I usually do a reflection blog post at the end of the year!
But the last few weeks have been busy.
So those blog posts will be delayed by a few days.
Happy New Year :)
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Friday, December 29, 2017
Need more success in my life
End of the year is supposed to be a time of reflection!
On my Christmas cards, I printed some updates on my life (ie. still a sub teacher, working at a fashion retail store, volunteering with Friends of the Library, making and selling digital instrumental tracks)
An auntie called me a "success".
That's nice to hear!
But I know there's more to be achieved!
I want to ride this sub teaching thing as far as I can, but what I really want to do with my life is either work at a library and making more music.
As for the fashion retail job, it might be days or weeks when a decision would be made on how much longer I'll be there! While I respect giving people a chance to solve problems internally, tomorrow I'll find out if we're closer to a real solution. Otherwise, some info is about to go public on this blog!
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I love helping out the Friends of the Library of Hawaii(FLH). I volunteer with their major booksales (next one is on Martin Luther King weekend at Washington Middle School) as well as their mini-bookstore (Books@Marks) in downtown Honolulu for every First Friday.
FLH is a mostly volunteer thing, with only a few paid staff members. But if FLH has an open paid position, I want in!
Anything library-related is where I belong!
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As far as my music, Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior has some downloads sold on iTunes, some licensing royalties from YouTube content ID, and streaming revenue from various sources.
But it's not enough to make big-budget music videos.
I need more time to even finish making music videos for the songs from the "Sounds Like a Video Game: an instrumental album".
I also need more time to work on songs from my next album!
I think I'll do that right now
On my Christmas cards, I printed some updates on my life (ie. still a sub teacher, working at a fashion retail store, volunteering with Friends of the Library, making and selling digital instrumental tracks)
An auntie called me a "success".
That's nice to hear!
But I know there's more to be achieved!
I want to ride this sub teaching thing as far as I can, but what I really want to do with my life is either work at a library and making more music.
As for the fashion retail job, it might be days or weeks when a decision would be made on how much longer I'll be there! While I respect giving people a chance to solve problems internally, tomorrow I'll find out if we're closer to a real solution. Otherwise, some info is about to go public on this blog!
------------
I love helping out the Friends of the Library of Hawaii(FLH). I volunteer with their major booksales (next one is on Martin Luther King weekend at Washington Middle School) as well as their mini-bookstore (Books@Marks) in downtown Honolulu for every First Friday.
FLH is a mostly volunteer thing, with only a few paid staff members. But if FLH has an open paid position, I want in!
Anything library-related is where I belong!
=============
As far as my music, Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior has some downloads sold on iTunes, some licensing royalties from YouTube content ID, and streaming revenue from various sources.
But it's not enough to make big-budget music videos.
I need more time to even finish making music videos for the songs from the "Sounds Like a Video Game: an instrumental album".
I also need more time to work on songs from my next album!
I think I'll do that right now
Monday, November 20, 2017
brief thoughts on my current life
I have so much thoughts on latest controversies and more, but I've been super-busy the last few weeks. Didn't have time to blog!
I'm still a sub teacher, but I also got hired to work at a fashion retail store in August. That was because during the summer, schools weren't in session, so I got a 2nd job. I did have past experience at Macy's, but this time, I'm at a competitor.
At the new fashion retail store, I'm a rover (I rotate among different departments). To get hired for that position, I agreed to work some early morning shifts (ie. start at 2am) on the condition I'm notified 3 weeks ahead of time. The store does announce the weekly schedule 3 weeks in advance, so I was in. We also agreed to those 2am-6am weekday shifts. For weekends, I agreed to "anything goes".
Well, last week, I did 3 days in a row of early markdown shifts (where we change price tickets before the store open). 3 days of 2am-6am, while still commuting to the sub teaching job afterwards. (no car, just bus or bike) This mess with my sleep schedule, and I lose hours I could be doing basic things outside of work. I told my manager I'm done with doing those early markdown shifts on weekdays. I'm still willing to do those early markdown shifts on the weekends, but I'm done doing them on weekdays.
My foot is already in the door, so I'll probably be traded to another position in the store.
====================
Meanwhile I am looking for a permanent position in........................
............... well, anytime I actually announce that I'm about to get a job interview at a certain place, I never get the job.
But if I don't tell anyone about an upcoming job interview, I actually did get the job! I sure didn't tell anyone that I was interviewing for the fashion retail job that I'm currently working at! Same was true for other temp jobs and internships I had in the past!
I'm superstitious like that!
I'm still a sub teacher, but I also got hired to work at a fashion retail store in August. That was because during the summer, schools weren't in session, so I got a 2nd job. I did have past experience at Macy's, but this time, I'm at a competitor.
At the new fashion retail store, I'm a rover (I rotate among different departments). To get hired for that position, I agreed to work some early morning shifts (ie. start at 2am) on the condition I'm notified 3 weeks ahead of time. The store does announce the weekly schedule 3 weeks in advance, so I was in. We also agreed to those 2am-6am weekday shifts. For weekends, I agreed to "anything goes".
Well, last week, I did 3 days in a row of early markdown shifts (where we change price tickets before the store open). 3 days of 2am-6am, while still commuting to the sub teaching job afterwards. (no car, just bus or bike) This mess with my sleep schedule, and I lose hours I could be doing basic things outside of work. I told my manager I'm done with doing those early markdown shifts on weekdays. I'm still willing to do those early markdown shifts on the weekends, but I'm done doing them on weekdays.
My foot is already in the door, so I'll probably be traded to another position in the store.
====================
Meanwhile I am looking for a permanent position in........................
............... well, anytime I actually announce that I'm about to get a job interview at a certain place, I never get the job.
But if I don't tell anyone about an upcoming job interview, I actually did get the job! I sure didn't tell anyone that I was interviewing for the fashion retail job that I'm currently working at! Same was true for other temp jobs and internships I had in the past!
I'm superstitious like that!
Saturday, October 21, 2017
You can be messed with
A lot of people talk as if they're so tough and so vigilant that nobody can hurt them! There's always sometime tougher than you, someone that can overpower you (even if takes sneaking a drug in your drink to do so). You can claim to be eternally vigilant all you want, you can preach precautions all you want, but EVERYONE eventually lets their guard down, and someone will strike at that moment, causing you eternal pain magnified because you are shocked that your tough/vigilant image couldn't protect you at all times!
Facts are that YOU can be messed with, and YOU can be violated!
YOU are more vulnerable than you're willing to admit to anyone! That doesn't make you less of a person, in fact, that makes you like every other person!
Recently, there's been a social media campaign against sexual assault, with the hashtag #MeToo, to let people know that sexual assault has affected real people that they know, not just some hypothetical unknown person in a news report!
While much of the activism surrounding the fight against sexual assault has come from left-leaning feminists, the issue has affected people of all political leanings (conservative, libertarians, you name it).
One conservative woman thought that her tough-girl, street-smart image was going to prevent her from being raped. She learned the hard way that nobody is "too tough" or "too street smart" to get victimized in a really traumatic way!
Amy Swearer, “I’m a Conservative Who Was Roofied by a Stranger. Here’s What I Think of the ‘Me Too’ Hashtag.,” The Daily Signal, October 20, 2017
http://dailysignal.com/2017/10/20/im-a-conservative-who-was-roofied-by-a-stranger-heres-what-i-think-of-me-too-hashtag/
When someone confides in you that they were roofied, assaulted, molested, raped, or harassed, they have rendered themselves the most vulnerable they will likely ever be to you. Do not presume to sit in judgment of a person’s reaction to a horror you can never understand until you have lived it. And no, I promise you, you do not understand. I did not understand, either.
I have sat in quiet judgment of so many women who did not respond to victimization in the precise way I imagined “angry, no-holds-barred, take-names-but-not-prisoners” Amy would respond. I have sworn to anyone who would listen that many victims are partially to blame, that my handguns and I could take care of myself, and that I would always be vigilant enough and smart enough and prepared enough.
And then there I was, waking up on a gurney at 4 in the morning. In an emergency room. By myself. Surrounded by strangers, asked the most intimate of questions by people who did not know my name five minutes ago, still hazy from a drug-induced stupor, bruised and hurting and afraid and wanting desperately to disappear into a hole until it all went away … and I promise you, you do not understand.
You don’t understand the sickening internal debate over whether and how and when and to what extent you should tell your parents. You don’t understand the utter humiliation of being unable to recall any interactions you’ve had in the past 12 hours. You don’t know how incredibly small you feel when your first real memory is of a doctor you’ve never seen before accusing you of smoking crystal meth because your ADD medication showed up as amphetamine on a toxicology screen, and you can barely find words to ask where you are, much less to explain you’ve never done drugs.
And the flood of questions. You cannot comprehend the flood of questions. What if the detective thinks I was just drunk? What if I WAS just drunk? What if the urine analysis can’t detect any substances because the four IVs and 13 hours of delay diluted the sample? Will anyone believe me then, if there’s no proof? What if there are pictures or video I don’t remember? Do I even want to see any evidence that could point to a suspect? Would I rather just never know if it protects me from knowing something awful? How I am going to pay these medical bills? Why can’t I move my wrist? Where is my wallet? Has anyone fed my cats? Was I raped? What if I’m pregnant? How I am going to get home?
You. Don’t. Understand.
You can’t.
It’s not your fault. Honestly, I envy your lack of understanding, and hope you never, ever have to understand. But until then, stop demeaning the actions of those who do. The #MeToo hashtag may be a cop out for some, but others—myself included—it is a way to tell other women they are not alone. It is a way to process our own stories and salve our very real pain. It is a way to reclaim the voices we lost.
Some men might read this and think "I'm a man, nobody going to rape me" and "I'm not going to jail, so I don't have to worry about getting raped".
But if the same man talks and acts so tough that he gets into a fight, where will he end up? In jail!
And even men who claim to be vigilant could be hanging out with new friends (could be new co-workers, could be a "friend of a friend"), which places anyone in a vulnerable position. Who knows, that "new friend" might be on drugs, might be the next target for a police raid, might have other enemies you may not know about! That "new friends" might even have "feeling for you" and can roofie you too! Your toughness will not save you when you are caught off guard in those situations!
Even someone like Terry Crews, a former NFL player (meaning he's physically tougher and psychologically braver than the average man) was so caught off-guard when another man grabbed his privates that his mind froze when it happened. That's what happens to ANYONE who is caught-off guard like that! Even to the tough guys!
Let's also put it this way, even the losers of a boxing/MMA match spent hours/weeks/months/years practicing self-defense skills. They still lost!
If that happens to them, what makes you think it can't happen to you?
What makes you think you can whoop everyone who messes with you?
What makes you think you're not vulnerable?
Talk all the about being "street smart" all you, even the most savvy of street criminals and police investigators get outsmarted! And these are people who spend hours planning to outsmart their opponents (who carry guns and more), spend hours figuring out how to commit sneak attacks on their enemies (who carry guns and more), and they still get outsmarted!
The same can apply to the Navy SEALS and the terrorists they're fighting! So much planning on sneak attacks and avoiding sneak attacks, and they still get outsmarted on the battlefield!
If the street criminals, police, Navy SEALS and terrorists all get outsmarted (and captured and killed) even though they're experts in outsmarting dangerous people, what makes you think your street-smartness and precautions will immunize you from being violated?
So instead of demonizing rape victims for "not putting up a fight", "not taking precautions", "letting their guards down", why don't YOU recognize that YOU TOO can be very vulnerable in many situations, and that it can happen to YOU TOO!
Tough Talk and Street Smarts will NOT save you all the time!
Sunday, October 15, 2017
37-year weekend
Today was my birthday.
But my celebration started yesterday (Saturday)!
I had the whole weekend off my from my part-time job for the celebration
Saturday morning was mostly doing laundry!
Saturday evening, I attended the UH football game vs San Jose State!
It's been a few years since I last been to a UH football game. Luckily, I got a free ticket to attend the game! And even more luckily, UH won: 37-26
Then it was party time at Rumours Nightclub for their old-school night! I saw one of my high school friend's there!
Afterwards a short sleep!
Sunday morning, I had breakfast with my dad at Asahi Grill for their famous fried rice and scrambled egg!
We talked about yesterday's game, our jobs, and the USA men's soccer team not qualifying for the World Cup
My dad also fixed the handle for the screen door at my apartment!
I took a nap and read the Sunday paper!
Then I got a few phone calls from mom & grandma!
Then my brother called, asking if I was home. Yes! He came to visit for about 20 minutes. We talked about his kid's participation in their school's activities.
About an hour later, I spent some of my birthday money going grocery shopping. Necessities before luxuries.
Then I came home, checked my emails, facebook and of course, wrote this blog post.
Now, it's back to work for Monday!
But my celebration started yesterday (Saturday)!
I had the whole weekend off my from my part-time job for the celebration
Saturday morning was mostly doing laundry!
Saturday evening, I attended the UH football game vs San Jose State!
It's been a few years since I last been to a UH football game. Luckily, I got a free ticket to attend the game! And even more luckily, UH won: 37-26
Then it was party time at Rumours Nightclub for their old-school night! I saw one of my high school friend's there!
Afterwards a short sleep!
Sunday morning, I had breakfast with my dad at Asahi Grill for their famous fried rice and scrambled egg!
We talked about yesterday's game, our jobs, and the USA men's soccer team not qualifying for the World Cup
My dad also fixed the handle for the screen door at my apartment!
I took a nap and read the Sunday paper!
Then I got a few phone calls from mom & grandma!
Then my brother called, asking if I was home. Yes! He came to visit for about 20 minutes. We talked about his kid's participation in their school's activities.
About an hour later, I spent some of my birthday money going grocery shopping. Necessities before luxuries.
Then I came home, checked my emails, facebook and of course, wrote this blog post.
Now, it's back to work for Monday!
Monday, October 09, 2017
Kakaako Waterfront Park
A classic photo of me at Kakaako Waterfront Park.
As you can see, it has beautiful green hills.
On the other side of the hills is the ocean.
It was meant to be a great place to ride a bike, walk, fish and relax.
To top it all off, it is in the urban center, just a short distance from downtown, Ala Moana and Waikiki.
Sadly, it has been shut down indefinitely due to the city's inability to protect its facilities from vandalism.
The homeless have been blamed because many put up settlements within the park.
Most of the homeless don't really bother anyone, but a few incidents can scare people away.
The city government is now banning everyone from going inside the park to repair vandalized facilities.
Meanwhile, some of the homeless refuse to move to a shelter, and they'll go wherever they can occupy.
As noted in a recent article, the park itself was supposed to be a relaxing place for everyone. A place for residents & tourists, the rich & poor.
The city government needs to put 24-7 security at the park to secure property as well as the park users.
When I say "24-7", I'm NOT asking for storm troopers out to harass & profile, just some friendly guards who are ready to intervene when there is real trouble.
The park also need 24-7 maintenance personnel. Some of the homeless can be hired as part of the maintenance personnel. Train them to fix any broken sinks, toilets and fixtures. Have them replace the toilet paper, paper towels and soap immediately!
Let's make this park a magical place to be again :)
Sunday, October 08, 2017
Life & legacy of Hugh Hefner
Hugh Hefner, an American cultural icon, died last month at the age of 91. He was the founder of Playboy Magazine, a magazine that revolutionized the publishing & entertainment world with photo spreads of naked women, as well as articles about lifestyles, philosophy and current events. The magazine, which started in 1953, was meant to promote the aspirational lifestyles of the "Modern Man" in more ways than one.
copyright: Playboy Enterprises
The Playboy brand expanded into other ventures including but not limited to nightclubs, television, fashion and sex accessories (ie condoms).
Playboy Magazine started at a time when cable TV, VHS, DVD, internet and social media did not exist yet. Information formats that were available to the general public were limited to books, magazines, network TV and radio. There wasn't many ways to access nude photos in a time when religious conservatives controlled the content of most entertainment. Hollywood wasn't yet the domain of publicly hedonistic secular liberals (though there was a fear of communists infiltrating the industry).
So the appearance of a magazine with nude photos was scandalous at the time. It was banned from being sold to minors, though many teenage boys either found their dad's hidden copies, or visited friends whose fathers had hidden copies.
As time went on, the religious conservatives lost control of the entertainment industry, as new directors produced more risky & explicit content. Playboy had new competitors, with the most famous being Hustler Magazine (founded by Larry Flynt) which was seen as a more explicit and "low-class" alternative to Playboy.
Then of course, was the Internet, where anyone with a computer can post whatever they want. Why buy a magazine when you can find images & videos for free online? Playboy definitely had an online presence, though some people wanted the sexual content without the high-class aspirational tone of Playboy.
Hugh Hefner was definitely more than just a seller of sexual content. He was a proud supporter of liberal causes, including the civil rights movement, legalization of abortion, and the protection of civil liberties. He was a long-time donor to the Democratic Party, whose members had mixed feelings towards him.
For example, when Al Gore was running for President in 2000, he strongly urged the cancellation of a Democratic Party fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion which was to took place around the same time as the Democratic National Convention took place in Los Angeles. Al Gore was embarrassed by Bill Clinton's sex scandals and wanted to distance himself from anything that would remind the nation about the scandals. His wife, Tipper Gore, was already famous for her battles against explicit rock & rap music of the 1980s and 1990s. She wanted the image of someone who wanted to "protect the children" but her campaigns were also seen as a way to get social conservatives and feminists to support her husband's rise in politics.
Social conservatives and radical feminists have had many battles against each other, but they were united (reluctantly) in their dislike of various forms of entertainment, including Playboy Magazine.
Social conservatives felt that Playboy (and similar types of entertainment) led men into temptation to sin in various ways, including sex outside of marriage. They felt such temptations lead to broken families and broken lives.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/451955/hugh-hefner-playboy-legacy-despair-pornography-marriage-family
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/451955/hugh-hefner-playboy-legacy-despair-pornography-marriage-family
Meanwhile, radical feminists felt that Playboy (and similar types of entertainment) led men into treating women as nothing more than sex objects. They worry that such treatment would encourage men to sexually abuse women.
The radical feminist crusade against Playboy (and similar types of entertainment) led to a backlash not only from men (who of course love the sexy imagery) but also from women many of whom love to present a sexy side of themselves.
It is THIS VERY REASON why many women were reluctant to call themselves feminists.
Even women working in traditionally male industries were reluctant to call themselves feminists.
Even loud, take-no-crap women were reluctant to call themselves feminists.
In the late 80s and early 90s, women who defended equal rights AND also loved to present a sexy side of themselves called themselves "pro-sex feminists" in contrast to the male-bashing, Playboy-hating stereotype of the radical feminists.
Eventually, even the most radical feminist activists changed their tactics, now more careful not to "slut shame" women who pose in sexually appealing photos, but now more focused on the men who sexually exploit women (ie, pimps, sex traffickers, abusive porn producers, etc)
Hugh Hefner loved to promote himself as a "gentleman". In response to an online question asking him "how you have so many bitches", Hugh Hefner responded that he had many girlfriends because he don't call them bitches, and that respect can go a long way.
However, not every woman had a good experience with Hugh Hefner. Holly Madison, who was once one of Hefner's girlfriends, later said that Hefner had a very controlling personality with him telling her (and the other women in his harem) when to have sex with him, and basically controlling their daily schedules.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/kateaurthur/holly-madison-burns-it-down
https://static.currentaffairs.org/2017/09/good-riddance-to-an-abusive-creep
https://www.buzzfeed.com/kateaurthur/holly-madison-burns-it-down
https://static.currentaffairs.org/2017/09/good-riddance-to-an-abusive-creep
Also, a few woman said that Bill Cosby raped them within Hefner's Playboy Mansion. One sued Hugh Hefner claiming he knew stuff like this was going on when Bill Cosby visited. Hefner never commented on those allegations.
Much of this only became widely known after Hugh Hefner died. Yes, some of this information existed online, but I didn't even know about Holly Madison's allegations until I read online articles about Hugh Hefner after his death.
All this is coming public when prestigious men, both liberal (ie Harvey Weinstein) and conservative (ie Roger Ailes, Bill O'Reilly) are being publicly exposed for allegations of sexual harassment. In the Internet Age, nothing stays secret forever.
The polyamorous and the swinger lifestyle is becoming more accepted by the mainstream. People enjoy having multiple sex partners. At the same time, people have to be careful and act appropriately with each other. You should never want the other person to feel sexually abused by you. Consent can go a long way.
============
In personal news, I only had 1 copy of Playboy Magazine (with beach volleyballer Gabrielle Reece on the cover), which I received for free at a student event at UH-Manoa.
I later used that copy to do a presentation in Sociology 459 (Sociology of Popular Culture). I hid the magazine in a paper bag, said I'm doing a report on the most popular "men's magazine", then took the magazine out of the bag. The class (with plenty of football players) started laughing out loud. Then I basically talked about the magazine's history and also mentioned Hugh Hefner's contribution to liberal causes.
============
Yes, I said only have 1 copy. One is enough. Though I did watch a few porn videos at my friend's house as a teenager, that's all the porn I ever watched. Been there, done that, I moved on! I don't want to sound "holier than thou" but I think it's all a waste of time.
Learn more from my blog posts at
Some wisdom from on those blog posts
Watching porn when you're in your 30's? Really? Yeah, that's every teenage boy's dream, you may experiment with in your early 20's, but after that............................... get a life! You're a big boy now, live in reality, get off your couch, stop wasting your night looking at a screen, stop wasting your money!
Go to a real nightclub and dance with some real women instead of just wasting your time watching fantasy!
If you spend at least a decade dancing with women at a regular nightclub, you develop a memory bank of real life experiences that no amount of porn can impress you anymore! Why would it, real life experience will always over-ride watching fantasy!
Playboy might provide you the fantasy, but it's up to you to live your life!
Just don't get yourself into trouble!
=========
Suggested readings
(note: the inclusion of these articles does NOT imply I agree with everything written in those articles, I just found them interesting)
Amber Batura, “How Hugh Hefner Invented the Modern Man,” New York Times, September 28, 2017,
Josh Horwitz, “Remembering Playboy’s Hugh Hefner, the civil
rights activist,” Quartz, September 28, 2017,
Irin Carmon, “Hugh Hefner’s world wasn’t just bad for women.
It hurt men, too.,” Washington Post, September 29, 2017
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Uncle Patrick - 15 years later
15 years ago today, my uncle Patrick Allen Wegesend, passed away. He was 53 years old.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Sep/20/ln/ln46aobituaries.html
(he will be referred to in the rest of this article as "Uncle Pat")
Uncle Pat was the older brother to my mother. Out of her 6 brothers, Uncle Pat was the one she had the closest relations with.
He was the uncle that I had the closest relations with.
Uncle Pat was a constant visitor to my mom and grandma's home, and we would have long meaningful conversations about life and current news. We would talk about world events, history and tabloid news.
Uncle Pat had a very kind & generous spirit.
==========
But even with our close relations, Uncle Pat had some secrets that would only be revealed later.
Uncle Pat was going through some major health problems.
I've heard conversations about him having diabetes.
But I learned the truth in my conversation with grandma that Uncle Pat had AIDS.
That was a shocker.
Usually, when it is announced that someone got AIDS, there are instant questions on how that person got it.
I asked my grandma.
She said that Uncle Pat got it from a man he was living with a few years earlier.
What?
You mean to tell me Uncle Pat was ...............?
That side of Uncle Pat wasn't talked about.
I was naive about the whole thing.
I was assuming that Uncle Pat was living with a friend, not realizing what type of friendship it was.
Uncle Pat didn't exactly fit the stereotype of a gay person "having a limp wrist", never wore feminine clothing, didn't talk with a stereotypical "gay voice", none of that!
While Uncle Pat never had that rugged exterior like some other uncles, he didn't fit the "mahu" stereotypes either.
There were a few other uncles that weren't married either, but I doubt that homosexuality had anything to do with that! Some people just liked the independence of living alone. I like the independence of living alone, and I'm heterosexual.
Anyways, when my grandma informed me about Uncle Pat having AIDS, it was probably somewhere between 2000-2002. It was within Uncle Pat's last few years. I didn't say anything about it to anyone.
On the day that Uncle Pat died, I told my mother what grandma said about Uncle Pat having AIDS and how he got it, and my mother basically confirmed everything grandma said.
It was also the first time me and my mother having a conversation about Uncle Pat's homosexuality and him having AIDS.
My mother said that very few people understood how much Uncle Pat suffered throughout his life.
She said that Uncle Pat felt misunderstood by his brothers. That grandma wasn't so nice when Uncle Pat revealed his sexual orientation until Uncle Pat told grandma "You think I like being this way?" At that point, grandma understood! It was a revelation to grandma that sexual orientation is an inborn trait, that many people who are homosexual are suffering with living with such a secret that if they revealed it, it could mean the difference between full acceptance versus being outcasted by loved ones.
To add to that, being that many homosexuals "lived in the closest", the best options that many felt they had was to go to "gay bars" in secret, where they feel they can live their true selves for a few hours. Those places were notorious for their hookup scenes, and being that men can't get pregnant, there was less hesitation among gay men to "hook up", making them vulnerable to STDs.
When the AIDS crisis hit in the 1980s, it was seen as a "gay disease". Among those already outcasted by their families, peers, churches and mainstream society, many gay men with AIDS had no emotional support to help them survive such a brutal disease. It's bad enough that AIDS was basically a death sentence, even worse when many who suffered didn't have emotional support from family due to homophobia.
While the AIDS crisis might've enabled a few ultra-conservative preachers to preach homophobia, news reports about the suffering of AIDS patients eventually had the rest of the population rethink their prejudice against the LGBT population. People start to realize that their jokes about homosexuality isn't "just a joke" but something that can traumatize people who are already suffering.
As I learned about Uncle Pat's reality, I feel really guilty about laughing at homophobic jokes and making homophobic comments when I was younger.
I didn't even know what homosexuality was until 5th grade in sex ed, and my brother told me that gay men had anal sex, we were both disgusted.
Nobody in our schools was out of the closet, except for this one loud transgendered person who was a senior when I was a freshmen in high school. In that environment, there was a near consensus that homosexuality was something to be ridiculed.
Around the same time, this being the 1990s, that same-sex marriage was in the news, as there was a lawsuit in the Hawaii court systems. So it was something discussed in social studies classes. Hearing that issue discussed in 10th social studies class was the first time I heard classmates defending the right to allow same-sex marriage. As far I know, none of them were openly LGBT, but they were already "ahead of their time" on this issue.
The late 90s was also when Ellen DeGeneres had her "coming out" episode. That was the first time I had any discussion about homosexuality with my mother. My mother defended LGBT rights, but at the time, she didn't mention about Uncle Pat's sexuality.
Those discussion motivated me to research the issue. Back then, I didn't have internet access (it was the late 90's, the internet was still a new thing), so reading books about it in the back of the library (away from everyone else) was the only option. Even with that, I learned a lot! I learned that many LGBT had those innate feelings and they knew they had to keep it a secret because they knew even their closest friends would turn against them. Learning that broke my heart. I felt guilty for any homophobic thoughts/jokes I expressed because there's a possibility my comments hurt the hearts of people who might still be in the closet.
It took me a while to openly defend LGBT rights, because others would be like "eww, you're defending same-sex marriage because you gay"
I remember in freshmen year of college (1999-2000) in speech, we had to randomly pick a paper that had a topic written on it. The paper was folded so you can't see what you're picking. The other topics included abortion, gun control and doctor-assisted suicide. I was hoping for those topics. The folded paper I picked happened to have "same-sex marriage" written on it. One more person had the same topic. One of us had to defend it, the other had to argue against it. I decided that it was time to defend it, just as boldly as I was already defending my viewpoints on other topics. I learned then that the university was a different environment than high school, and that you won't be stigmatized for defending LGBT rights. (Remember, this was the turn of the century. Yes universities were already "liberal" but not a single state legalized same-sex marriage yet).
Even at that point, I still didn't know about Uncle Pat's orientation. It was still a "secret".
Had he lived longer, maybe he might've been more willing to talk about it.
Had he lived until this year, he would've seen same-sex marriage legalized, and maybe, he might be more willing to talk publicly about his orientation.
Or maybe he just wanted to be left alone in privacy.
Either way, I will continue to miss Uncle Pat, his generous spirit and the discussions we had.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Sep/20/ln/ln46aobituaries.html
(he will be referred to in the rest of this article as "Uncle Pat")
Uncle Pat was the older brother to my mother. Out of her 6 brothers, Uncle Pat was the one she had the closest relations with.
He was the uncle that I had the closest relations with.
Uncle Pat was a constant visitor to my mom and grandma's home, and we would have long meaningful conversations about life and current news. We would talk about world events, history and tabloid news.
Uncle Pat had a very kind & generous spirit.
==========
But even with our close relations, Uncle Pat had some secrets that would only be revealed later.
Uncle Pat was going through some major health problems.
I've heard conversations about him having diabetes.
But I learned the truth in my conversation with grandma that Uncle Pat had AIDS.
That was a shocker.
Usually, when it is announced that someone got AIDS, there are instant questions on how that person got it.
I asked my grandma.
She said that Uncle Pat got it from a man he was living with a few years earlier.
What?
You mean to tell me Uncle Pat was ...............?
That side of Uncle Pat wasn't talked about.
I was naive about the whole thing.
I was assuming that Uncle Pat was living with a friend, not realizing what type of friendship it was.
Uncle Pat didn't exactly fit the stereotype of a gay person "having a limp wrist", never wore feminine clothing, didn't talk with a stereotypical "gay voice", none of that!
While Uncle Pat never had that rugged exterior like some other uncles, he didn't fit the "mahu" stereotypes either.
There were a few other uncles that weren't married either, but I doubt that homosexuality had anything to do with that! Some people just liked the independence of living alone. I like the independence of living alone, and I'm heterosexual.
Anyways, when my grandma informed me about Uncle Pat having AIDS, it was probably somewhere between 2000-2002. It was within Uncle Pat's last few years. I didn't say anything about it to anyone.
On the day that Uncle Pat died, I told my mother what grandma said about Uncle Pat having AIDS and how he got it, and my mother basically confirmed everything grandma said.
It was also the first time me and my mother having a conversation about Uncle Pat's homosexuality and him having AIDS.
My mother said that very few people understood how much Uncle Pat suffered throughout his life.
She said that Uncle Pat felt misunderstood by his brothers. That grandma wasn't so nice when Uncle Pat revealed his sexual orientation until Uncle Pat told grandma "You think I like being this way?" At that point, grandma understood! It was a revelation to grandma that sexual orientation is an inborn trait, that many people who are homosexual are suffering with living with such a secret that if they revealed it, it could mean the difference between full acceptance versus being outcasted by loved ones.
To add to that, being that many homosexuals "lived in the closest", the best options that many felt they had was to go to "gay bars" in secret, where they feel they can live their true selves for a few hours. Those places were notorious for their hookup scenes, and being that men can't get pregnant, there was less hesitation among gay men to "hook up", making them vulnerable to STDs.
When the AIDS crisis hit in the 1980s, it was seen as a "gay disease". Among those already outcasted by their families, peers, churches and mainstream society, many gay men with AIDS had no emotional support to help them survive such a brutal disease. It's bad enough that AIDS was basically a death sentence, even worse when many who suffered didn't have emotional support from family due to homophobia.
While the AIDS crisis might've enabled a few ultra-conservative preachers to preach homophobia, news reports about the suffering of AIDS patients eventually had the rest of the population rethink their prejudice against the LGBT population. People start to realize that their jokes about homosexuality isn't "just a joke" but something that can traumatize people who are already suffering.
As I learned about Uncle Pat's reality, I feel really guilty about laughing at homophobic jokes and making homophobic comments when I was younger.
I didn't even know what homosexuality was until 5th grade in sex ed, and my brother told me that gay men had anal sex, we were both disgusted.
Nobody in our schools was out of the closet, except for this one loud transgendered person who was a senior when I was a freshmen in high school. In that environment, there was a near consensus that homosexuality was something to be ridiculed.
Around the same time, this being the 1990s, that same-sex marriage was in the news, as there was a lawsuit in the Hawaii court systems. So it was something discussed in social studies classes. Hearing that issue discussed in 10th social studies class was the first time I heard classmates defending the right to allow same-sex marriage. As far I know, none of them were openly LGBT, but they were already "ahead of their time" on this issue.
The late 90s was also when Ellen DeGeneres had her "coming out" episode. That was the first time I had any discussion about homosexuality with my mother. My mother defended LGBT rights, but at the time, she didn't mention about Uncle Pat's sexuality.
Those discussion motivated me to research the issue. Back then, I didn't have internet access (it was the late 90's, the internet was still a new thing), so reading books about it in the back of the library (away from everyone else) was the only option. Even with that, I learned a lot! I learned that many LGBT had those innate feelings and they knew they had to keep it a secret because they knew even their closest friends would turn against them. Learning that broke my heart. I felt guilty for any homophobic thoughts/jokes I expressed because there's a possibility my comments hurt the hearts of people who might still be in the closet.
It took me a while to openly defend LGBT rights, because others would be like "eww, you're defending same-sex marriage because you gay"
I remember in freshmen year of college (1999-2000) in speech, we had to randomly pick a paper that had a topic written on it. The paper was folded so you can't see what you're picking. The other topics included abortion, gun control and doctor-assisted suicide. I was hoping for those topics. The folded paper I picked happened to have "same-sex marriage" written on it. One more person had the same topic. One of us had to defend it, the other had to argue against it. I decided that it was time to defend it, just as boldly as I was already defending my viewpoints on other topics. I learned then that the university was a different environment than high school, and that you won't be stigmatized for defending LGBT rights. (Remember, this was the turn of the century. Yes universities were already "liberal" but not a single state legalized same-sex marriage yet).
Even at that point, I still didn't know about Uncle Pat's orientation. It was still a "secret".
Had he lived longer, maybe he might've been more willing to talk about it.
Had he lived until this year, he would've seen same-sex marriage legalized, and maybe, he might be more willing to talk publicly about his orientation.
Or maybe he just wanted to be left alone in privacy.
Either way, I will continue to miss Uncle Pat, his generous spirit and the discussions we had.
Friday, August 11, 2017
Trump, North Korea, Guam and Hawaii
North Korean rulers have long been testing nuclear weapons and threatening to use it against anyone who offends them!
They're now giving warnings that they will launch missiles towards Guam, a small island in the western Pacific that also happens to be a US territory, and therefore a host to US military bases.
Now Donald Trump is threatening North Korea with "fire, fury and frankly power the likes of which this world has never seen before."
Meanwhile, the US military is also beefing up their missile defense systems to protect their bases in Hawaii as well.
Being in Hawaii, I can definitely feel the nervousness about North Korea's threats.
If Trump wants to attack North Korea, he better destroy all their military facilities fast, because North Korea will use everyone it got! After the first attack, North Korea will launch every single long-range missile in its arsenal!
In that scenario, Guam and Hawaii are screwed, even if the US wins!
But at the same time, we have to ask the tough questions.
Would North Korea be threatening Guam or Hawaii if they were independent nations?
After all, North Korea isn't threatening Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands or Papua New Guinea!
That's because they're independent nations that aren't hosting US or European military bases!
This isn't Blame America First, it's just an observation of facts!
Let's be real about this, the US took control of Hawaii and Guam not for the benefit of their people, but to use their lands as military launching pads towards Asia.
But why? Why do the US need a military launching pad towards Asia? Why can't the US learn to mind its own business!
If poverty-stricken North Korea can build nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, why can't "economic miracles" South Korea, Japan and Taiwan do the same!
If North Korea can scare Big Bad USA with its long-range nukes, why can't Taiwan do the same to China?
Meanwhile, it is the USA that abused the Marshall Islands by forcing their people off their islands and using those islands as nuclear testing sites.
That's right, it wasn't North Korea, China or Russia that abused the Marshall Islands with nuclear testing.
Meanwhile, the radiation has caused so much medical problems to the Marshallese people, that many of them come to Hawaii to get their medical needs taken care. Sadly, those people face racist abuse in Hawaii after all they've been through!
Many in Hawaii and Guam are reluctant to become independent partly because of the addiction to "federal funds", when much of that money has been taken away from us as federal taxes. Why should we pay money to the US federal government (where senators and reps from other states argue over what to do with it) when we can be independent, we keep our tax revenues here and we tell ourselves what to do with it!
But even a bigger factor of why many in Hawaii and Guam are reluctant to be independent is because of the trauma of World War 2.
At the time, much of the world was under the rule of European empires, and Japan wanted its own empire.
Therefore, Japan attacked US territories in the Pacific!
But we're not living in 1941 anymore!
I doubt North Korea has any interest in conquering the entire Pacific! They're only threatening Pacific Islands that host US military bases! They're not threatening independent Pacific Island nations! China hasn't even threatened the other Pacific Islands either!
Guam and Hawaii needs to be defended, but we should stop being used as US military launching pads towards Asia!
Guam and Hawaii needs to be defended, but we should stop being sitting ducks targeted for retaliation over someone else's rivalries!
Guam and Hawaii should be independent, and collaborate with other Pacific Islands in establishing a military defense system.
Guam, Hawaii and the other Pacific Islands should collaborate in establishing a naval system designed purely for self-defense purposes.
Guam, Hawaii and the other Pacific Islands should collaborate in establishing a missile defense system to protect ourselves.
Guam, Hawaii and the other Pacific Islands should collaborate in establishing an air force designed purely to defend our skies!
If other places can do it, why not us? Why beg for a faraway empire to do it for us, when we should do it ourselves?
All the European, American and Asian empires should just leave us Pacific Island residents alone already! Stop using our lands as "bargaining chips" and "targets" over your rivalries. Leave us out of it !
----------------
For all those US military troops stationed in the Pacific Islands, this isn't personal against you! You joined to defend your country, but you're being pimped by your government! Your government is pimping you to be involved in foreign disputes that your government shouldn't be involved in!
Now, some of you probably fell in love with our islands while being stationed here. If it was up to me, a newly independent Hawaii and a newly independent Guam would invite you to join our military, under the condition that you follow OUR rules and you defend OUR interests!
============
You can learn more by checking out this editorial by the Hawaii Independent
The Hawaii Independent. “Rather than keep us safe, U.S. militarism puts HawaiÊ»i in the crosshairs.” June 1, 2017.
http://hawaiiindependent.net/story/rather-than-keep-us-safe-u.s.-militarism-puts-hawaii-in-the-crosshairs
They're now giving warnings that they will launch missiles towards Guam, a small island in the western Pacific that also happens to be a US territory, and therefore a host to US military bases.
Now Donald Trump is threatening North Korea with "fire, fury and frankly power the likes of which this world has never seen before."
Meanwhile, the US military is also beefing up their missile defense systems to protect their bases in Hawaii as well.
Being in Hawaii, I can definitely feel the nervousness about North Korea's threats.
If Trump wants to attack North Korea, he better destroy all their military facilities fast, because North Korea will use everyone it got! After the first attack, North Korea will launch every single long-range missile in its arsenal!
In that scenario, Guam and Hawaii are screwed, even if the US wins!
But at the same time, we have to ask the tough questions.
Would North Korea be threatening Guam or Hawaii if they were independent nations?
After all, North Korea isn't threatening Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands or Papua New Guinea!
That's because they're independent nations that aren't hosting US or European military bases!
This isn't Blame America First, it's just an observation of facts!
Let's be real about this, the US took control of Hawaii and Guam not for the benefit of their people, but to use their lands as military launching pads towards Asia.
But why? Why do the US need a military launching pad towards Asia? Why can't the US learn to mind its own business!
If poverty-stricken North Korea can build nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, why can't "economic miracles" South Korea, Japan and Taiwan do the same!
If North Korea can scare Big Bad USA with its long-range nukes, why can't Taiwan do the same to China?
Meanwhile, it is the USA that abused the Marshall Islands by forcing their people off their islands and using those islands as nuclear testing sites.
That's right, it wasn't North Korea, China or Russia that abused the Marshall Islands with nuclear testing.
Meanwhile, the radiation has caused so much medical problems to the Marshallese people, that many of them come to Hawaii to get their medical needs taken care. Sadly, those people face racist abuse in Hawaii after all they've been through!
Many in Hawaii and Guam are reluctant to become independent partly because of the addiction to "federal funds", when much of that money has been taken away from us as federal taxes. Why should we pay money to the US federal government (where senators and reps from other states argue over what to do with it) when we can be independent, we keep our tax revenues here and we tell ourselves what to do with it!
But even a bigger factor of why many in Hawaii and Guam are reluctant to be independent is because of the trauma of World War 2.
At the time, much of the world was under the rule of European empires, and Japan wanted its own empire.
Therefore, Japan attacked US territories in the Pacific!
But we're not living in 1941 anymore!
I doubt North Korea has any interest in conquering the entire Pacific! They're only threatening Pacific Islands that host US military bases! They're not threatening independent Pacific Island nations! China hasn't even threatened the other Pacific Islands either!
Guam and Hawaii needs to be defended, but we should stop being used as US military launching pads towards Asia!
Guam and Hawaii needs to be defended, but we should stop being sitting ducks targeted for retaliation over someone else's rivalries!
Guam and Hawaii should be independent, and collaborate with other Pacific Islands in establishing a military defense system.
Guam, Hawaii and the other Pacific Islands should collaborate in establishing a naval system designed purely for self-defense purposes.
Guam, Hawaii and the other Pacific Islands should collaborate in establishing a missile defense system to protect ourselves.
Guam, Hawaii and the other Pacific Islands should collaborate in establishing an air force designed purely to defend our skies!
If other places can do it, why not us? Why beg for a faraway empire to do it for us, when we should do it ourselves?
All the European, American and Asian empires should just leave us Pacific Island residents alone already! Stop using our lands as "bargaining chips" and "targets" over your rivalries. Leave us out of it !
----------------
For all those US military troops stationed in the Pacific Islands, this isn't personal against you! You joined to defend your country, but you're being pimped by your government! Your government is pimping you to be involved in foreign disputes that your government shouldn't be involved in!
Now, some of you probably fell in love with our islands while being stationed here. If it was up to me, a newly independent Hawaii and a newly independent Guam would invite you to join our military, under the condition that you follow OUR rules and you defend OUR interests!
============
You can learn more by checking out this editorial by the Hawaii Independent
The Hawaii Independent. “Rather than keep us safe, U.S. militarism puts HawaiÊ»i in the crosshairs.” June 1, 2017.
http://hawaiiindependent.net/story/rather-than-keep-us-safe-u.s.-militarism-puts-hawaii-in-the-crosshairs
Learn Your Geography (part 2)
(note: you can see part 1 at http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2014/10/learn-your-geography.html)
Some kids say "why we gotta learn geography, when are we going to need that information?"
They assume that if their parents don't use geographic information in their jobs everyday, then they don't need to pay attention during geography lessons.
But there's more to life than just knowing things related to the everyday duties of your specific job!
Your everyday reality is affected by what's going on in other places.
For example, Donald Trump is threatening to go to war with North Korea.
Yet, a bunch of people from the United States can't even locate North Korea on a map
When your country is about to go to war with another country, YOU BETTER KNOW WHERE IT IS?
But more importantly, if you might be sent to fight (and get killed, or at least amputated), you need to know why you're being sent there! There's a context to the situation, wars don't just pop out of nowhere, there's a reason for it!
And it's not just about wars!
Even for peaceful things like trade, you need to know about it!
If those people can't find North Korea on a map, then they can't find South Korea on a map!
South Korea, where all the SamSung products, as well as Hyundai and Kia cars come from! (and yes, K-Pop and Gangnam Style too)
Could you at least have some interest in where the products you or your peers are using come from?
-------------------
Knowing geography can also help you learn where the recent immigrants are coming from!
It can also help you understand their situations better.
I mean, why wouldn't you want information that can help you understand the people around you better?
It's embarrassing that many people in Hawaii ( a group of PACIFIC ISLANDS) know almost nothing about OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDS, some of them sources of new immigrants.
If you took the time to learn about other Pacific Islands, you would be more understanding about their situations.
I mean I actually heard people in Hawaii assume that Samoa and Micronesia are in the same part of the Pacific Ocean.
What?
The plane going from Hawaii to Samoa is going a different direction than a plane going from Hawaii to Micronesia.
And to hear people not know there are different island, cultural and language groups within what is Micronesia? Those people actually assume they all speak the same language?
Those islands maybe small (that's why the Europeans called those islands "micro", a Greek term for "small", which unfortunately has become a racial slur used against people from those islands), but they are spread out over a large area, of course that would make a difference in the cultural and linguistic evolution of the people of the islands!
All this is EASILY AVAILABLE INFORMATION!
I remember reading about this from encyclopedias and looking at atlases when I was a kid, ...................which was a few years BEFORE the internet became available to the masses.
But now we have smartphone, which gives you access to the information about the world that can fit into your pocket, but yet people don't even want to learn basic geography?
Come on people!
I'm not expecting everyone to learn every small town and every small pond that exist!
But at least know the continents, countries and major cities!
And if you hear a country's name being mentioned on the news .........LOOK IT UP!
You can do that! So let's do that!
Some kids say "why we gotta learn geography, when are we going to need that information?"
They assume that if their parents don't use geographic information in their jobs everyday, then they don't need to pay attention during geography lessons.
But there's more to life than just knowing things related to the everyday duties of your specific job!
Your everyday reality is affected by what's going on in other places.
For example, Donald Trump is threatening to go to war with North Korea.
Yet, a bunch of people from the United States can't even locate North Korea on a map
Jimmy Kimmel Live
"How Many Americans Know Where North Korea Is?"
When your country is about to go to war with another country, YOU BETTER KNOW WHERE IT IS?
But more importantly, if you might be sent to fight (and get killed, or at least amputated), you need to know why you're being sent there! There's a context to the situation, wars don't just pop out of nowhere, there's a reason for it!
And it's not just about wars!
Even for peaceful things like trade, you need to know about it!
If those people can't find North Korea on a map, then they can't find South Korea on a map!
South Korea, where all the SamSung products, as well as Hyundai and Kia cars come from! (and yes, K-Pop and Gangnam Style too)
Could you at least have some interest in where the products you or your peers are using come from?
-------------------
Knowing geography can also help you learn where the recent immigrants are coming from!
It can also help you understand their situations better.
I mean, why wouldn't you want information that can help you understand the people around you better?
It's embarrassing that many people in Hawaii ( a group of PACIFIC ISLANDS) know almost nothing about OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDS, some of them sources of new immigrants.
If you took the time to learn about other Pacific Islands, you would be more understanding about their situations.
I mean I actually heard people in Hawaii assume that Samoa and Micronesia are in the same part of the Pacific Ocean.
What?
The plane going from Hawaii to Samoa is going a different direction than a plane going from Hawaii to Micronesia.
And to hear people not know there are different island, cultural and language groups within what is Micronesia? Those people actually assume they all speak the same language?
Those islands maybe small (that's why the Europeans called those islands "micro", a Greek term for "small", which unfortunately has become a racial slur used against people from those islands), but they are spread out over a large area, of course that would make a difference in the cultural and linguistic evolution of the people of the islands!
All this is EASILY AVAILABLE INFORMATION!
I remember reading about this from encyclopedias and looking at atlases when I was a kid, ...................which was a few years BEFORE the internet became available to the masses.
But now we have smartphone, which gives you access to the information about the world that can fit into your pocket, but yet people don't even want to learn basic geography?
Come on people!
I'm not expecting everyone to learn every small town and every small pond that exist!
But at least know the continents, countries and major cities!
And if you hear a country's name being mentioned on the news .........LOOK IT UP!
You can do that! So let's do that!
Tuesday, August 01, 2017
Chester Bennington
Another rock legend died this year.
This time it's Chester Bennington, the lead singer for Linkin Park.
Linkin Park was known for combining the nu-metal sounds with the rap vocals of Mike Shinoda and the angst-ridden singing vocals of Chester Bennington.
Linkin Park came to fame in the early 2000s, a time when the nu metal and rap-metal ruled the world of rock. Limp Bizkit, Korn and Kid Rock were the kings of rock of that era! Other bands that were popular at the time included (but definitely not limited to) Disturbed, POD, Papa Roach, Staind, Evanescence, Rammstein and Slipknot!
However, with all due to respect to those bands, Linkin Park became the most popular band of them all!
Whereas the other bands either faded or disbanded, Linkin Park continued to succeed into the following decade.
While their base was nu metal and rap-metal, they weren't limited to that. They had albums with more electronic and alternative rock sounds.
While metal tends to appeal to a more macho crowd, Chester Bennington's singing expressions of vulnerability allowed the band to cross over to a less macho crowd, making them the spokespersons of vulnerable youth who might be outcasted by their peers or their family. It was also balanced by Mike Shinoda's rapping vocals which gave the band an appeal to the hip-hop crowd.
The band also collaborated with rap mega-star Jay-Z, giving them an increasing appeal to the hip-hop crowd.
Linkin Park had their first hit album Hybrid Theory in 2000.
Their 1st major single was "One Step Closer" which is about one person who can only take so much crap and just can't hold in his anger anymore
Here's the 2nd single "Crawling", about emotional pain
Here's "In the End", which you can hear more of Mike Shinoda's rapping vocals.
This time it's Chester Bennington, the lead singer for Linkin Park.
photo by Stefan Brending for Festival Summer
Wikimedia
Chester Bennington
Linkin Park was known for combining the nu-metal sounds with the rap vocals of Mike Shinoda and the angst-ridden singing vocals of Chester Bennington.
Linkin Park came to fame in the early 2000s, a time when the nu metal and rap-metal ruled the world of rock. Limp Bizkit, Korn and Kid Rock were the kings of rock of that era! Other bands that were popular at the time included (but definitely not limited to) Disturbed, POD, Papa Roach, Staind, Evanescence, Rammstein and Slipknot!
However, with all due to respect to those bands, Linkin Park became the most popular band of them all!
Whereas the other bands either faded or disbanded, Linkin Park continued to succeed into the following decade.
While their base was nu metal and rap-metal, they weren't limited to that. They had albums with more electronic and alternative rock sounds.
While metal tends to appeal to a more macho crowd, Chester Bennington's singing expressions of vulnerability allowed the band to cross over to a less macho crowd, making them the spokespersons of vulnerable youth who might be outcasted by their peers or their family. It was also balanced by Mike Shinoda's rapping vocals which gave the band an appeal to the hip-hop crowd.
The band also collaborated with rap mega-star Jay-Z, giving them an increasing appeal to the hip-hop crowd.
Linkin Park had their first hit album Hybrid Theory in 2000.
Their 1st major single was "One Step Closer" which is about one person who can only take so much crap and just can't hold in his anger anymore
"One Step Closer"
Here's the 2nd single "Crawling", about emotional pain
"Crawling"
Here's "In the End", which you can hear more of Mike Shinoda's rapping vocals.
"In the End"
-----------------
Linkin Park continued their success with their 2nd album Meteora, with the hit songs "Numb" and "Somewhere I Belong".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsCD5XCu6CM
"Somewhere I Belong"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYiU_JCYtU
"Numb"
and of course, the remix with Jay-Z
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNPECkESPbU
Linkin Park w/Jay-Z
"Numb/Encore"
========================================
However, even with all those hit records and sell-out concerts, Chester Bennington was suffering from depression.
He suffered from sexual abuse, physical bullying and a family breakdown when he was growing up.
He eventually developed a drug addiction.
His music spoke to the pain of millions of youth!
As we learned from Robin Williams, all the success and money will NOT erase personal traumas.
Money and therapists can only do so much!
Even with money and success, a person can only take so much suffering.
On July 20, 2017, Chester Bennington was found dead by hanging. It was assumed to be a suicide.
====================
PS: check out my blog post on Robin Williams and depression
http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2014/08/robin-williams-and-depression.html
However, even with all those hit records and sell-out concerts, Chester Bennington was suffering from depression.
He suffered from sexual abuse, physical bullying and a family breakdown when he was growing up.
He eventually developed a drug addiction.
His music spoke to the pain of millions of youth!
As we learned from Robin Williams, all the success and money will NOT erase personal traumas.
Money and therapists can only do so much!
Even with money and success, a person can only take so much suffering.
On July 20, 2017, Chester Bennington was found dead by hanging. It was assumed to be a suicide.
====================
PS: check out my blog post on Robin Williams and depression
http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2014/08/robin-williams-and-depression.html
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