling like 4 years of high school was too short! When I graduated from McKinley High School [Tiger Pride :)] , I wanted another year, so I can do stuff I didn't get a chance to do in the 4 years!
However, now that I work in the schools, I get a chance to enjoy life in school again. I get to enjoy observing kids doing fun stuff and making jokes.
However, my role is changed.
Good news is that I got authority! The kids have to listen to me! I am the star of the classroom!
And I dont have to fit-in a clique nor get involved in some immature nonsense!
However, I am held responsible if the kids get hurt! I have be on full-alert at all times!
And when kids act up, I can't be a wimp, but I can't lash out either. I got to be calm & stern! That's easier said than done. But it must be done!
This past Saturday, I became 25 years old.
1) I didn't have time to update this blog that day (I use the public library computers to surf the Internet), but I did have an adventurous day.
In the morning, I had breakfast with my parents and grandmother at Kam Bowl's in Kalihi (they got the best fried rice & scrambled eggs). That is my birthday tradition to eat over there.
Later, in the noon/afternoon time, I did my usual weekend duties of laundry and cleaning.
In the evening time, me and a few friends were at Eastside Grill to watch a UH football game. Though it's always better to watch a game at the stadium, I preferred to save $$$ and watch it a bar. It's a fun social thing, and you don't have to get drunk. I just drank 7up & water.
2) I'm 25 already? Damn I feel old! (though someone said to me that day that I'm still a young guy).
The reason I say I'm getting old is that now I feel like a full-on adult. Though I have been legally an adult for 7 years, I wasn't always feeling that way. I never felt like a full-0n adult when I was in college, but I do now.
The reason is now, I have to work and support myself. I'm not attending school anymore, though I do work at the schools. And now I gotta be a mature adult.
To good thing about being a full-on adult is that now, there's no real pressure to be a part of a clique! Now, there's no pressure for me to always hang out with friends or else others think I got none. It's always strange that just because I'm not around a friend 24/7, I got accused by some of not having friends. If those folks even paid attention, they would know with whom and where I hung out.
As a full-on adult, there's less flight-or-fight pressure. As a teenager, if you don't lash out in anger, you're considered a wimp or a pussy! So what do you in tough situations? Lash out in anger. Which I have done! And I would be pissed off if my friends dont back me up in a fight!
In one case, a former friend (profiled in the 9/29/05 post) told me that someone said false things behind my back. Of course, I wanted to fight that rumor-spreader. Problem is, that "friend" didn't want to back me up in a fight! I considered that "friend" a coward.
However, I handle things different. When I was working at Palama Settlement this past summer, there were tense situations. In one case, a woman was pissed at me for disciplining her nephew. In another case, a co-worker (who only got hired because someone else quit) was being bossy and rude. In those situations, I told my supervisors about how those folks been acting. It's better to tell the supervisors about it instead of lashing out at that "irate auntie" and bossy co-worker. You can't be a doormat (wimp) but you can't lash out in anger, so you gotta find the middle ground - being calm but stern! That is something I have learned from my supervisors at Palama Settlement, and something I wish I've learned earlier in life!
Going back to that rumor-spreader in high school, I have learned that you shouldn't go telling people "so and so said this about you!" If you hear someone saying negative stuff about me, DONT TELL ME ABOUT IT! And I wont tell you if someone said negative stuff about you! I'm an adult and I dont need to spread bad vibes.
The problem with being an adult is that you have even less time to hang out with friends. Every one my age is busy working and taking care of their own children. They don't have time to call or hang out! Even to invite friends to a party is a pain in the ass nowadays, since everyone is so busy with their own lives. (though in one case, one friend was too sick to attend my birthday party)
Also, being 25 and a full-on adult, that means childhood, adolescence and young adult hood is over. That means all the good memories are just memories, and there's things I've wished I have done, but didn't have time to do them. I remember feeling like 4 years of high school was too short! When I graduated from McKinley High School [Tiger Pride :)] , I wanted another year, so I can do stuff I didn't get a chance to do in the 4 years!
However, now that I work in the schools, I get a chance to enjoy life in school again. I get to enjoy observing kids doing fun stuff and making jokes.
However, my role is changed.
Good news is that I got authority! The kids have to listen to me! I am the star of the classroom!
And I dont have to fit-in a clique nor get involved in some immature nonsense!
However, I am held responsible if the kids get hurt! I have be on full-alert at all times!
And when kids act up, I can't be a wimp, but I can't lash out either. I got to be calm & stern! That's easier said than done. But it must be done!
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
School Profiles
1) The Honolulu Advertiser recently had an article about Farrington High School.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Oct/09/ln/FP510090344.html
Here's what I wrote to the editors
I thought the article on Farrington High School was interesting, but the Tiger in me (I'm a McKinley grad) is a little envious.
I think it would be a good idea to do a profile on McKinley High School and put in on the front page of a Sunday edition.Here's my reasons
1) it's the oldest public high school
2) it's in the center of Honolulu, and therefore it's good to inform rural and suburban Oahu residents about the thoughts of urban Honolulu kids. It's a very different culture.
3) it has a really large immigrant population from various nations, including Vietnam, Korea, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, China, Phillipines, Samoa, etc. How do they adjust to new surroundings, do they get along with each other, do they fight each other? How does the administration deal with their struggles?
4) the school district covers various communities like McCully, downtown, Chinatown, Liliha, Mayor Wright's, Palama and Lanakila. How do the students from those communities differ and how do they get along?
5) as you can tell from #4, students from various income levels go to McKinley.
6) going back to #3, NOT MANY students at McKinley have any ancestors who were working in sugar plantations of old Hawaii. So those students may not be able to relate to students in (for example : Pearl City, Campbell, Castle, etc.) It's a very different culture from the rest of Hawaii.
Conclusion : It would be great for the whole state to read about life in a school that is the most urban school in Hawaii, a school with the most immigrants, a school with students from various income levels, school with diverse groups, a school in which students may not relate to the plantation culture.
2) Kamehameha Schools.You want to know why I don't take the "Native Hawaiians only" admission policy very seriously?
Go to http://starbulletin.com/2005/10/10/features/story03.html
then scroll down until you see the photo.
Do the 2 sudents sitting down even look Native Hawaiians? Do they even look part Polynesian?
The boy looks totally European, the girl looks totally Asian.
Meanwhile, many Polynesians who live in Kalihi Valley Housing or Kuhio Park Terrace (both less than 1 mile from Kamehameha Schools) dont get admitted to Kamehameha Schools because their ancestors landed on the wrong island. ( Many residents of both housing projects are Samoan or Tongan)
Meanwhile, Europeans and Asians can lie about their supposed Native Hawaiian ancestry (even when they don't look Hawaiian, nor practice the culture) just to go to Kamehameha. ( One of my relatives who grad from Kamehameha probably fit that description)
Why cant everyone just live in the 21 st century and learn to be intergrated already?
3) So ironic that people say Kamehameha is needed due to all the negative statitstics on Native Hawaiians.
Yet, a lot of Kamehameha students don't look Hawaiian and probably live in middle class areas.Even some of the ones who do look Native Hawaiian live in middle class areas (ie Kaneohe, Mililani, Pearl City , etc.)
In any public housing complex in Honolulu, you'd find more Samoans and Micronesians than Native Hawaiians. Yet we don't see anyone demanding segregated schools for Samoans and Micronesians.
Cant we all just along and integrate already?
1) The Honolulu Advertiser recently had an article about Farrington High School.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Oct/09/ln/FP510090344.html
Here's what I wrote to the editors
I thought the article on Farrington High School was interesting, but the Tiger in me (I'm a McKinley grad) is a little envious.
I think it would be a good idea to do a profile on McKinley High School and put in on the front page of a Sunday edition.Here's my reasons
1) it's the oldest public high school
2) it's in the center of Honolulu, and therefore it's good to inform rural and suburban Oahu residents about the thoughts of urban Honolulu kids. It's a very different culture.
3) it has a really large immigrant population from various nations, including Vietnam, Korea, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, China, Phillipines, Samoa, etc. How do they adjust to new surroundings, do they get along with each other, do they fight each other? How does the administration deal with their struggles?
4) the school district covers various communities like McCully, downtown, Chinatown, Liliha, Mayor Wright's, Palama and Lanakila. How do the students from those communities differ and how do they get along?
5) as you can tell from #4, students from various income levels go to McKinley.
6) going back to #3, NOT MANY students at McKinley have any ancestors who were working in sugar plantations of old Hawaii. So those students may not be able to relate to students in (for example : Pearl City, Campbell, Castle, etc.) It's a very different culture from the rest of Hawaii.
Conclusion : It would be great for the whole state to read about life in a school that is the most urban school in Hawaii, a school with the most immigrants, a school with students from various income levels, school with diverse groups, a school in which students may not relate to the plantation culture.
2) Kamehameha Schools.You want to know why I don't take the "Native Hawaiians only" admission policy very seriously?
Go to http://starbulletin.com/2005/10/10/features/story03.html
then scroll down until you see the photo.
Do the 2 sudents sitting down even look Native Hawaiians? Do they even look part Polynesian?
The boy looks totally European, the girl looks totally Asian.
Meanwhile, many Polynesians who live in Kalihi Valley Housing or Kuhio Park Terrace (both less than 1 mile from Kamehameha Schools) dont get admitted to Kamehameha Schools because their ancestors landed on the wrong island. ( Many residents of both housing projects are Samoan or Tongan)
Meanwhile, Europeans and Asians can lie about their supposed Native Hawaiian ancestry (even when they don't look Hawaiian, nor practice the culture) just to go to Kamehameha. ( One of my relatives who grad from Kamehameha probably fit that description)
Why cant everyone just live in the 21 st century and learn to be intergrated already?
3) So ironic that people say Kamehameha is needed due to all the negative statitstics on Native Hawaiians.
Yet, a lot of Kamehameha students don't look Hawaiian and probably live in middle class areas.Even some of the ones who do look Native Hawaiian live in middle class areas (ie Kaneohe, Mililani, Pearl City , etc.)
In any public housing complex in Honolulu, you'd find more Samoans and Micronesians than Native Hawaiians. Yet we don't see anyone demanding segregated schools for Samoans and Micronesians.
Cant we all just along and integrate already?
Friday, October 07, 2005
PTA @ UH
Usually, we associate Parent-Teachers Associations (PTA) with elementary, middle and high schools.
However, University of Hawaii also has a PTA.
This has caused some controversy.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Oct/02/ln/FP510020331.html
The reason why a PTA was started at UH was because some parents were concerned about what was going in the dorms. There incidents at the dorms where drunk students got ill, violent or even dead from overdose.
Parents were also concerned about the shortage of student housing on campus.
However, some students at UH are pissed off at the PTA for discouraging drunken-ness on campus. The attitudes of those students were "we're college students already, so buzz off parents"
Now, my opinion on all this ----
Some parents do over-manage their kid's lives excessively, even the kids who are already grown into adults.
However, the parents do have a right to be concerned about what goes on in campus. After all, it's the parents who usually pay the tuition.
After all, if a student has 1) died of binge drinking, 2) commited suicide, 3) gotten sexually assaulted, 4) gotten into a drunken fight, etc. --- who's going to pick up the broken pieces?
It AINT gonna be the admissions office, NOT ASUH, NOT the student housing staff, NOT those Ka Leo columnists who opposed the PTA.
It will be the parents who have to pick up the broken pieces.
So dam right the parents should have some say in what's going on in campus!
THIS DOESN'T MEAN that the UH administration has to satisfy every single parent (impossible), NOR does it mean the parents should over-manage every move a student make. NOR should a parent be picking their kid's major or extra-curricular activity.
But the UH administration should at least listen to the concerns of the parents.
So I say, let's have the PTA involved at UH.
Usually, we associate Parent-Teachers Associations (PTA) with elementary, middle and high schools.
However, University of Hawaii also has a PTA.
This has caused some controversy.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Oct/02/ln/FP510020331.html
The reason why a PTA was started at UH was because some parents were concerned about what was going in the dorms. There incidents at the dorms where drunk students got ill, violent or even dead from overdose.
Parents were also concerned about the shortage of student housing on campus.
However, some students at UH are pissed off at the PTA for discouraging drunken-ness on campus. The attitudes of those students were "we're college students already, so buzz off parents"
Now, my opinion on all this ----
Some parents do over-manage their kid's lives excessively, even the kids who are already grown into adults.
However, the parents do have a right to be concerned about what goes on in campus. After all, it's the parents who usually pay the tuition.
After all, if a student has 1) died of binge drinking, 2) commited suicide, 3) gotten sexually assaulted, 4) gotten into a drunken fight, etc. --- who's going to pick up the broken pieces?
It AINT gonna be the admissions office, NOT ASUH, NOT the student housing staff, NOT those Ka Leo columnists who opposed the PTA.
It will be the parents who have to pick up the broken pieces.
So dam right the parents should have some say in what's going on in campus!
THIS DOESN'T MEAN that the UH administration has to satisfy every single parent (impossible), NOR does it mean the parents should over-manage every move a student make. NOR should a parent be picking their kid's major or extra-curricular activity.
But the UH administration should at least listen to the concerns of the parents.
So I say, let's have the PTA involved at UH.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
2 years ago today
9/29/2003 is memorable to me for 2 reasons - 1) end of bus strike and 2) end of a friendship
1) The bus drivers strike was so stupid. The bus drivers going on strike didn't deserve any sympathy. They didn't even get sympathy from the usually pro-union radio host Larry Price. And they had no sympathy from me.
Bus drivers already make more money than cops, fire-fighters and teachers, so they had no reason to bitch about their pay.
And all the strike did was cause inconvenience to those who can't afford their cars.
For more info on that bus strike, check out my editorial from 9/4/2003
http://www.kaleo.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/09/04/3f57021195085?in_archive=1
The most irritating thing about the strike was that one morning, where I had to walk to work in extremely humid weather. I had no money for a taxi. I was really pissed off that day!
On 9/29/2003 I was happy the bus drivers finally went back to work
2) End of a friendship
9/29/2003 was the last time I talked to a former friend.
I met that "friend" in middle school and continued to hang out with him in high school and in my college years (though he didn't attend UH-Manoa like I did).
I used to like hanging out with him because we had similar interests. I started to hang out with him when I found out he liked heavy metal music and watched "Beavis & Butthead". We also enjoyed talking about other people at our schools.
As we entered high school, we started to talk a lot about rap music and gang fights going on this island. We also cruised the malls, go to parks, and talked about hoochie girls :)
However, in his senior year, he became a constant whiner! He kept saying "I cant wait to get out of high school", while I couldn't wait for him to shut up!
You see, I was looking forward to my senior year. That is when you get even more involved in activities, become even more hyped up, be a little more outgoing, etc. After all, you want to enjoy high school while you still can.
But that "friend" didn't think that way. He preferred to whine every lunch recess and in every class I shared with him. It got to a point that during Black & Gold Day (a day McKinley High School had activities to boost school spirit) he spent that day whining. That was it! I scolded him for whining about his problems at what was supposed to be a fun activity.
After graduating from high school in 1999, I still talked to that "friend", though not as often. It was because I was attending UH-Manoa, while he was attending K.C.C. However, the conversations were civilized and usually fun.
However in the summer of 2003, his whiny side of him came back with the vengance. That "friend" became a very paranoid "man". He had a problem with some of another race and he got paranoid about it! Even though he got along with those from that other race before!
I couldn't take it anymore. I'm not going to listen to a guy being racist just because of an incident! Mature adults don't over-generalize another group just because a member of another group is rude! Grow up already!
I sent him letters telling him about all the things I dislike about him. I told him that he whines too much, told him to start respecting other cultures, told him to go see a real psychiatrist, and told him I'm going my separate ways.
Then on 9/28/2003, he called and said he wanted to return a few items he borrowed. The next day 9/29/2003, he returned those items and had a casual conversation.
However, I have never contacted that "friend" since then. And I don't feel guilty about it. I have other friends I can talk to.
Sometimes, life demands that you dump friends who waste your time! If that's the case in your life, find a way to dump that "friend"!
9/29/2003 is memorable to me for 2 reasons - 1) end of bus strike and 2) end of a friendship
1) The bus drivers strike was so stupid. The bus drivers going on strike didn't deserve any sympathy. They didn't even get sympathy from the usually pro-union radio host Larry Price. And they had no sympathy from me.
Bus drivers already make more money than cops, fire-fighters and teachers, so they had no reason to bitch about their pay.
And all the strike did was cause inconvenience to those who can't afford their cars.
For more info on that bus strike, check out my editorial from 9/4/2003
http://www.kaleo.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/09/04/3f57021195085?in_archive=1
The most irritating thing about the strike was that one morning, where I had to walk to work in extremely humid weather. I had no money for a taxi. I was really pissed off that day!
On 9/29/2003 I was happy the bus drivers finally went back to work
2) End of a friendship
9/29/2003 was the last time I talked to a former friend.
I met that "friend" in middle school and continued to hang out with him in high school and in my college years (though he didn't attend UH-Manoa like I did).
I used to like hanging out with him because we had similar interests. I started to hang out with him when I found out he liked heavy metal music and watched "Beavis & Butthead". We also enjoyed talking about other people at our schools.
As we entered high school, we started to talk a lot about rap music and gang fights going on this island. We also cruised the malls, go to parks, and talked about hoochie girls :)
However, in his senior year, he became a constant whiner! He kept saying "I cant wait to get out of high school", while I couldn't wait for him to shut up!
You see, I was looking forward to my senior year. That is when you get even more involved in activities, become even more hyped up, be a little more outgoing, etc. After all, you want to enjoy high school while you still can.
But that "friend" didn't think that way. He preferred to whine every lunch recess and in every class I shared with him. It got to a point that during Black & Gold Day (a day McKinley High School had activities to boost school spirit) he spent that day whining. That was it! I scolded him for whining about his problems at what was supposed to be a fun activity.
After graduating from high school in 1999, I still talked to that "friend", though not as often. It was because I was attending UH-Manoa, while he was attending K.C.C. However, the conversations were civilized and usually fun.
However in the summer of 2003, his whiny side of him came back with the vengance. That "friend" became a very paranoid "man". He had a problem with some of another race and he got paranoid about it! Even though he got along with those from that other race before!
I couldn't take it anymore. I'm not going to listen to a guy being racist just because of an incident! Mature adults don't over-generalize another group just because a member of another group is rude! Grow up already!
I sent him letters telling him about all the things I dislike about him. I told him that he whines too much, told him to start respecting other cultures, told him to go see a real psychiatrist, and told him I'm going my separate ways.
Then on 9/28/2003, he called and said he wanted to return a few items he borrowed. The next day 9/29/2003, he returned those items and had a casual conversation.
However, I have never contacted that "friend" since then. And I don't feel guilty about it. I have other friends I can talk to.
Sometimes, life demands that you dump friends who waste your time! If that's the case in your life, find a way to dump that "friend"!
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Anniversaries of Big Events
1) I was so busy on Sunday & Monday, that only now I'm posting comments about the sad events 4 years ago - the 9/11 attacks.
You can check my past posts to find out what I think about the politics surrounding 9/11 and the War on Terror.
I want to talk about my experiences on that day 9/11/01.At the time, I was a college student living in the dorms at UH-Manoa. Being that I was in Hawaii, I was sleeping when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon got hit.
I first found out about it when my mom called me at 5:45. She mentioned that the World Trade Center blew up. At the moment, I was thinking it would've been similar to the bombing that occured in the World Trade Center in 1993.
Only when I listened to the radio (the TV in my dorm room was screwed up at the time), when I found out it was actually airplanes that hit the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.
Later that morning, I was in the cafeteria, when a student was concerned that a class I had with him was going to be cancelled. He also fear that Pearl Harbor might get hit again.
I had 2 classes that day. In the 1st class, the professor mentioned about the 9/11 attacks, then went on with the lesson of the day. I think it was the appropriate way to deal with it. Acknowledge what happen, but don't let it stop everything.
The 2nd class that day, the teacher just cut it short.
Ironically, that afternoon, it was the 1st day I was working at one of the dorm's front desk. Very hectic day.
I had a gut feeling that day, that it was probably Islamic fanatics mad at US foreign policy. I was right. But in the months that followed, I became more patriotic and more supportive on the War on Terror.
3 days after the 9/11 attacks, I was hanging out with a long-time friend. We were talking about the week's events, plus all the racist hate crimes committed against Arab Americans occuring in the mainland. Then the friend said that I better shave (at that point I didn't shave for a whole week) or someone might look at me the wrong way. (Though I am Latino, some have said I look like I'm from the Middle East, especially if I didn't shave) Needless to say, I shaved my face that night (though I kept my infamous mustache).
2) 9/11/1992 was when Hurricane Iniki hit Kauai. At the time, I was in the 6th grade. All day long I was so scared that the hurricane would hit Oahu. My older relatives had to tell me to calm down.
Fortunately for me, Iniki didn't hit Oahu. Unfortunately, Kauai was devastated. My father, who was a construction worker, helped out with Kauai's recovery by renovating many buildings. I even visited him there one time.
After the recent hurricane in Louisiana, I asked my dad about his work in Kauai. I asked if there was looting in Kauai after Iniki. My dad said he heard of none, and that there was a lot of sharing going on between the island residents.
3) Today 9/13/05 is the 9th anniversary of the death of Tupac Shakur aka 2pac.
I was in the 10th grade attending McKinley High School. On that day's afternoon (ironically it was Friday the 13th), I was home. My brother came by and told me about 2pac's death.
2pac was shot several days earlier. It wasn't the 1st time 2pac was shot, so I was expecting another recovery for 2pac. Unfortunately, this time around 2pac didn't recover.
I was already a fan of 2pac's music before his death, but I gained a greater respect for the man afterwards. For the next few years, I really studied all the biographies of 2pac. I learned that 2pac was once a good student who enjoyed poetry and literature. However, other kids thought he was soft, so 2pac became more aggressive to show them that he wasn't soft.
Now 2pac is respected by many hard-core gangstas. I still hear his music being played by loud car stereos. Though 2pac songs were mostly concerned with the African-American community, his music is loved by people of all races.
2pac has many critics but he is already a legend on the level of Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain.
1) I was so busy on Sunday & Monday, that only now I'm posting comments about the sad events 4 years ago - the 9/11 attacks.
You can check my past posts to find out what I think about the politics surrounding 9/11 and the War on Terror.
I want to talk about my experiences on that day 9/11/01.At the time, I was a college student living in the dorms at UH-Manoa. Being that I was in Hawaii, I was sleeping when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon got hit.
I first found out about it when my mom called me at 5:45. She mentioned that the World Trade Center blew up. At the moment, I was thinking it would've been similar to the bombing that occured in the World Trade Center in 1993.
Only when I listened to the radio (the TV in my dorm room was screwed up at the time), when I found out it was actually airplanes that hit the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.
Later that morning, I was in the cafeteria, when a student was concerned that a class I had with him was going to be cancelled. He also fear that Pearl Harbor might get hit again.
I had 2 classes that day. In the 1st class, the professor mentioned about the 9/11 attacks, then went on with the lesson of the day. I think it was the appropriate way to deal with it. Acknowledge what happen, but don't let it stop everything.
The 2nd class that day, the teacher just cut it short.
Ironically, that afternoon, it was the 1st day I was working at one of the dorm's front desk. Very hectic day.
I had a gut feeling that day, that it was probably Islamic fanatics mad at US foreign policy. I was right. But in the months that followed, I became more patriotic and more supportive on the War on Terror.
3 days after the 9/11 attacks, I was hanging out with a long-time friend. We were talking about the week's events, plus all the racist hate crimes committed against Arab Americans occuring in the mainland. Then the friend said that I better shave (at that point I didn't shave for a whole week) or someone might look at me the wrong way. (Though I am Latino, some have said I look like I'm from the Middle East, especially if I didn't shave) Needless to say, I shaved my face that night (though I kept my infamous mustache).
2) 9/11/1992 was when Hurricane Iniki hit Kauai. At the time, I was in the 6th grade. All day long I was so scared that the hurricane would hit Oahu. My older relatives had to tell me to calm down.
Fortunately for me, Iniki didn't hit Oahu. Unfortunately, Kauai was devastated. My father, who was a construction worker, helped out with Kauai's recovery by renovating many buildings. I even visited him there one time.
After the recent hurricane in Louisiana, I asked my dad about his work in Kauai. I asked if there was looting in Kauai after Iniki. My dad said he heard of none, and that there was a lot of sharing going on between the island residents.
3) Today 9/13/05 is the 9th anniversary of the death of Tupac Shakur aka 2pac.
I was in the 10th grade attending McKinley High School. On that day's afternoon (ironically it was Friday the 13th), I was home. My brother came by and told me about 2pac's death.
2pac was shot several days earlier. It wasn't the 1st time 2pac was shot, so I was expecting another recovery for 2pac. Unfortunately, this time around 2pac didn't recover.
I was already a fan of 2pac's music before his death, but I gained a greater respect for the man afterwards. For the next few years, I really studied all the biographies of 2pac. I learned that 2pac was once a good student who enjoyed poetry and literature. However, other kids thought he was soft, so 2pac became more aggressive to show them that he wasn't soft.
Now 2pac is respected by many hard-core gangstas. I still hear his music being played by loud car stereos. Though 2pac songs were mostly concerned with the African-American community, his music is loved by people of all races.
2pac has many critics but he is already a legend on the level of Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Hurricane Katrina
Some of my thoughts on Hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans as well as other parts of the Southeast US.
1) I never visited New Orleans but always thought it'll be an interesting place to visit. It had the Mardi Gras, jazz festivals, the Cajun culture, the vodoo dolls, and a mix of French and African culture. There is also some immigrants from Mexico, Vietnam and other nations living there.
The one thing that sticks out in my mind about New Orleans was the rapper Master P and his record label No Limit Records. No Limit was very popular in my last 2 years in high school, and I loved many of their songs like "Make Em Say Ughhh", "Them Jeans", "Miss My Homies" "It Aint My Fault", "Wobble Wobble", and too many others to mention. Cash Money Records (once the home of Juvenille, Hot Boys and Big Tymers) had some great records as well.
2) Even after a devastating disaster, there are those who pimp the pain of the destruction for political persons.
Already, some left-wingers blamed Bush, saying his inaction towards global warming has caused the hurricane.
Meanwhile. conservative preachers have said the hurricane is punishment to New Orleans for hosting gay parades and "Girls Gone Wild" videos.
Meanwhile, Islamic fanatics say the hurricane is Allah's revenge on the US!
Another conservative minister said that the looting of stores after the storm is the fault of liberals for not allowing religious indoctorination into public schools.
Bush is blamed for not having rescuers moving fast enough to save everyone.
To all those complainers mentioned, I want them to shut up already! Their comments aren't helping anyone, all they do is irritate us!
3) Some on the Radical Left say all the looting of stores is OK, because of all the poverty, injustice, etc, etc.
Excuse me, but where's the compassion for the store owners. The store was a way of life for those working there, and now it's all gone. It's bad enough they had to put up with hurricane damage, and now predatory thugs have taken whatever else is left.
If I was a store owner, and people are looting my store, I will kill them!
In that situation, it's my life or their life! They shouldn't even be looting my property in the 1st place! They should know that, and they should be shot at if they intrude!
Look, my grandma raised 8 kids while living in public housing. They were VERY POOR! Yet, if one of her kids found a lost toy in a park, my grandma would tell the kids to put them back where they found it, because it belongs to someone else. And if they insist on keeping it, she would slap them!
I don't like to see people starving and dying of dehydration!
But I'm sick of hearing excuses for punk asses who loot stores and stealing stereos, DVD players and other luxury items! To them, looting isn't about fighting injustice. To those criminals, looting is a fun thing to do.
But it wouldn't be fun if the store owners were shooting at them, right?
4) Hawaii is even more vulnerable than New Orleans. At least there was someplace to escape from New Orleans. But people in Hawaii would have nowhere to run to. We are stuck in the middle of the ocean.
I already started storing several bottles of water a long time ago. I got most of the times I need to store in case hurricane strikes. I'll need to re-check the list one more time, to make sure I got everything I need ahead of time.
5) I will be praying for the recovery efforts for all those affected by Hurricane Katrina, and I will pray that Hawaii be spared that sort of devastation.
Some of my thoughts on Hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans as well as other parts of the Southeast US.
1) I never visited New Orleans but always thought it'll be an interesting place to visit. It had the Mardi Gras, jazz festivals, the Cajun culture, the vodoo dolls, and a mix of French and African culture. There is also some immigrants from Mexico, Vietnam and other nations living there.
The one thing that sticks out in my mind about New Orleans was the rapper Master P and his record label No Limit Records. No Limit was very popular in my last 2 years in high school, and I loved many of their songs like "Make Em Say Ughhh", "Them Jeans", "Miss My Homies" "It Aint My Fault", "Wobble Wobble", and too many others to mention. Cash Money Records (once the home of Juvenille, Hot Boys and Big Tymers) had some great records as well.
2) Even after a devastating disaster, there are those who pimp the pain of the destruction for political persons.
Already, some left-wingers blamed Bush, saying his inaction towards global warming has caused the hurricane.
Meanwhile. conservative preachers have said the hurricane is punishment to New Orleans for hosting gay parades and "Girls Gone Wild" videos.
Meanwhile, Islamic fanatics say the hurricane is Allah's revenge on the US!
Another conservative minister said that the looting of stores after the storm is the fault of liberals for not allowing religious indoctorination into public schools.
Bush is blamed for not having rescuers moving fast enough to save everyone.
To all those complainers mentioned, I want them to shut up already! Their comments aren't helping anyone, all they do is irritate us!
3) Some on the Radical Left say all the looting of stores is OK, because of all the poverty, injustice, etc, etc.
Excuse me, but where's the compassion for the store owners. The store was a way of life for those working there, and now it's all gone. It's bad enough they had to put up with hurricane damage, and now predatory thugs have taken whatever else is left.
If I was a store owner, and people are looting my store, I will kill them!
In that situation, it's my life or their life! They shouldn't even be looting my property in the 1st place! They should know that, and they should be shot at if they intrude!
Look, my grandma raised 8 kids while living in public housing. They were VERY POOR! Yet, if one of her kids found a lost toy in a park, my grandma would tell the kids to put them back where they found it, because it belongs to someone else. And if they insist on keeping it, she would slap them!
I don't like to see people starving and dying of dehydration!
But I'm sick of hearing excuses for punk asses who loot stores and stealing stereos, DVD players and other luxury items! To them, looting isn't about fighting injustice. To those criminals, looting is a fun thing to do.
But it wouldn't be fun if the store owners were shooting at them, right?
4) Hawaii is even more vulnerable than New Orleans. At least there was someplace to escape from New Orleans. But people in Hawaii would have nowhere to run to. We are stuck in the middle of the ocean.
I already started storing several bottles of water a long time ago. I got most of the times I need to store in case hurricane strikes. I'll need to re-check the list one more time, to make sure I got everything I need ahead of time.
5) I will be praying for the recovery efforts for all those affected by Hurricane Katrina, and I will pray that Hawaii be spared that sort of devastation.
Alcohol at UH football games
I'm looking forward to start of the U.H. football season tommorow, as the Warriors take on the Trojans of USC.
Unfortunately, the folks at Aloha Stadium has done the cowardly thing and delayed the decision on whether to ban alcohol at games.
The idea that "getting drunk at games is part of the experience" is stupid. I dont watch sports to get drunk, I watch sports to see the action on the field.
I love to yell and get wild, especially when I'm around friends who do the same thing. But at least I'm sober when I'm making noise at games.
However, when spectators are drunk, they make stupid comments and you want them to shut up. But most of wouldn't tell them to "shut up" because we don't want to get into a fight. That is why so many have said they don't want to watch games at the stadium anymore.
Same thing with nightclubs. I like to party and make noise when the music is playing. However, at many clubs, there's some drunken fools that make stupid comments or start a fight because you made eye contact, or you bumped into them, or they're jealous of your girlfriend/boyfriend.
I'm looking forward to start of the U.H. football season tommorow, as the Warriors take on the Trojans of USC.
Unfortunately, the folks at Aloha Stadium has done the cowardly thing and delayed the decision on whether to ban alcohol at games.
The idea that "getting drunk at games is part of the experience" is stupid. I dont watch sports to get drunk, I watch sports to see the action on the field.
I love to yell and get wild, especially when I'm around friends who do the same thing. But at least I'm sober when I'm making noise at games.
However, when spectators are drunk, they make stupid comments and you want them to shut up. But most of wouldn't tell them to "shut up" because we don't want to get into a fight. That is why so many have said they don't want to watch games at the stadium anymore.
Same thing with nightclubs. I like to party and make noise when the music is playing. However, at many clubs, there's some drunken fools that make stupid comments or start a fight because you made eye contact, or you bumped into them, or they're jealous of your girlfriend/boyfriend.
Gas Prices
We always complain that the price of gasoline is too high.
Gas prices in Hawaii are higher than the rest of the US, so people demand that government do something about it. They want government to make gas cheaper. They don't even bother to find out what are the factors that determine the price of gas.
Demand for oil is rising because China and India (2 billion people combined) are using more oil nowadays! Add to instability in Middle East, concerns about events in Venezuela, the hurricane that hit Louisiana, the refusal to drill in parts of Alaska! And to ship oil to a bunch of islands in the middle of the ocean. Dam right oil would be expensive.
The last time the US had price caps on gasoline (in the 1970s), there were severe shortages. With low prices, it's "1st come, 1st served". After that, there's nothing left.
I get upset when I pay more than I wish to pay. But I also understand economics, so I won't demand idiotic policies like "price caps".
People need to re-think priorities. Who said you need a big house in Kapolei, when you can get an apartment in Honolulu? Save $$$ on gas, and you can get easier access to work and all the fun events in Honolulu.
We always complain that the price of gasoline is too high.
Gas prices in Hawaii are higher than the rest of the US, so people demand that government do something about it. They want government to make gas cheaper. They don't even bother to find out what are the factors that determine the price of gas.
Demand for oil is rising because China and India (2 billion people combined) are using more oil nowadays! Add to instability in Middle East, concerns about events in Venezuela, the hurricane that hit Louisiana, the refusal to drill in parts of Alaska! And to ship oil to a bunch of islands in the middle of the ocean. Dam right oil would be expensive.
The last time the US had price caps on gasoline (in the 1970s), there were severe shortages. With low prices, it's "1st come, 1st served". After that, there's nothing left.
I get upset when I pay more than I wish to pay. But I also understand economics, so I won't demand idiotic policies like "price caps".
People need to re-think priorities. Who said you need a big house in Kapolei, when you can get an apartment in Honolulu? Save $$$ on gas, and you can get easier access to work and all the fun events in Honolulu.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Teen Pregnancy
Conservatives love to talk about horror stories of teen pregnancy.
They do this because they want to scare young people from having sex.
They say that once a teenage girl gets pregnant, she can no longer live a productive life. BULLSHIT!
There is also stereotypes that those born to teen mothers are likely to end up in jail. That has happened in some cases.
It ain't easy to be teen parent. I wouldn't advocate it. I'm glad I didn't get anyone pregnant when I was in high school.
However, acting as if teen pregnancy is "the end of the world" is idiotic.
When I was working at summer fun, one of the girls under my supervision was born to a teen mother (I knew this because I was classmates with the mother when I was in elementary school, though she did went to different middle and high schools)
But the girl's mother isn't wasting her life on welfare. The girl's mother is currently a nurse.
That tells you that being a teen mother isn't the end of the world!
And that girl in summer fun - she is one of the most well-behaved students under my supervision.
I'm not worried about those born to teen mothers.I'm more worried about those raised by excessively lenient parents.
There was this one boy at summer fun who caused a lot of trouble (ie throwing stuff, pushing, fighting, etc) whose auntie let him get away with anything. In fact, the auntie got mad at me for disciplining the boy.
I'm more worried about the future of the one boy with the lenient auntie then I would about that one girl born to a teen mom.
Conservatives love to talk about horror stories of teen pregnancy.
They do this because they want to scare young people from having sex.
They say that once a teenage girl gets pregnant, she can no longer live a productive life. BULLSHIT!
There is also stereotypes that those born to teen mothers are likely to end up in jail. That has happened in some cases.
It ain't easy to be teen parent. I wouldn't advocate it. I'm glad I didn't get anyone pregnant when I was in high school.
However, acting as if teen pregnancy is "the end of the world" is idiotic.
When I was working at summer fun, one of the girls under my supervision was born to a teen mother (I knew this because I was classmates with the mother when I was in elementary school, though she did went to different middle and high schools)
But the girl's mother isn't wasting her life on welfare. The girl's mother is currently a nurse.
That tells you that being a teen mother isn't the end of the world!
And that girl in summer fun - she is one of the most well-behaved students under my supervision.
I'm not worried about those born to teen mothers.I'm more worried about those raised by excessively lenient parents.
There was this one boy at summer fun who caused a lot of trouble (ie throwing stuff, pushing, fighting, etc) whose auntie let him get away with anything. In fact, the auntie got mad at me for disciplining the boy.
I'm more worried about the future of the one boy with the lenient auntie then I would about that one girl born to a teen mom.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Conflict over Gaza Strip
The Israelis and Palestinians have been fighting over land for 50+ years. This started because during the late 1800's/ early 1900's, many European Jews wanted to go back to their ancestral land. However, at the time, the Palestinian Arabs dominated what is now Israel.
After the 1st World War, the British took the land that is now Israel. Some Jews moved in. Then, in World War 2, Hitler invaded other European nations and killed many Jews there. After World War 2, the Jewish desire for land in Israel grew stronger. Many European Jews, traumatized by the Holocaust, moved to the British territory of Israel. In 1948, Israel became an independent Jewish nation.
Since 1948, there has plenty of land conflicts between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs. In a recent deal, Palestinian Arabs take over Gaza Strip. All Israeli Jews have to leave.
That is wrong! If the Jews want to stay in Gaza Strip, let them. Let them live under the Palestinian Authority if they wish.
And if Palestinian Arabs want to live in Israel, let them!
This is the 21st Century already, stop the segregation already!
The Israelis and Palestinians have been fighting over land for 50+ years. This started because during the late 1800's/ early 1900's, many European Jews wanted to go back to their ancestral land. However, at the time, the Palestinian Arabs dominated what is now Israel.
After the 1st World War, the British took the land that is now Israel. Some Jews moved in. Then, in World War 2, Hitler invaded other European nations and killed many Jews there. After World War 2, the Jewish desire for land in Israel grew stronger. Many European Jews, traumatized by the Holocaust, moved to the British territory of Israel. In 1948, Israel became an independent Jewish nation.
Since 1948, there has plenty of land conflicts between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs. In a recent deal, Palestinian Arabs take over Gaza Strip. All Israeli Jews have to leave.
That is wrong! If the Jews want to stay in Gaza Strip, let them. Let them live under the Palestinian Authority if they wish.
And if Palestinian Arabs want to live in Israel, let them!
This is the 21st Century already, stop the segregation already!
Images of Hawaii
Everytime something goes wrong in Hawaii, there's always a whiner who say it'll scare away the tourists.
For example, when the University of Hawaii football got into a fight with the players from Cincinnati (2002) and Houston(2003), a bunch of letters to the editor said it'll scare away the tourists.
Nevermind that fights happen at sports events worldwide.
Now, there's this film about transvestite hookers in downtown Honolulu that will be shown on HBO
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Aug/14/il/508140305.html
(NOTE TO IMMATURE READERS: I am NOT attracted to transvestites. Just because I mention their existence doesn't mean I'll date them.)
Anyways, some will say that film will scare tourists away from Hawaii.
Nevermind that
1) transvestites exist worldwide
2) a person has to got to be Mega-Stupid if he/she let a film about Hawaii transvestites think that they dominate Hawaii's population.
3) Those transvestites only hang out in Hotel Street (in downtown Honolulu) and in Waikiki. (NOTE TO IMMATURE READERS: this is a well known fact, just because one knows about it doesn't mean one is into it) Those areas are probably less than 1% of all land space in Hawaii.
Now, how do you think the folks in LA feel when outsiders think of their city as gangsta-land? How do you think the folks in Alabama and Mississippi feel when outsiders only know those places as KKK territory? How do you think the Middle East people feel when outsiders only think of their place as the land of terrorists? How do you think Africans feel when their continent is portrayed as a land of eternal warfare and eternal famine?
Everyplace got their problems! It does no good to sweep it under the rug!
So if I was to make a film/book/record about Hawaii, I'll discuss many things. The nice beaches, the trade winds, the nice forests, the plate lunch restaurants, the Polynesian music, the great parks, the friendly people with the Aloha spirit, etc.
But I'll also mention about the crystal meth labs, homelessness, the poverty in both rural and urban areas. I'll discuss cultural conflicts ( ie. Caucasians vs. Native Hawaiians, Samoans vs. Asian immigrants, Samoans vs. Micronesians)
Some say mentioning those things will scare away tourists. Whatevers! I rather keep it real. Plus, if I was living in (for example) Iowa, I want to know all about Hawaii. I dont just want to know about the beaches, the ukuleles, volcanoes, hula festivals, etc. I also want to know what are controversial problems occuring in Hawaii. I want to know all the facts.
Me, I'd like to visit Miami. I know that city has a problem with crime. I know that city has had racial conflicts. But that doesn't keep me from being interested in visiting Miami. I'm interested in Miami because it has a similar climate to Hawaii, but is also culturally different from Hawaii. Whereas Hawaii is dominated by Asians and Polynesians, Miami is dominated by Latinos, Carribean blacks, African Americans, Jews, Caucasians, etc.
A lot of people in Hawaii visit Las Vegas. Did the fact that 2pac was killed in Las Vegas stop people from visiting Las Vegas? No!
So Hawaii residents should stop worrying about football fights, Hotel Street transvestites, etc scaring away tourists
Everytime something goes wrong in Hawaii, there's always a whiner who say it'll scare away the tourists.
For example, when the University of Hawaii football got into a fight with the players from Cincinnati (2002) and Houston(2003), a bunch of letters to the editor said it'll scare away the tourists.
Nevermind that fights happen at sports events worldwide.
Now, there's this film about transvestite hookers in downtown Honolulu that will be shown on HBO
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Aug/14/il/508140305.html
(NOTE TO IMMATURE READERS: I am NOT attracted to transvestites. Just because I mention their existence doesn't mean I'll date them.)
Anyways, some will say that film will scare tourists away from Hawaii.
Nevermind that
1) transvestites exist worldwide
2) a person has to got to be Mega-Stupid if he/she let a film about Hawaii transvestites think that they dominate Hawaii's population.
3) Those transvestites only hang out in Hotel Street (in downtown Honolulu) and in Waikiki. (NOTE TO IMMATURE READERS: this is a well known fact, just because one knows about it doesn't mean one is into it) Those areas are probably less than 1% of all land space in Hawaii.
Now, how do you think the folks in LA feel when outsiders think of their city as gangsta-land? How do you think the folks in Alabama and Mississippi feel when outsiders only know those places as KKK territory? How do you think the Middle East people feel when outsiders only think of their place as the land of terrorists? How do you think Africans feel when their continent is portrayed as a land of eternal warfare and eternal famine?
Everyplace got their problems! It does no good to sweep it under the rug!
So if I was to make a film/book/record about Hawaii, I'll discuss many things. The nice beaches, the trade winds, the nice forests, the plate lunch restaurants, the Polynesian music, the great parks, the friendly people with the Aloha spirit, etc.
But I'll also mention about the crystal meth labs, homelessness, the poverty in both rural and urban areas. I'll discuss cultural conflicts ( ie. Caucasians vs. Native Hawaiians, Samoans vs. Asian immigrants, Samoans vs. Micronesians)
Some say mentioning those things will scare away tourists. Whatevers! I rather keep it real. Plus, if I was living in (for example) Iowa, I want to know all about Hawaii. I dont just want to know about the beaches, the ukuleles, volcanoes, hula festivals, etc. I also want to know what are controversial problems occuring in Hawaii. I want to know all the facts.
Me, I'd like to visit Miami. I know that city has a problem with crime. I know that city has had racial conflicts. But that doesn't keep me from being interested in visiting Miami. I'm interested in Miami because it has a similar climate to Hawaii, but is also culturally different from Hawaii. Whereas Hawaii is dominated by Asians and Polynesians, Miami is dominated by Latinos, Carribean blacks, African Americans, Jews, Caucasians, etc.
A lot of people in Hawaii visit Las Vegas. Did the fact that 2pac was killed in Las Vegas stop people from visiting Las Vegas? No!
So Hawaii residents should stop worrying about football fights, Hotel Street transvestites, etc scaring away tourists
Monday, August 15, 2005
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Race, Unity and Disunity in Hawaii
1) There were rallies in Hawaii defending Kamehameha School's one-race admission policy.
Why can't everyone just learn to integrate already? This is the 21st Century!
2) Honolulu Advertiser had an article on Samoan and Micronesian ministers trying to get the kids to get along. There have been fights between Samoan and Micronesian kids, and the ministers are trying to stop that.
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050806/NEWS01/508060328/1001
I think both groups have been impacted by the wider, dominant groups, or cultures, in Hawai'i," said the Rev. To'o'olefua Paogofie, who heads the Nu'u Ministry, a special ministry sponsored by the Hawai'i Conference, United Church of Christ.
"They are having difficulties readjusting and, out of that frustration, I think they've got to vent out their frustration," he said. "And sadly, they've taken it out on each other's immigrant groups."
Paogofie said he has seen tensions rise between Micronesian and Samoan youths during the past two to three years.
The rivalry came to a head last October with a fatal stabbing near Mayor Wright Homes. A 21-year-old half-Samoan man was stabbed to death during a fight between Samoans and Micronesians.
[skip paragraphs]
"There was apprehension and trepidation among the pastors whether this was going to work, but then they decided that it was their responsibility as community leaders to take this initiative and to bring these youth groups together, to find a point of reconciliation," Paogofie said.
1) There were rallies in Hawaii defending Kamehameha School's one-race admission policy.
Why can't everyone just learn to integrate already? This is the 21st Century!
2) Honolulu Advertiser had an article on Samoan and Micronesian ministers trying to get the kids to get along. There have been fights between Samoan and Micronesian kids, and the ministers are trying to stop that.
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050806/NEWS01/508060328/1001
I think both groups have been impacted by the wider, dominant groups, or cultures, in Hawai'i," said the Rev. To'o'olefua Paogofie, who heads the Nu'u Ministry, a special ministry sponsored by the Hawai'i Conference, United Church of Christ.
"They are having difficulties readjusting and, out of that frustration, I think they've got to vent out their frustration," he said. "And sadly, they've taken it out on each other's immigrant groups."
Paogofie said he has seen tensions rise between Micronesian and Samoan youths during the past two to three years.
The rivalry came to a head last October with a fatal stabbing near Mayor Wright Homes. A 21-year-old half-Samoan man was stabbed to death during a fight between Samoans and Micronesians.
[skip paragraphs]
"There was apprehension and trepidation among the pastors whether this was going to work, but then they decided that it was their responsibility as community leaders to take this initiative and to bring these youth groups together, to find a point of reconciliation," Paogofie said.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Kamehameha School Ruling
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Kamehameha Schools admissions policy is illegal.
To be admitted to Kamehameha Schools, one must have some Native Hawaiian ancestry.
People already think that policy is a joke. Why?
Just check out the Kamehameha Schools yearbook (you can check it out at the main state library in downtown Honolulu, just go to the Hawaii-Pacific section and ask the reference desk)
You can find many students who look 100% Asian or 100% Caucasian. So it appears not many people take the Kamehameha admission policy seriously.
Plus, the state already has charter schools that emphasize Native Hawaiian culture but is open to students of all races.
When I was at UH-Manoa, I had friends and acquaintances who graduated from Kamehameha Schools. So I 'm not against the students there! I just don't think the admission policy was a good idea to begin with.
By the way, I don't like those one-gender schools either! My greatest times in adolesence including flirting with some girls in my class. Every teenager should have such similar opportunities.
So if I have children, I'd send them to a school that is multi-cultural and co-ed.
Forget one-ethnicity schools. Forget one-gender schools.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Kamehameha Schools admissions policy is illegal.
To be admitted to Kamehameha Schools, one must have some Native Hawaiian ancestry.
People already think that policy is a joke. Why?
Just check out the Kamehameha Schools yearbook (you can check it out at the main state library in downtown Honolulu, just go to the Hawaii-Pacific section and ask the reference desk)
You can find many students who look 100% Asian or 100% Caucasian. So it appears not many people take the Kamehameha admission policy seriously.
Plus, the state already has charter schools that emphasize Native Hawaiian culture but is open to students of all races.
When I was at UH-Manoa, I had friends and acquaintances who graduated from Kamehameha Schools. So I 'm not against the students there! I just don't think the admission policy was a good idea to begin with.
By the way, I don't like those one-gender schools either! My greatest times in adolesence including flirting with some girls in my class. Every teenager should have such similar opportunities.
So if I have children, I'd send them to a school that is multi-cultural and co-ed.
Forget one-ethnicity schools. Forget one-gender schools.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
I was Right - Reverend Bill Graham was just joking!
I mentioned that I think Graham was just joking with Bill Clinton, not making an explicit endorsement for Hillary Clinton as President.
I was right!
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/7/1/101106.shtml
Rev. Billy Graham said Friday that he didn't intend to endorse Hillary Clinton for president when he told her husband at a massive New York City revival meeting last weekend that she should "run the country."
His son Franklin Graham, who heads the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, tells the Charlotte Observer:"For a long time, my father has refrained from endorsing political candidates and he certainly did not intend for his comments to be an endorsement for Senator Hillary Clinton."
"My father, of course, was joking," the younger Graham said, when he hosted the Clintons onstage and told the crowd of 90,000. "They're a great couple... He should be an evangelist because he has all the gifts and he could leave his wife to run the country."
Although Billy Graham has called himself a Democrat, Franklin said that didn't mean he supported the former president, saying, "His political views, as well as mine, are quite different than the Clintons." The Clintons, however "remain good friends," he added.
On my 7/1/05 post on Reverend Billy Graham, I mentioned that some conservatives were upset that Graham said the following
"I told President Clinton that when he left office, he should be an evangelist because he has all the right gifts for it, and he should leave his wife to run the country."I mentioned that I think Graham was just joking with Bill Clinton, not making an explicit endorsement for Hillary Clinton as President.
I was right!
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/7/1/101106.shtml
Rev. Billy Graham said Friday that he didn't intend to endorse Hillary Clinton for president when he told her husband at a massive New York City revival meeting last weekend that she should "run the country."
His son Franklin Graham, who heads the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, tells the Charlotte Observer:"For a long time, my father has refrained from endorsing political candidates and he certainly did not intend for his comments to be an endorsement for Senator Hillary Clinton."
"My father, of course, was joking," the younger Graham said, when he hosted the Clintons onstage and told the crowd of 90,000. "They're a great couple... He should be an evangelist because he has all the gifts and he could leave his wife to run the country."
Although Billy Graham has called himself a Democrat, Franklin said that didn't mean he supported the former president, saying, "His political views, as well as mine, are quite different than the Clintons." The Clintons, however "remain good friends," he added.
Friday, July 08, 2005
London bombed
Yesterday, the subways of London was bombed. Total dead is not yet known.
There are several possible motives for the bombing.
1) To intimidate the G-8 summit taking place in Gerthshire, Scotland. The G-8 summit is the meeting with the leaders of the 8 wealthiest nations on Earth (USA, Great Britain, France, Japan, Canada, Germany, Italy, Russia). The G-8 summit was to discuss topics like Islamic terrorism, poverty in Africa, and environmental pollution.
2) It was only days earlier when it was announced that London was to host the Olympics in 2012. Other cities that were considered for hosting the 2012 Olympics included New York, Paris, Madrid and Moscow. It is possible that whatever city was announced to be a host for the Olympics was to be bombed. Meaning if Moscow won the hosting rights, it would've been bombed. If it was New York, we'd be hearing about another attack on NY.
So why attack the Olympics. The Olympics was supposed to be about bringing people together through athletic competition. Islamic terrorists don't like that. So they could've bombed London for the purpose of intimidation.
3) Al Quaida's retaliation for the USA and the UK for fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. But remember, the USA and the UK are the good guys in the War on Terror. So we shouldn't use the London bombing as an excuse to back down!
Remember all this stuff about the Guantanamo Bay prison. Some wanted it to be shut down. I say this bombing reminds us why we need Guantanamo Bay prison!
Yesterday, the subways of London was bombed. Total dead is not yet known.
There are several possible motives for the bombing.
1) To intimidate the G-8 summit taking place in Gerthshire, Scotland. The G-8 summit is the meeting with the leaders of the 8 wealthiest nations on Earth (USA, Great Britain, France, Japan, Canada, Germany, Italy, Russia). The G-8 summit was to discuss topics like Islamic terrorism, poverty in Africa, and environmental pollution.
2) It was only days earlier when it was announced that London was to host the Olympics in 2012. Other cities that were considered for hosting the 2012 Olympics included New York, Paris, Madrid and Moscow. It is possible that whatever city was announced to be a host for the Olympics was to be bombed. Meaning if Moscow won the hosting rights, it would've been bombed. If it was New York, we'd be hearing about another attack on NY.
So why attack the Olympics. The Olympics was supposed to be about bringing people together through athletic competition. Islamic terrorists don't like that. So they could've bombed London for the purpose of intimidation.
3) Al Quaida's retaliation for the USA and the UK for fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. But remember, the USA and the UK are the good guys in the War on Terror. So we shouldn't use the London bombing as an excuse to back down!
Remember all this stuff about the Guantanamo Bay prison. Some wanted it to be shut down. I say this bombing reminds us why we need Guantanamo Bay prison!
Sunday, July 03, 2005
4th of July
As I'm typing this, it's less than a hour from the 4th of July. I wont have time to update the blog tomorrow so I'm writing it now.
While some use this day as an excuse to pop fireworks, I avoid doing so. But I will watch a fireworks show near Ala Moana Beach Park.
July 4th is the day the USA declared independence from Great Britain. It is the birth of a nation, that while flawed, is the symbol of worldly progress.
The Founding Fathers understood even then, that while things aren't perfect, there is room for improvement.
The Founding Fathers weren't consistent on the concept of freedom. Some were slave-owners. But their words on freedom is what inspired Martin Luther King to tell America to start being more consistent and practice what it preaches.
There have been tragedies of the USA. There was slavery of African Americans, genocide of Native Americans, Jim Crow, the military draft. That's the only part of US history the Radical Left wants to talk about. But US history is more than that.
US history is also about inventions. Stuff like telephones, light bulbs, cars, television and the computer were invented in the USA. Music like jazz, country, blues, rock n roll, and hip-hop is American.
US history is also social progress. An African American woman Condoleeza Rice is the Secretary of State. That means the US President (with the approval of Congress) trust her in dealing with foreign relations. A Mexican-American man (Alberto Gonzalez) is in charge of the federal law enforcement system. This is a sign that non-whites are getting into ranks of great power. This is progress.
USA is the destination of many immigrants. Mexicans aren't moving to Guatemala (no offense), they're moving to the US. People worldwide are waiting in long lines for visas to the US. Meanwhile, millions are saying "screw the lines, I'm coming illegally". It's proof that the USA lifestyle is attractive to millions worldwide.
Tobin Jones (remember him?) will continue to bitch about how bad things are in this nation! Tell him the great news and he'll act like all the bad news erase the good news. It doesn't.
But we can look back on the progress made, then continue on for more progress.
God Bless the USA!
Friday, July 01, 2005
Luther Vandross 1951-2005
The legendary R&B singer Luther Vandross has passed away
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/02/arts/music/02vandross.html?ei=5094&en=43b2b988cd9558b2&hp=&ex=1120363200&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print
When I was younger, I wasn't into his music. Back then, I was more into heavy metal, and gangsta rap.
As I matured, I have gotten more into the slower forms of music. I started to appreciate the songs by artists like Luther Vandross a lot more. Songs like "Dance with My Father", "Here and Now", and few other songs I can't list in my head at this moment.
So it is with great sadness that I hear about the death of Luther Vandross. My heart goes out to his family and friends at this difficult time.
The legendary R&B singer Luther Vandross has passed away
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/02/arts/music/02vandross.html?ei=5094&en=43b2b988cd9558b2&hp=&ex=1120363200&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print
When I was younger, I wasn't into his music. Back then, I was more into heavy metal, and gangsta rap.
As I matured, I have gotten more into the slower forms of music. I started to appreciate the songs by artists like Luther Vandross a lot more. Songs like "Dance with My Father", "Here and Now", and few other songs I can't list in my head at this moment.
So it is with great sadness that I hear about the death of Luther Vandross. My heart goes out to his family and friends at this difficult time.
Reverend Graham endorsing the Clintons?
Reverend Billy Graham, a famous evangelists, had what is possibly his last speech (he is aging and in ill health) in New York City.
At the speech was ex-Prez Bill Clinton and his wife (and possible Presidential candidate in 2008) Hillary Clinton.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45083
Dr. Graham said, "I told President Clinton that when he left office, he should be an evangelist because he has all the right gifts for it, and he should leave his wife to run the country."
The way I interpret that statement, Graham was probably joking with Bill Clinton. I mean people like to joke with each other by saying "you should be president" or "you should be a star".
In fact, at my job, one of the senior staff members joked to one my colleagues (who is still in college) that she should be in charge of the entire program next year. Everyone in the room know it was friendly joke.
Back to Graham, he noticed that Clinton has the gifts of speaking to audiences, so Graham joked to Clinton that he should be a preacher. Being that Hillary has political aspirations, he joked that she should be president.
Yet, Reverend Rob Schenck couldn't get the joke.
Now don't get me wrong, I didn't leave in a huff. I was more in a daze. I couldn't believe that I had just witnessed the Clintons manipulate their way to a quasi endorsement by the leading evangelical of the last half-century. It was shameless exploitation of a sacred platform by the most powerful, cunning and recklessly ambitious political duo in American history.
Nevermind that Graham had friendly relations with a lot of Presidents, both Democrat and Republican. He had invitations to the White House from Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, the Bushes and Clinton.
So I doubt Graham was making an explicit endorsement at his last speech in New York
Reverend Billy Graham, a famous evangelists, had what is possibly his last speech (he is aging and in ill health) in New York City.
At the speech was ex-Prez Bill Clinton and his wife (and possible Presidential candidate in 2008) Hillary Clinton.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45083
Dr. Graham said, "I told President Clinton that when he left office, he should be an evangelist because he has all the right gifts for it, and he should leave his wife to run the country."
The way I interpret that statement, Graham was probably joking with Bill Clinton. I mean people like to joke with each other by saying "you should be president" or "you should be a star".
In fact, at my job, one of the senior staff members joked to one my colleagues (who is still in college) that she should be in charge of the entire program next year. Everyone in the room know it was friendly joke.
Back to Graham, he noticed that Clinton has the gifts of speaking to audiences, so Graham joked to Clinton that he should be a preacher. Being that Hillary has political aspirations, he joked that she should be president.
Yet, Reverend Rob Schenck couldn't get the joke.
Now don't get me wrong, I didn't leave in a huff. I was more in a daze. I couldn't believe that I had just witnessed the Clintons manipulate their way to a quasi endorsement by the leading evangelical of the last half-century. It was shameless exploitation of a sacred platform by the most powerful, cunning and recklessly ambitious political duo in American history.
Nevermind that Graham had friendly relations with a lot of Presidents, both Democrat and Republican. He had invitations to the White House from Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, the Bushes and Clinton.
So I doubt Graham was making an explicit endorsement at his last speech in New York
9/11, Iraq, Pearl Harbor, Germany
It's been awhile since I last posted on this blog. I work long hours at a summer program, and what little time I have for internet use, it's not enough to keep the blog updated.
Anyways, we hear talk that Bush exploited emotions around 9/11 to go to war with Iraq.
Here is some commentary from DANIEL HENNINGER
http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/dhenninger/?id=110006899
So it is that below the level of exquisite analysis now common in our politics, some Americans do exist who credit a connection between September 11 and events in Iraq. Perhaps there will be a poll out in a few weeks that will expose their sentiment to the greater weight and rigor of statistical science.
In time even Pearl Harbor became more a symbol than the bloody reality that ultimately hurled American forces against a Germany that didn't attack us at Pearl Harbor.
In 1941, Japanese warplanes attacked Pearl Harbor. That got President Franklin D Roosevelt to declare war not just on Japan, but on Japan's allies at the time - Germany and Italy.
Japan and Germany alliance had nothing to do with love for each other. Hitler was a white supremacist. But Japan was far enough away from Germany to not to be a threat. So while Germany aspired to rule over all of Europe, Japan aspired to rule over all of Asia. That brought Japan and Germany into conflict against Great Britain, France, Russia, China and the USA.
So in World War 2, Japan, Germany and Italy were on one side. On the other side was USA, Great Britain, Russia, France and China.
In the early 21st century, the USA is in conflict with some Middle Eastern terrorists. There is Al Quiada, who want to terrorize the world into submission to Islamic faith. That brings Al Quaida into conflict with the USA, Israel, Great Britain, Spain, India, Phillipines and other nations.
Saddam Hussein is not a part of Al Quaida. However, he is allied with Al Quaida against the USA. In 1991, Hussein led Iraqi troops into invading Kuwait. President Bush Sr. decided to defend Kuwait. Hussein became enemy of America. Al Quaida is enemy of America. So the worry was that Hussein might be supplying weapons to Al Quaida.
The 9/11 attacks were committed by Al Quaida. President Bush Jr decided to declare war on Al Quaida. Al Quaida was headquartered in Afghanistan, so Afghanistan was invaded 1st.
Since Hussein had interests in destroying the USA, Bush decided "might as well invade Iraq too".
So just like how FDR fought against both Germany and Japan, GWB fought against both Al Quaida and Afghanistan.
It's been awhile since I last posted on this blog. I work long hours at a summer program, and what little time I have for internet use, it's not enough to keep the blog updated.
Anyways, we hear talk that Bush exploited emotions around 9/11 to go to war with Iraq.
Here is some commentary from DANIEL HENNINGER
http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/dhenninger/?id=110006899
So it is that below the level of exquisite analysis now common in our politics, some Americans do exist who credit a connection between September 11 and events in Iraq. Perhaps there will be a poll out in a few weeks that will expose their sentiment to the greater weight and rigor of statistical science.
In time even Pearl Harbor became more a symbol than the bloody reality that ultimately hurled American forces against a Germany that didn't attack us at Pearl Harbor.
In 1941, Japanese warplanes attacked Pearl Harbor. That got President Franklin D Roosevelt to declare war not just on Japan, but on Japan's allies at the time - Germany and Italy.
Japan and Germany alliance had nothing to do with love for each other. Hitler was a white supremacist. But Japan was far enough away from Germany to not to be a threat. So while Germany aspired to rule over all of Europe, Japan aspired to rule over all of Asia. That brought Japan and Germany into conflict against Great Britain, France, Russia, China and the USA.
So in World War 2, Japan, Germany and Italy were on one side. On the other side was USA, Great Britain, Russia, France and China.
In the early 21st century, the USA is in conflict with some Middle Eastern terrorists. There is Al Quiada, who want to terrorize the world into submission to Islamic faith. That brings Al Quaida into conflict with the USA, Israel, Great Britain, Spain, India, Phillipines and other nations.
Saddam Hussein is not a part of Al Quaida. However, he is allied with Al Quaida against the USA. In 1991, Hussein led Iraqi troops into invading Kuwait. President Bush Sr. decided to defend Kuwait. Hussein became enemy of America. Al Quaida is enemy of America. So the worry was that Hussein might be supplying weapons to Al Quaida.
The 9/11 attacks were committed by Al Quaida. President Bush Jr decided to declare war on Al Quaida. Al Quaida was headquartered in Afghanistan, so Afghanistan was invaded 1st.
Since Hussein had interests in destroying the USA, Bush decided "might as well invade Iraq too".
So just like how FDR fought against both Germany and Japan, GWB fought against both Al Quaida and Afghanistan.
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Medical Marijuana
Though the US government bans marijuana, some states allow it's residents to smoke marijuana for medicinal purposes.
Earlier, this month, the US Supreme Court allowed the Feds to arrest even those who use marijuana in states where it's legal to smoke for medicinal purposes!
Here's some commentary from Debra Saunders
http: //jewishworldreview.com/0605/saunders060905.php3
That's because there is no recognized medical use for marijuana, according to the American Medical Association, the drug warriors respond. Fair enough. But the California Medical Association supports medical marijuana.
What does this show? Despite the claims that medicine is supposed to be objective, those in the medical industry disagree on many medical issues. This is true for marijuana, birth control pills, and many other things.
And dont forget that the American Medical Association (AMA) has gone along with many political fads. For example, the AMA supports stricter gun control laws! This even though 1) not all doctors (even those working in trauma units) believe in stricter gun laws, 2) more people die in swimming pools than by gunshots! But because the political fad in many urban areas is in favor of strict gun control, many in the AMA go along with it.
In the case of medical marijuana, it might be a fear of ridicule from the right-wingers that is keeping the AMA from supporting medical marijuana! Or a fear of a tax audit from the Attorney General!
The White House drug czar John Walters has been a strong opponent of medical marijuana. As he sees it, pot-heads are using sick people to push marijuana.
I am sure he is right. And I don't care.
The Extreme Right says that the sick people are a red herring in the push for legalizing medical marijuana! Want to talk about red herrings? Fine, those potheads smoking in school bathrooms are the red herring put out by the Mega-Conservative Morality Fascists for the purpose of scaring people from supporting the legalization of medical use of marijuana!
Yes, some stoners and thugs smoke weed! We know that! But they also drink water! Does that make water a bad thing?
Does marijuana have side effects? Yes! It can cause hallucination, lack of focus, lung problems and loss of sperm! That's why I never smoked marijuana!
But the Morality Fascists on the Far Right want you to think the only chemicals with side effects are marijuana and birth control pills!
The Morality Fascists doesn't want anyone to mention that marijuana have positive effects. But facts are facts.
From the same editorial mentioned earlier
http://jewishworldreview.com/0605/saunders060905.php3
And many users note that medical marijuana relieves their nausea without drugging them into oblivion.
[skip paragraphs]
I saw 93-year-old Dorothy Gibbs, who suffered from post-polio syndrome. She found that marijuana eased her severe nausea.
[skip paragraphs]
Corral, an epileptic, believes she suffers fewer seizures because of medical marijuana. She used to take more powerful pharmaceutical drugs that "made me feel as if I was underwater. " With marijuana, she said, she is more functional.
But don't expect the Morality Fascists to pay attention to the facts. They dont care about facts! They'll continue to focus on the stoners and the street thugs in order to distract us from real life cases in which some innocent people have benefited from marijuana!
Though the US government bans marijuana, some states allow it's residents to smoke marijuana for medicinal purposes.
Earlier, this month, the US Supreme Court allowed the Feds to arrest even those who use marijuana in states where it's legal to smoke for medicinal purposes!
Here's some commentary from Debra Saunders
http: //jewishworldreview.com/0605/saunders060905.php3
That's because there is no recognized medical use for marijuana, according to the American Medical Association, the drug warriors respond. Fair enough. But the California Medical Association supports medical marijuana.
What does this show? Despite the claims that medicine is supposed to be objective, those in the medical industry disagree on many medical issues. This is true for marijuana, birth control pills, and many other things.
And dont forget that the American Medical Association (AMA) has gone along with many political fads. For example, the AMA supports stricter gun control laws! This even though 1) not all doctors (even those working in trauma units) believe in stricter gun laws, 2) more people die in swimming pools than by gunshots! But because the political fad in many urban areas is in favor of strict gun control, many in the AMA go along with it.
In the case of medical marijuana, it might be a fear of ridicule from the right-wingers that is keeping the AMA from supporting medical marijuana! Or a fear of a tax audit from the Attorney General!
The White House drug czar John Walters has been a strong opponent of medical marijuana. As he sees it, pot-heads are using sick people to push marijuana.
I am sure he is right. And I don't care.
The Extreme Right says that the sick people are a red herring in the push for legalizing medical marijuana! Want to talk about red herrings? Fine, those potheads smoking in school bathrooms are the red herring put out by the Mega-Conservative Morality Fascists for the purpose of scaring people from supporting the legalization of medical use of marijuana!
Yes, some stoners and thugs smoke weed! We know that! But they also drink water! Does that make water a bad thing?
Does marijuana have side effects? Yes! It can cause hallucination, lack of focus, lung problems and loss of sperm! That's why I never smoked marijuana!
But the Morality Fascists on the Far Right want you to think the only chemicals with side effects are marijuana and birth control pills!
The Morality Fascists doesn't want anyone to mention that marijuana have positive effects. But facts are facts.
From the same editorial mentioned earlier
http://jewishworldreview.com/0605/saunders060905.php3
And many users note that medical marijuana relieves their nausea without drugging them into oblivion.
[skip paragraphs]
I saw 93-year-old Dorothy Gibbs, who suffered from post-polio syndrome. She found that marijuana eased her severe nausea.
[skip paragraphs]
Corral, an epileptic, believes she suffers fewer seizures because of medical marijuana. She used to take more powerful pharmaceutical drugs that "made me feel as if I was underwater. " With marijuana, she said, she is more functional.
But don't expect the Morality Fascists to pay attention to the facts. They dont care about facts! They'll continue to focus on the stoners and the street thugs in order to distract us from real life cases in which some innocent people have benefited from marijuana!
Kamehameha Day
In Hawaii, today is Kamehameha Day, a state holiday
1) It's so ironic that while the Native Hawaiian activists condemn America for taking over Hawaii, they idolize King Kamehameha for using violent force to take over all of Hawaii. And for what? For his lust of power. No democracy, no freedom, nothing!
While Native Hawaiian sovereignty activists condemn McKinley High School for being named after a US President who took over Hawaii, they are silent about Kamehameha School (an elite private school for Native Hawaiians only) being named after a conqueror and a dictator.
Hey, at least McKinley High School is open to all races, OK!
End Segregation - Open Up Kamehameha Schools!
2) The Native Hawaiian Registry
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs wanted anyone with Native Hawaiian ancestry to register their names. For what? In case the Akaka Bill comes through and give Native Hawaiians more special treatment.
http://starbulletin.com/2005/05/30/news/index4.html
Only 18,000 Native Hawaiians registered despite an estimate of 400,000 Native Hawaiians living worldwide.
Some activists complain of "lack of publicity". BULLCRAP! Ads advertising this registry was constantly played on KCCN 100 and Island 98.5 (both Hawaiian reggae radio stations that are MEGA-POPULAR among Native Hawaiians). I listen to those radio stations so don't tell me those ads didn't get constant rotation!
So why the low number of Native Hawaiians registering?The politically incorrect answer is ---- A lot of Native Hawaiians aren't interested in getting more special treatment. They're not interested in more government largess!
And here's what one of those registry activist, Corrane Park-Chun, said
"My husband is going to divorce me. I'm never around. I have no life," Park-Chun said.
Oh, How sweet! Effin up her family life in a mission for more race-based special treatment!
Just imagine if Germany start giving out special treatment to Native Germans! Oops - wait a minute, that happened in the 1930's-1940's. We all know how that went!
Of course, anyone who refuse to kiss the asses of the Native Hawaiian Supremacists (ie. Park-Chun and Trask who ironically have non-Hawaiian last names) risks getting called "racists" and "anti-Hawaiian"!
How dare I believe that every people should get treated equally, regardless of race!
In Hawaii, today is Kamehameha Day, a state holiday
1) It's so ironic that while the Native Hawaiian activists condemn America for taking over Hawaii, they idolize King Kamehameha for using violent force to take over all of Hawaii. And for what? For his lust of power. No democracy, no freedom, nothing!
While Native Hawaiian sovereignty activists condemn McKinley High School for being named after a US President who took over Hawaii, they are silent about Kamehameha School (an elite private school for Native Hawaiians only) being named after a conqueror and a dictator.
Hey, at least McKinley High School is open to all races, OK!
End Segregation - Open Up Kamehameha Schools!
2) The Native Hawaiian Registry
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs wanted anyone with Native Hawaiian ancestry to register their names. For what? In case the Akaka Bill comes through and give Native Hawaiians more special treatment.
http://starbulletin.com/2005/05/30/news/index4.html
Only 18,000 Native Hawaiians registered despite an estimate of 400,000 Native Hawaiians living worldwide.
Some activists complain of "lack of publicity". BULLCRAP! Ads advertising this registry was constantly played on KCCN 100 and Island 98.5 (both Hawaiian reggae radio stations that are MEGA-POPULAR among Native Hawaiians). I listen to those radio stations so don't tell me those ads didn't get constant rotation!
So why the low number of Native Hawaiians registering?The politically incorrect answer is ---- A lot of Native Hawaiians aren't interested in getting more special treatment. They're not interested in more government largess!
And here's what one of those registry activist, Corrane Park-Chun, said
"My husband is going to divorce me. I'm never around. I have no life," Park-Chun said.
Oh, How sweet! Effin up her family life in a mission for more race-based special treatment!
Just imagine if Germany start giving out special treatment to Native Germans! Oops - wait a minute, that happened in the 1930's-1940's. We all know how that went!
Of course, anyone who refuse to kiss the asses of the Native Hawaiian Supremacists (ie. Park-Chun and Trask who ironically have non-Hawaiian last names) risks getting called "racists" and "anti-Hawaiian"!
How dare I believe that every people should get treated equally, regardless of race!
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