So much drama this year! A crazy election where a crazy businessman whose campaign opening statement was an appeal to racist won an election! A year where so many celebrities passed away!
So many things!
But what about my personal life?
1) search for work opportunities
At the end of 2015, I graduated from UH-Manoa with a Master's degree in Library and Information Science (LIS).
So it was time for me to search for library-related job opportunities.
My major goal is to stay where I'm at in urban Honolulu! I refuse to be away from the urban Honolulu lifestyle that I love so much! So I just look for jobs that can accommodate that!
I applied for a few library-related jobs in urban Honolulu. So far, nobody hired me yet.
A few others who graduated the same time, as well as this past Spring have run into the same problem.
However, a few positions opened up this month and I sent a few cover letters and resumes!
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So yes, I'm still working as a substitute teacher. An adventurous job that pays well per work-day. The problem is the available work-days are totally non-existent during summer & winter vacation!
So, this summer, I applied with a temporary work agency. The temp agency sent me to a printing facility that publishes the ballots used in the state elections.
At that facility, I was inspecting ballots for errors, as well as folding & moving boxes. For a while, they had me passing wrapped ballots that came out of the shrink-wrapping machine. But as soon as a new guy came in around the same time I took the day off (for a library job that somebody else got hired for), I was back to inspecting ballots for errors, which was my favorite activity there! At workplaces, it takes a while for the managers to figure out who best fits with what tasks. They eventually figured I was best at inspecting ballots for errors, and I trained a few.
That was just for the Primary Election. The printings & inspections were done in June & July, so that the ballots were ready for Primary Election Day in August.
I was asked by the temporary worker agency if I wanted to do the same job in preparation for the General Election. I declined mostly because
- the pay for the job was so low
- the school year was back in session and
- I make more money as a substitute teacher than as a ballot inspector
So I could make more money as a sub teacher in the daytime. I was also asked if I could do part-time night shift.
The problem was it was circa 5pm-11pm. Waiting at the bus stop to go home after 11am? That would mean a long wait in an area that is dangerous at night, plus, those buses don't go directly to my neighborhood so I would have to transfer which means more waiting. So it was Thanks but No Thanks!
I occasionally contact the temporary work agency if I'm available for the week. We'll see how that goes.
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Talking about elections, I was also working on Election Day as a precinct official!
Primary Election was chill!
General Election was BUSY! I saw way more people at the voting precinct than I ever seen in past elections.
I was the guy standing by the machine that accepts ballots. A usually easy job ..........usually!
But on General Election Day, that machine broke down, so we had to pile the ballots on the side, which got more complaints about ballots being placed out in the open. It took a while before I figured that I should put a lid over those ballots, while the TV news crew were there! They didn't report that I placed a lid over those ballots even though I explained it to them! But they did show an angry woman who claimed that the uncovered ballots was a sign of "corruption".
A few hours later, the machine was fixed and the problem was over!
But long lines persisted.
Here in Hawaii, the state voted mostly for Hillary Clinton. My precinct was near the university, and university communities tend to be ultra-liberal. Guaranteed the fear of Donald Trump motivated the turnout there!
2) Music biz
This year started with an identity crisis, in which I figured out what should be my stage name
http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2016/01/identity-crisis-nickname-edition.html
http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2016/01/identity-crisis-trademark-edition.html
http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2016/01/identity-crisis-solved-for-now.html
I then declared myself Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior
I then announced that I am now a professional digital musician.
http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2016/03/im-now-professional-musician.html
Earlier this week, I had a blog post "One step closer to be a professional musician!"
http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2016/03/one-step-closer-to-be-professional.html
My entrepreneurial dreams are being realized. I have become a digital musician and independent contractor.
Now, Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior finally has some music for sale!
As mentioned in the blog post, I chose CD Baby as my distributor!
I started out selling 4 stand-alone instrumental singles:
- Jam with the Arp Stab
- Spaceship Track
- Real Buzzer Industries
- Wouw Islandbell
Then I decided to sell my debut album: Urban Honolulu Jams: an instrumental album
The album is called "Urban Honolulu Jams: an instrumental album"==============
copyright: Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrioralbum cover art
Here is the theme for "Urban Honolulu Jams: an instrumental album"
Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior grew up in urban Honolulu in the 80s & 90s listening to lots of West Coast hip-hop, which sampled many funk jams of the of 70s & 80s.With digital technology, Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior has created some instrumental funk jams with an air of nostalgia!These instrumental jams are perfect for any fun activity in urban Honolulu, whether it's riding in your car/bike, going out clubbing or throwing a house party!
Now I'm working on my next album! I already chose the songs. I already started working on my album submission to my distributor (CD Baby!)
I just have to start working on the album's cover art!
This album will be a collection of electronic music instrumentals with elements of chiptunes, dubstep and more!
The theme and title of the album will be announced soon!
But it should be available for sale before the end of January
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As for being a professional musician, I announced it on March, but only this month did I finally get a small payment for my tracks.
today's facebook announcement
I finally got a small payment for my music :)
Not enough to pay the rent, but I'm happy to at least have some revenue coming in. Most of it is Sync Licensing revenue, and some of it streaming revenue!
How it works is that CD Baby collects revenue from streaming, downloads, CD sales, publishing revenue and licensing revenue! CD Baby takes their small cut of the revenue, and there's my cut! Once my cut is above a certain number, CD Baby sends me a payment! So that was why it took 9 months since I first applied with them to be my distributor.
With another album on the way, more payments should be coming in 2017!
3) other personal stuff
I continue to be a major commentator, whether it's through
- this blog,
- my YouTube speeches (check out my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIwtFhYqlhZBa5r2e6sopBQ)
- my facebook posts
I have been making waves in the world of ideas, with my blog gaining readers towards the end of this year
screenshot from my Blogger dashboard
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I think the most radical change in my commentary world is my post-election declaration that I want to Make Hawaii Independent Again!
I was already leaning that way due to my frustration with the Jones Act (plus solidarity with all the indigenous peoples of the Pacific), but Donald Trump's election just confirmed that I should stand my ground for Hawaii's independence.
I first announced it on YouTube speeches
Video 1: it's time: Hawaii should become independent after Trump election
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGwunh5km4k
Video 2: Hawaii independence (nothing personal against the USA)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14clKuEmC0k
Then I made a facebook page for Make Hawaii Independent Again : https://www.facebook.com/MakeHawaiiIndependentAgain/
and these blog posts
http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2016/11/its-time-for-hawaii-to-declare.html
http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-petition-to-make-hawaii-independent.html
http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2016/12/my-letter-to-newspaper-hawaii.html
Obviously, these all got criticisms. Any requests or demand for change will be criticized. People are uncomfortable with change, especially when it comes to ending dependency on a world super-power!
I've long been a USA patriot but my biggest loyalty is to Hawaii. I think it's time for Hawaii to move on. It's time for USA and Hawaii to look at each other as equals instead of master-subordinate!
It's time for Hawaii to stop being dependent on the mercy of Ohio & Florida voters!
It's time for Hawaii to control all its tax revenues!
It's time for Hawaii to stop living under laws made 4000 miles away by people who never been here!
It's time for Hawaii to gain more access to international trade, and reduce our economic dependency on the USA!
It's time for Hawaii to join the sibling-hood of nations again!
It's time for Hawaii to take the lead as the example of small island nations that can do great things!
I love a lot about the USA, but my loyalty is to Hawaii first!
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I've long said I'm not on Twitter.
This year, I set up a Twitter account. https://twitter.com/PabloTheMdTgrWr
But I still use facebook way more often than Twitter!
I just use Twitter to promote my music and blogs!
Facebook is where most of my interactions with my social connections take place.
This blog is still where you can get the most in-depth glimpse of my thought process!
I still think 140 characters are way too limiting, so don't expect me to be a major force on Twitter.
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4) non-personal stuff
I'm so happy that the UH football team got a new coach with Nick Rolovich!
He allowed the UH footballers to have their long hair again, after Norm Chow banned them!
Now the Warrior spirit is back on the team.
The team struggled with road trips to Australia (to play Cal), Michigan and Arizona, but was able to beat conference rivals Air Force, Nevada (Reno), San Jose State and Fresno State.
They had an average season, but even average was an upgrade from Norm Chow's reign of error. Now that we have so many bowl games, even average is good enough to play in the bowl game.
In the Hawaii Bowl, UH beat Middle Tennessee State. UH ends the season with momentum, which can help with recruiting as well as morale for the upcoming spring training and August's training camp!
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Well, anyways 2016 is coming to an end. It's time for me to end this blog and be ready for 2017!
