The Offended Chronicles

 (note: this blog post is a satire of someone who said I was "offended" by his blog post! Actually, I laughed at his attempts to prove that he wasn't traumatized by my exposé of his hypocrisy!  As if posting pictures taken before he got traumatized proves that he wasn't traumatized! Ha!)

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Hey everybody, you want to show everyone that you're not really traumatized and offended?

Just post some pictures from the time before you got traumatized & offended?

After all, if you have some happy pics from 2009, that's all you need to prove that nothing in 2013 has ever traumatized you!

That's how it works!

So this year (or maybe next year), now that we're getting closer to herd immunity, take some happy pics! Take pics of friends, reunions & vacations!

That way, in case somebody traumatizes or offends you in the year 2027, you can use this year's happy pics (or from the years before) to prove to the world that you haven't been traumatized or offended! 

Here are the many pics from all these years I was offended and traumatized  😉 

* (note: only 1 of those photos were taken after the coronavirus crisis started: I'll let you figure out which one it is)

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And in case this blog post offended or traumatized you, get help, and click on this link

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2021/03/happy-pics-dont-erase-fact-youre.html

and click here too, I'm giving him what he wants! 

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(PS: yes, we all get traumatized and offended for real. It happens to me, you, and everyone else. This post is just a satire of someone who tells me "let it go, don't let it get to you" when I wrote about hurtful experiences but acts the 100% pure total opposite of what he preached to me when his feelings get hurt!  If he actually practiced what he preaches, he wouldn't have responded to any of my blog posts!) 

PS#2: If he practiced what he preached, he would've ignored this post, and acted like this post didn't exist!  He can't handle the taste of his own medicine! Oh well! 

PS #3: I rarely tell people to set more realistic goals, but those who want to be more hypocritical than that guy need to set more realistic goals. 

Colt Brennan (1983-2021)

 Colt Brennan was a star quarterback for the University of Hawaii back in 2005-2007 when the program was at its peak!

https://www.diamondheadphotography.com/life.html

Colt Brennan

After his success at the college level, his life went downhill as he struggled in the NFL, and then was injured in a car accident, and had several drug-related arrests.

And then on May 11 of this year, Colt Brennan died at the age of 37. He was found unconscious a few days earlier at a drug rehab facility.

----

Colt Brennan grew up in what many assume would be a path to any easy life. He was raised in the luxurious Orange County. He attended a private school where he was a backup to a future Heisman winner Matt Leinart. He was recruited to play for the University of Colorado.

It was at Colorado where his path to glory hit a major roadblock.  He was accused of entering a female student's dorm room without permission and sexually assaulting her. This was in Feburary 2004.

http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_13056301 (note: even though the website said the article was from 2009, I had a printed copy of the article that stated it was originally published on 02/03/2004) 

A University of Colorado football player was arrested Monday after police said he barged into a female student’s dorm room and forced himself on her.

Colt Brennan, 20, faces possible felony burglary charges and misdemeanor charges of unlawful sexual contact and false imprisonment following an incident just after midnight Wednesday in Farrand Hall.

The redshirt freshman quarterback was dismissed from the team Friday after a meeting about the allegations with coach Gary Barnett.

Brennan walked into the woman’s room uninvited with an erect penis showing out of his pants, lay on her bed and told her: “Come here, let’s play,” according to an arrest report.

Brennan was visibly drunk, the woman told police, and he tried to get her to touch him. She declined and told him to leave, but he didn’t and instead pushed her to the bed and began fondling her under her clothes, the report said.

The woman told police she could not move him off of her because he was “too big and too strong.” Then a friend of the woman’s walked in, and she was able to escape, the report said.

Brennan told police he drank about six or seven beers before visiting the woman’s room. He said he knocked, and entered when she said to, police reported.

He denied touching her but admitted to having his penis exposed for “several seconds,” the report said.

Brennan told authorities he was embarrassed about the whole thing, and that was why he began leaving notes and phone messages for the woman asking why the police had to get involved.

Brennan arrived at the Boulder County Jail on Monday afternoon with his father to be booked. His bond will be set today at a 2 p.m. hearing.

Brennan was later convicted of trespassing but acquitted of sexual assault. He was given a light sentence of a week in jail and 3 years on probation. But the damage was done. He was expelled from the University of Colorado, and it seemed that his football career was over.  However, Saddleback College (a community college in California) was willing to give him a second chance and he enrolled for a year & played for the team.

While watching a video of another player on the Saddleback's team, the University of Hawaii's coaches were fascinated by what they saw from Colt Brennan! 

Hawaii's then-football coach June Jones already had a reputation for revitalizing the football program, coaching a pass-happy offense as well as giving second chances to players with a troubling past. He already had success with Pisa Tinoisamoa, a linebacker with an assault conviction from high school! At the same time Jones was recruiting Brennan, he was also recruiting Davone Bess who was convicted of theft right after graduating high school.  Jones defended his choices to recruit those players in the name of social justice and rehabilitating young men who could use a second chance.

Though to be real, no team in the #metoo era would want someone with allegations that Colt Brennan had. 

Colt Brennan had a lot to prove on and off the field when he joined the UH team in 2005.  The previous year's QB, Timmy Chang, just graduated! The starting position was up for grabs. But more importantly, Colt Brennan needed to prove that his second chance wasn't wasted on him.  This was magnified by the fact that this would be the first time in his life where he was a minority. In Hawaii, European-Americans from the continent have to really put in the effort to earn the trust of the local people! He can't mess it up by being a cocky privileged brat!

In the years he played for UH, he earned that trust! He gave credit to his teammates for his success! He learned the Polynesian culture. He spoke at juvenile detention facilities to tell his story of his troubled past. He signed autographs without hesitation. 

While his 2005 season ended with a losing record (5-7), the 2006 season was a major success with an 11-3 record and a bowl game victory. Brennan was already being looked at as one of the top college QBs in the nation. There was even talk of NFL potential. There were rumors of him leaving college early for the chance to go pro.

Decisions, decisions. Does he leave early and take the money? Or does he stay for the chance to really do something special for Hawaii, like maybe go undefeated?

At a press conference, Brennan stated he will stay one more year at UH! He stated that he liked the person he was becoming in Hawaii. That statement really earned the trust and love of the local people!  He was no longer the bad boy with the sketchy reputation from Colorado, he is now the humble soul who was transformed by his time in Hawaii. 

He was the most popular guy on the islands. A lot of people wore his #15 jersey! He was hounded for autographs, even to the point where people were on campus waiting for him to leave class to beg for autographs.

The 2007 season was a very legendary time. The team went undefeated in the regular season, 12-0. The team was ready to be considered one of the big boys!

It was only 9 years earlier when UH went 0-12! Now, we're 12-0.   We were ready to go to the next level, ready to be seen on the same level as Alabama, Ohio State, & Southern Cal. It was in the previous year (2006) when the once no-name Boise State shocked the world by defeating Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. Hawaii felt they were ready to do the same thing.

Hawaii was placed in the Sugar Bowl to play against Georgia. The excitement was in the air. We were about to make history!  We were about to really earn the respect from the continent.

But it was not meant to be.  Georgia's defense was too tough and too fast.  Colt Brennan was sacked multiple times to the point where he was too shook to be effective. He was taken out of the game. Georgia won 41-14. It wasn't even close.  So much for Hawaii being one of the big boys of college football. A sad ending for what otherwise was a legendary college career for Colt Brennan.

Brennan had his chance to play in the NFL. He was drafted by what was then called the Washington Redskins. He did OK in the preseason but remained a backup without playing time in the regular season. He also had a hip injury.  He was later cut from the team. He did spend some time with the then Oakland Raiders, but that didn't last long. His NFL career was a bust. 

In 2010, Colt Brennan was in a car accident on Hawaii's Big Island. His then-girlfriend was driving and crashed into another car. Brennan broke a few bones, got a concussion and blood clots. 

Brennan still tried out for football's minor leagues, but couldn't pass the physical exams. He had to face the reality that his football-playing career is over.

However, Brennan was still involved in the game, this time as an assistant coach for high school football teams. He changed schools over the years, but the most well-known he was coaching at was Kahuku High School.

Sadly, he went back to getting in trouble with the law for various DUI incidents as well as causing a drunken disturbance at a hotel.  Brennan has lost the trust & patience of Hawaii's people with all these incidents.

I even posted the following on Facebook after yet another DUI incident 

Pablo Wegesend

December 11, 2019  · Shared via AddThis  · 

Shared with Your friends

Some people never learn! He's been getting DUI's many times already! We need to stop making excuses for him! Yes, he boosted Hawaii's spirits back when he was playing for UH, I've watched him play at the stadium and on TV. Those were fun times. But that was a decade ago! He's in his 30's, he needs to grow up already! He also needs to get a bus pass!

Brennan did attempt to deal with his drug & alcohol addictions by going in & out of rehab. It was in the last few days of his life when he was hospitalized for what was believed to be an overdose of fentanyl.

It was a tragic downfall for someone who at one point was on top of the world. I mean, what could be better than to be a star player in a tropical paradise with thousands cheering you on in the stadium,  people wearing your number, and women coming up to him for selfies (I seen it happen at his college graduation, despite the allegations at Colorado).  He was ready to go pro hoping to be the next Tom Brady.

But it wasn't meant to be! 

We all face adversity. We all have to face the harsh reality after the times we felt on top of the world.

Brennan's life story is a cautionary tale, something we should share with the next generation. Many kids grow up with dreams of athletic stardom, some might even have moments of glory in the bright lights on game nights. However, not everyone makes it to the big time. But even the ones that do face their own struggles with real-life situations that no amount of stardom can erase. Even worse, many make stupid decisions in the heat of the moment that can have heavy consequences that last long after the game is over!

It is important that we teach the next generation that yes, you may pursue your passions, but you also have to take care of business, whether that means taking education seriously, refusing to take drugs/alcohol, and respecting other's boundaries. And most importantly, remain humble.

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articles on Colt Brennan

Articles published during his playing career

Pete Thamel, “After Brush with Law, Hawaii’s Brennan Seeks Redemption,” New York Times, August 26, 2007,    https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/sports/ncaafootball/24colt.html.

(note: articles from Honolulu's main 2 newspapers of the era Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star-Bulletin are nearly impossible to access online due to the merger between the papers in 2010. I did print some articles back in those days so I still have access to the information presented, I just can't link to it here)

(note: you may also want to check out the book "Hawaii Warrior Football: A Story of Faith, Hope and Redemption" by J. David Miller. The book was written when Colt Brennan was playing for UH, and there were chapters that focused on him)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2073395.Hawaii_Warrior_Football

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Articles after his death

Stephen Tsai, “Star University of Hawaii Quarterback Colt Brennan Embodied Aloha,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, May 12, 2021,    https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/05/12/hawaii-news/star-uh-quarterback-colt-brennan-embodied-aloha/.

Stephen Tsai, “When Colt Brennan Said No to the Nfl and Yes to Returning to Hawaii Football Team, It Started an Unprecedented Mania,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, May 12, 2021, https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/05/12/sports/when-colt-brennan-said-no-to-the-nfl-and-yes-to-returning-to-the-hawaii-football-team-it-started-a-mania-that-the-program-had-not-experienced-before/.

Maria Cramer, “Colt Brennan, Former University of Hawaii Star Quarterback, Dies at 37,” New York Times, May 12, 2021,    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/12/sports/ncaafootball/colt-brennan-death.html.

“Ex-Hawai'i Record-Setting Qb Colt Brennan Dead at 37,” ESPN, May 11, 2021,    https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/31427087/ex-hawaii-record-setting-qb-colt-brennan-dead-37.

Mark Schlabach, “How Colt Brennan Helped Put Hawaii Football On the National Map,” ESPN, May 13, 2021,                                                                        https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/31435607/how-colt-brennan-helped-put-hawaii-football-national-map.

Manolo Morales, “Colt Brennan’s Troubles Started After Car Crash On Hawaii Island,” KHON, May 11, 2021,                                                                     https://www.khon2.com/local-news/colt-brennans-troubles-started-after-car-crash-on-hawaii-island.

“Ex-NFL QB Colt Brennan Dead at 37, Found Unconscious at Rehab Facility,” TMZ, May 11, 2021,  https://www.tmz.com/2021/05/11/2006-heisman-finalist-colt-brennan-dead-at-37-hawaii-football-legend/.

Eric Stinton, “The Dangers of Hawaii's Warrior Spirit,” Honolulu Civil Beat, May 17, 2021, https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/05/eric-stinton-the-dangers-of-hawaiis-warrior-spirit/.

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Articles on Brenna's trouble with the law after his playing career was over

Leila Fujimori, “Former University of Hawaii Quarterback Colt Brennan Arrested On Suspicion of Dui,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, December 11, 2019, https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/12/11/hawaii-news/former-university-of-hawaii-quarterback-colt-brennan-arrested-on-suspicion-of-dui/.

John Burnett, “‘Extremely Intoxicated’ Brennan Arrested Again,” Hawaii Tribune-Herald, November 23, 2020, https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2020/11/23/hawaii-news/extremely-intoxicated-brennan-arrested-again/.

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A video tribute to Colt Brennan from KHON2 News, titled  "Colt Brennan allowed Hawaii to dream big"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGcR4OAmqDA

also this: 

"Hawaii teammates recall Brennan's greatness, kindness"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAfgvql-WPQ

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And of course, here are some of my blog posts that mentioned Colt Brennan

blog posts from the era

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2007/12/hawaii-warriors-triumph.html

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2008/01/thoughts-on-sugar-bowl-and-uh-athletics.html

(note: this one about college athletes not getting paid, and I mentioned about how so many people wore Colt Brennan's #15 jersey and he didn't get paid for it.)  https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2012/08/let-college-athletes-get-paid.html

coming soon

 I plan to blog about the following in the near future

• Colt Brennan's death
• this school year that's about to end being my first since 2005 that I didn't work in the school system
• maybe some other things too

The Latin, the o, the a, the e, the @ and the x

(note: I took Spanish classes but being that I don't live in a Spanish-speaking environment, I never gained fluency.  Don't let my first name fool you)

image from 

https://holaamericanews.com/what-does-latinx-mean/

In the Spanish language, something male usually ends with the letter o, and something female usually ends with the letter a

For example:

• maestro (male teacher), maestra (female teacher)
• bombero (male firefighter), bombera (female firefighter)
• tío (uncle), tía (auntie)

Though some words are just gender-neutral, for example

• cantante (singer of any gender)
• presidente (president of any gender)

Plural can be -as(female), -os(male), for example

• bibliotecarios (plural for male librarians)
• bibliotecarias (plural for female librarians)

It gets tricky when it's a mixed-gender group. Traditionally, if it's a mixed-gender (even when females outnumber males), it still goes with the male ending. For example

• empresarios (group of business owners, whether it's all-male, or mixed gender)
• empresarias (group of all female business owners)

This has gotten many to take a hard look at the grammar of the Spanish language from many Spanish-speaking people in recent decades.

For example, here's an article about activists in Argentina calling for the use of more gender-neutral terms

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2019/12/05/teens-argentina-are-leading-charge-gender-neutral-language/?arc404=true

In their situation, the activist call for the replacing the "o" and "a" with an "e", for example

In Spanish, a language in which all nouns are assigned a gender, the word for soldiers is masculine: “Los soldados de Perón.

The lyrics Mira sang were different: “Les soldades.

To most Spanish speakers, the “e” in both words would sound jarring — and grammatically incorrect.

But here, teenagers are rewriting the rules of the language to eliminate gender. In classrooms and daily conversations, young people are changing the way they speak and write — replacing the masculine “o” or the feminine “a” with the gender-neutral “e” in certain words — in order to change what they see as a deeply gendered culture.

and also this

Not quite two years ago, Mira was scrolling through Facebook when she came across a post that struck her. A friend had written it replacing the “o” and the “a” with the “e” in words referring to groups of people.

The concept of a gender-neutral form of Spanish wasn’t new to Mira. She was familiar with the use of the “x” in written words, as in the now commonly used “Latinx.” She’d seen other examples too — symbols such as @ and æ for gender-neutral vowels.

But this new variation seemed like the most practical way to break with a system so patriarchal that plural words default to male. The gender-neutral “e” is not only more inclusive of non-binary identities, Mira says, it is also a powerfully symbolic way to protest the entire structure of the language. 

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Back in the USA, people of Latin American ancestry are usually called Hispanic (for Spanish-speaking countries, but this would leave out Brazil which speaks Portuguese) or "Latinos" (which includes those from Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries.

Male of Latin-American ancestry = Latino

Female of Latin-American ancestry = Latina

But people of Latin-American ancestry are usually called "Latinos"

So the o (the male alphabet) gets the emphasis, which is admittedly unfair.

So the temporary solution for gender inclusivity among US-based activist was the use the @ symbol for mixed-gender or gender-neutral terms.

So following the once-popular advice of some feminists, I went along with Latin@s!

For some intersectional feminist activists, the "Latin@" became "Latinx".

Now, this is where the controversy began. 

Because the term "Latinx" became way more widespread than "Latin@".

Actually, the term "Latinx" became widespread in academia, media and activist spaces. Even to the point where Anglo liberals trying to sound "woke" now use the term "Latinx" 

But in the general public? HELL NO!

The general public in the Latin-American communities NEVER voted on or even been asked to be referred to as "Latinx" 

Outside of academia/media/activist spaces, calling anyone else of Latin American ancestry a "Latinx" is considered fighting words!

A very popular meme that appears anytime the term "Latinx" is used on social media

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Here's an article from the LA Times on the term "Latinx"

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-08-11/latinx-pew-poll-latino-hispanic-identity

The term “Latinx” has been embraced by 3% of Latinos in the United States, according to the first major poll on the topic by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center, which closely tracks “Hispanic/Latino” demographic and social trends. The study, released Tuesday, also found that roughly three out of four Latinos in the U.S. hadn’t even heard of the term.

From the Washingon Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/latinx-latinos-unpopular-gender-term/2020/12/18/bf177c5c-3b41-11eb-9276-ae0ca72729be_story.html

The opposition to “Latinx” is often quotidian: The -x is hard to say in Spanish. Its plural derivatives, like “latinxs” and “amigxs” and “tixs,” are impossible to pronounce. For Spanish speakers navigating nonbinary gender in their day-to-day lives, the -x modification does not provide a road map for dealing with pronouns (el/ella) or gendered articles (el/la, un/una) in spoken Spanish. This English-language modification to Spanish-language grammar does not achieve linguistically what it hopes to achieve culturally: an expansive recognition of autonomy and difference that people can use in everyday life.

Spanish has witnessed several innovations to make it more inclusive. A growing number of LGBTQ communities here and abroad use “Latine” (la-tee-neh). Not only does it sound much less awkward in Spanish than “Latinx,” but the -e can be applied to other words in verbal Spanish very easily, in lieu of the masculine -o or the feminine -a. The gender-neutral pronoun “elle” (pronounced: ey-eh) has become a popular modification for “el” (he) and “ella” (she) when the person being identified is nonbinary. None of these has caught on in the United States, even as “Latinx” has become more common in news headlines, official public health communiques, medical discussions, corporate emails and glossy Instagram posts by social influencers.  

In other words, many Spanish-speaking people don't like having a consonant (like "x") being where a vowel belongs! 

So the  US-based activists should've followed the lead of Argentine activists  mentioned earlier and use the "e" instead of the "x" 

The @, even though it never became widespread (how do you pronounce the @ in a spoken conversation anyways), wasn't nearly as controversial as the "x"  because at least it's a merger of 2 vowels (the "a" and the "o") instead of a consonant!

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Linguistics expert John McWhorter noted that the term "Latinx" doesn't catch on because it's imposed by activists & academia instead of being from the grassroots.  He also made a comparison between the terms "Latinx"  and "African-American" (his ancestry). 

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/12/why-latinx-cant-catch-on/603943/

Why hasn't the term Latinx caught on the way African American did in the late 1980s?

African American became a cherished replacement for black right around when Jesse Jackson embraced it at a news conference, in 1988. Latinx, fashioned to get past the gender distinction encoded in Latino and Latina, has not replicated that success since its introduction, in 2014. It has been celebrated by intellectuals, journalists, and university officials, and even used by Senator and presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren. But in one poll, only 2 percent of America’s Latinos said they preferred the term.

The reason for the difference is familiar to linguists who study how languages change. Although it may seem that new elements of a language settle in when regular people imitate famous or prestigious people, more generally, new language comes from below. 

and this

To black people, African American felt like a response to discrimination from outsiders, something black people needed as an alternative to the loaded word black. The term serves as a proud statement to a racist society. To Latinos, Latinx may feel like an imposition by activists. 

 

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Or as this tweet that I saw yesterday

https://twitter.com/wil_da_beast630/status/1391206335845486597

Wilfred Reilly @wil_da_beast630

The funniest thing about the "LatinX" controversy is that the pre-existing words "Latin," "Hispanic," "Spanish" or "Native," and "Latin American" are already totally gender-neutral.

3:40 PM · May 8, 2021·Twitter Web App

I usually would go with "people of Latin-American ancestries", though people usually go with shorter terms rather than longer terms. 

So I can deal with "Latino", "Latina", "Latine" or "Latin@"

But the term "Latinx"? NO THANKS! 

=========

In fact, the word "Latinx" is so foreign to people outside of academia/activist-spaces that  to this day, I have NEVER heard a single member of my family (which includes Mexicans and Puerto Ricans) use the term "Latinx" 

=======

And now, in academia/activist spaces, the -x has spread to the Philippine community. The Philippines, just like most of Latin America, was a former Spanish territory, and the people are usually referred to as "Filipinos" (for all male and mixed-gender groups) or "Filipinas" (all female). Some academics/activists now use the term "Filipinx" to refer to the whole community of Filipinos and Filipinas. 

articles on this issue

http://kpfierce.weebly.com/blog/why-we-say-filipinx

https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/is-filipinx-a-correct-term-to-use-debate-for-gender-neutral-term-for-filipino-sparked-anew/ar-BB15Uwwn

https://philnews.ph/2020/09/05/netizens-push-back-against-filipinx-instead-of-using-filipino/

But get this, I grew up in Kalihi, a section of Honolulu that has many who trace their roots to the Philippines.  And a year ago, I was working at a school where the majority of students had Philippine ancestry!  And my current workplace (a fashion retail shop) staff is at least 50% Philippine ancestry even though the surrounding neighborhood has much less than that! 

And yet, I know (as in I met them in person) of at most, 3 people of that ancestry that uses the term "Filipinx".  3 out of at least literally a thousand people that I know! That's not even 1%. 

I never asked a single person of that ancestry about the "Filipinx" label, but I get the feeling most would look at me as if I had 3 heads if I even asked. 

It's OK to hold grudges

 One of the stupidest clichés I've ever heard in my life is "you shouldn't hold grudges".

I actually believe it's GOOD to hold some grudges.

Grudges are a reminder that the other person is psychologically dangerous to your mental health, and is a danger to anyone who comes across them!

I even go as far as saying that not holding grudges is dangerously naïve and makes you even more vulnerable to psychological war games used against you!

So if someone wronged you on purpose and refuse to make a sincere apology, then hold that grudge without shame and be proud of the grudge that you're holding!

Keep the Advanced Classes

 The  allegedly "woke" campaign to eliminate advanced classes in the name of equity has gotten out of hand.

Here's just the latest report on that issue, coming out of Virginia. This one on a plan to eliminate advanced math courses before 11th grade, all in the name of equity.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/virginia-accelerated-math-courses-equity

In the opposite side of the country, Seattle is eliminating its programs for gifted students, all in the name of "equity".

https://reason.com/2020/03/26/seattles-school-system-has-begun-dismantling-its-gifted-programs/

What's my take on all this?  This is what I just posted on facebook. 

I'm tired of allegedly "woke" activists who want to get rid of advanced courses in the name of "equity". Eliminating advanced courses will do 100% PURE NOTHING in achieving equity! I've been in mixed-level class and THEY ARE A MEGA-DISASTER! Smart kids get bored & frustrated, the lower-level students also get bored & frustrated, teachers have a hard time getting everyone up to speed, and classroom behavior becomes chaos! Once that happens, weaker students get bullied and so do the teachers!

I've seen this happen WAY TOO MANY TIMES as both as a student and substitute teacher! Let the advanced students have their own classes where they're surrounded by fellow students with the same interests and competence (I've seen that situation too, and it's a lot less chaotic). Let the lower-level students be in their own classes where they don't feel overwhelmed! And the students in the middle don't feel that their needs are ignored by the pandering to advanced and lower-level students!

I've seen the failure of mixed-level classes so many times, that if I'm having a bad day and somebody tells me "we need to get rid of advanced class in the name of equity", I might blow up at them and show them my middle finger! The trauma of experiences with mixed-level classes is really that bad!

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

Some of this allegedly "woke" idiocy is supposed to "help" people like me, an under-represented minority, a descendant of Latin-American immigrants. These allegedly "woke" jerks have no business speaking on my behalf! I say THE HELL WITH THIS so-called "equity" crap!

The most humane thing to do is teach the students at their level!

If the student is proven to be advanced, put them in advanced classes! It's an insult to their intelligence to be teaching them the same crap they've already learned years earlier! Also, putting them in non-advanced classes makes them targets of bullies jealous of their intellect! Some of the victims cope by pretending the be dumber than they really are! I've seen it happen way too many times to count!

If the student is proven to be a lower-level learner, put them in classes for lower-level students. Too many times, I've seen lower-level students struggle to keep up with more advanced peers! You think their peers wouldn't notice? OF COURSE, THEY WOULD! That makes them targets of bullies who can't relate to those student's learning disabilities. I've seen that happen way too many times too!

Also, my experience teaching in such classes without assistance is madness. Some students need more individualized assistance, and that's nearly impossible to do in a class of 20+ students of varying levels. When the students are in a class of similar learning & achievement levels, these classes run smoother!

It's this stupid idea of people students of various levels into one class with only one teacher that makes teachers burnout and quit! It's this kind of crap that made me not want to become a full-time teacher! The stress isn't worth the pay!

But the allegedly "woke" demand for "equity" by eliminating advanced classes will only make the problem of retaining teachers worse!

To hell with these allegedly "woke" idiots! The hell with their feelings and buzzwords. The education and mental health of our students is too important into giving in to these allegedly "woke" morons!

========

PS: The ones who I call "allegedly woke" claim to speak for the oppressed but they're making the problems worse. I'm not going to honor them by saying they are truly woke, because they're not!

Steve Cedillos: an attorney to avoid

When I dealt with the dubious restraining order from the racist, repulsive head librarian Natalie Lum, I attempted an attorney search via Legal Match. (note: being that restraining orders are civil cases, defendants in those cases are not eligible for assistance from the public defender office) I wrote a brief outline for my case, and Steve Cedillos contacted me.  Being that I was desperate for help with a dubious case with a court case coming up in such a short time, I accepted Cedillos's help. I regret not doing my due diligence before signing with him. 

Anyways, here' what I wrote on my Yelp Review

https://www.yelp.com/biz/law-offices-of-steve-cedillos-honolulu

When I had a TRO case in which the petitioner wanted me to censor a blog post about her racist comments, I needed serious, aggressive representation. Instead, this lawyer pressured me to compromise and wanted me to agree to a non-disclosure in exchange for the TRO petitioner to drop charges. I wish I had a lawyer that would've challenged my opponent more aggressively as well as more aggressively defended my right to keep my blog post up.  He claimed it would be too hard to overcome the long list of exaggerations in the TRO petition.  He claimed that I was making it harder for myself by standing my ground. He doesn't want to do the hard aggressive representation at the risk of possible loss. He doesn't understand that hard-fought representation (even at a risk of possible loss) is more preserving of his client's dignity than a non-disclosure agreement. He doesn't understand the psychological boost of the spirit of "when you go down, you go down fighting!"  He doesn't understand how psychologically harmful non-disclosure agreements are to people who have been victimized by false charges.  He doesn't understand how psychologically harmful it is to be silenced! He is a waste of $1500 for which I am still in debt for!

information about the incident at https://pwegesen.wixsite.com/kalakaua-ms-library/the-negative-experiences

and https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/08/restrain-this.html

 

This lawyer wanted me to submit to non-disclosure about a public school employee who was racist towards Micronesians because he doesn't take the issue of racism seriously! In court, he also asked me to remove my mask at a time before the covid vaccine shot was available! This lawyer is 100% pure slime and deserves eternal hatred!

And here are some other Yelp Reviews exposing what a sleazy & crappy attorney Steve Cedillos is

DeShawn C.

Kahului, HI

38

2

1/5/2021

Got me a deal in court but very unprofessional and lazy compared to how much I paid him. $1500 couldn't convince him to give me the time of day. He spent probably 3 hours on my case maximum and I'm still ironing out the issues by myself because he doesn't wanna do any of the work. Too bad I signed a contract before he showed me that side of him so it was already too late

----

Josh R.

Kapolei, HI

0

2

3/7/2019

To be honest I really don't know where to begin.  When I hired Steve, I found him through the some internet choices and decided to go with him which I totally REGRET.
My case: my visitations with my 8 year old daughter from our divorce decree was Mondays, Wednesdays and one overnight on the weekend.  My ex has been refusing to drop off my daughter to me on Mondays so I took to court since she was already not following their order.  It was her decision not because I'm a horrible guy. abuse or neglect or on drugs just a dad wanting to spend lots of time with his daughter.
I hired steve to help rectify the situation open the courts eyes, slap her on the wrist and have her follow the court order.
Well, instead I got a very unmotivated and someone who took a Mickey Mouse approach to the legal system. (Sorry Mickey I'm sure you would've done a much better job)
I informed him of my situation and intentions.  During the first court hearing he was asking my questions that he should have know had he read the divorce decree I gave him.  On another court date both my ex and I had to take the stand.  Her attorney did what she had to do and when it got time to cross examine my ex he looks at me like if to say...ok now what!  I felt horrible as I could not just tell him what to say as that's what I was paying him for to represent me in which he absolutely failed at.
He had nothing to say or add would just say I having nothing more...hahaha  I got crossed examined for 20 minutes or more hers lasted maybe four minutes...what a joke
The judge needed time to make his decision and when it came down on Feb 12.  my ex got it from her attorney right away and refuse to share with me.  So I contacted steve for my copy in which I've yet to receive a hard copy.  What he sent me was a forwarded email from my ex's attorney on February 26...WOW
Do to his lack of becoming an attorney and providing me the outcome ASAP.  I missed an important outing with my daughter...her birthday which the court granted me the visitation on Federal Holidays but since I didn't have the order but my ex did and she knew I didn't have it nor did i know what was on it.  I also lost my Monday go figure....
I rated one star because no other option but if I could rate no starts I would.
My advise to you...RUN!

---

Ang J.

Irvine, CA

0

1

11/23/2013

First to Review

WARNING: Hawaii Attorney Steve Cedillos is a crook, he has been public reprimanded by the Hawaii Disciplinary Board for legal misconduct on Multiple Occasions.
See links: odchawaii.com/uploads/Or…
archives.starbulletin.co…

This "attorney" if I can still call him that is a crook that will take your money and leave you hanging. I hired this guy to represent me on a family court matter back in 2000, he collected a flat fee and did nothing with my case. I ended up writing my own motions, he did not write a single document, or letter on my behalf. In addition, he was late to court, on a few occasions he did not even show up at all, and I was forced to represent myself. Because of his negligence, my case had disastrous results. So, in desperation, I hired another attorney to represent me, and when I tried to retrieve my legal files which I worked on myself, he tried to extort money from me: He refused to return my files to me until I handed him an additional $500 in cash.

I was so desperate to retrieve my files to hand over to my new attorney, I did as I was told and gave him the $500 even though I had already paid him the entire flat fee in advance. When I'm telling you this guy did not lift a single finger to assist me on my case...It's the God Honest TRUTH. I handed my files over to my new attorney and when I told him what Steve Cedillos did, my attorney explained that withholding files from client was illegal.

DO NOT HIRE THIS CONMAN, May be hard to believe but there are other attorneys that actually possess integrity, this guy is completely devoid of it. It took years of pro bono work by my new attorneys to undo the catastrophic damage he created.

STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM AND TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY IF YOU WANT TO AVOID TROUBLE AND HEARTACHE.

HE CANNOT BE TRUSTED.

and from the article cited in the review

http://archives.starbulletin.com/2002/07/03/business/bizbriefs.html

Attorney reprimanded for shoddy work

A Honolulu attorney was reprimanded by the Hawaii Supreme Court's disciplinary board yesterday for poorly representing two of his clients.

The board imposed a public reprimand against attorney Steve Cedillos for "failing to act with reasonable diligence in representing two clients."

Cedillos, 51, twice failed to appear as scheduled in District Court on behalf of a client who retained Cedillos to contest a speeding ticket. As a result a default judgment was entered against the client, the disciplinary board said.

In the second case, Cedillos showed up late for a trail in a paternity case and the client had to represent himself, officials said.

 

*******

JUNE 2021 UPDATE: here's my email to Steve Cedillos

The blog & website about Miss Lum has been up again for 6 months (much longer than it was up originally before the court appearance), and I compiled the videos I originally posted about Lum into 1 half-hour video. It's been up for 3 months (also a longer period than was before the court appearance). Yet Miss Lum is still alive & well, I even saw on Instagram earlier this month, a photo appearance of her in front of the school's campus while they had a drive-by graduation event! SO much for her "being afraid" of people knowing she's a racist!

I also wanted to add that I hired you for the specific purpose of fighting against Lum's attempt at censoring my blogs & videos about her. That was the only reason why I hired you. If the TRO only said "stay away from me, don't contact me", I would've went to court solo and say "I agree to stay away and not contact".  I wanted a lawyer ready for a fight against a government employee (Lum) who wanted to censor my grievances towards government. I mentioned that as an idea in 50+page document that I sent to you! You should've used that as inspiration for a legal battle!   

 You claimed I was "making it hard for yourself" by refusing to give in to her censorship demands. Excuse me, "hard for myself"? You claimed it would be too hard to challenge Lum's TRO petition. Excuse me, too hard? Hello, I hired you to do hard stuff!  That's the whole point of hiring you! I should've fired you on the spot when you suggested that I give in!  You took advantage of my unearned loyalty, you are laughing in luxury while I'm still in debt paying off your $1578. If you had any decency, you will give me a refund and make your check payable to "Pablo Wegesend" and send it to (item redacted). After all, you helped my opponent more than you helped me.

Lum's TRO had NOTHING to do with her safety, it was all about censorship! You helped her with that goal instead of going to battle on my behalf.  What you did is nearly unforgiveable.

Lum's attempt at censorship was all about inflicting psychological torture. The same is true with dictators who censor opposition. It is all about psychological torture. Yet, you helped Lum commit psychological torture me by suggesting I censor my blogs and videos. 

Look, if I wanted to psychologically torture someone, I wouldn't bother with insults like "you sh**-eating f***a" or "you ugly whore" because they don't cause 1% of the psychological torture that a non-disclosure agreement causes.  Miss Lum knows that, that's the whole point of the TRO!

You claim that I'm making it hard for myself by refusing to censor my blogs and videos. But in the long run, I really made it hard for myself by giving in to your demands to agree to censor my blogs and videos! I  made it hard for myself by not firing you on the spot! 

You said by refusing to censor myself, I'm making it hard to find another job. I say "F--- a Job!" 

But you know what? I'm ready for Round 2 with Miss Lum! I demand a Round 2! The world needs a Round 2! Racial Justice needs a Round 2!  Anti-censorship demands a Round 2! Government Transparency demands a Round 2! 

 I give  you 100% permission to tell Lum's lawyer that I have put the blogs and videos back up!  This time, I will be much more assertive in screening out attorneys who lack a  passion for a tough fight against tough opponents.  I will be much more assertive in screening out attorneys who lack a bloodlust (metaphorically of course) and  a killer instinct 

You suggested that I write a positive Yelp Review. But when I looked at Yelp, I noticed your former clients faced the same problem I did with you: your unwillingness to be prepared for battle. Some even found lawyers that did pro bono work for them to undo the damage you done with your lackluster representation. I really wished I looked at Yelp before hiring you! 

Also disturbing is that while in court, while I was asking you a question, you responded by telling me to take my mask off. Remember, we were in a pandemic and vaccines weren't yet available. Were you trying to get me killed? 

So right now, I am permanently withdrawing all expressions of gratitude that I expressed towards you!

And unless you respond, this will be my last message to you! You won't need to file a restraining order, since I'm declaring that I'm staying at least 6 feet away from you and I will only contact you if you reply to this message. 

Sincerely,

Pablo Wegesend

--------

JUNE 2022 UPDATE: (addition to my Yelp Review)

6/2/2022

Updated review

Today, I found out what a SLAPP suit is - SLAPP = Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation. These are lawsuits meant to silence whistleblowers.  A former supervisor put a TRO against me to silence me because I pointed out that co-worker (Natalie Lum) was making racist remarks about Micronesians. In other words, it was a SLAPP suit.  I wanted a lawyer who would AGGRESSIVELY DEFEND my right to keep my blog post up!

 Steve Cedillos said that it was unlikely the judge wouldn't grant my opponent's request to take my blog post down. However, Steve Cedillos did a total 180 on me on the court date, pressuring me to agree to take the blog post and video down. THAT IS NOT WHAT I HIRED AN ATTORNEY FOR.  I HIRED SOMEONE TO AGGRESSIVELY DEFEND MY RIGHT TO BE A WHISTLEBLOWER!  Steve Cedillos did a bait & switch, promise to fight for me, yet on court date, pressure me to surrender!  What he should've told me that Lum's TRO was a SLAPP and that he would FIGHT AGAINST GREAT ODDS to preserve my right to keep my blog post up! I WANTED AN ATTORNEY THAT LOVES TOUGH FIGHTS AGAINST TOUGH OPPONENTS!  Steve Cedillos advertises himself to be that, but on court dates, he pressured me to surrender! I SHOULD'VE FIRED HIM ON THE SPOT! I regret not doing that! He took advantage of my excessive generosity and my reluctance to make quick decisions on the spot!  HE should now do the honorable thing and give me a refund. Give me back my $1578 for which I'm still on debt for!

And don't give me this "you need psychological help", because it is sleazy attorneys like Steve Cedillos that need psychological help.

And also this, I sent him a 50+  page PDF response to my opponent, he probably didn't even read, he could've used some ideas (like my mentioning I had the right to express grievance towards government (which my opponent worked for) to launch an aggressive defense. But judging from other people's Yelp Reviews (which I wish I was aware of before hiring him), I now figure he didn't read my 50+  page PDF response to my opponent because he's lazy like the other Yelp reviewers said.

At this point, I hate this attorney more than the former co-worker who launched a SLAPP suit on me!

To learn more about what a SLAPP is
anti-slapp.org/what-is-a…

PS: before picking this lawyer (who made the initial contact via Legal Match), I just assumed all lawyers are ready to launch aggressive attacks on opponents like how Camille Vasquez aggressively questioned Amber Heard. Sadly, Steve Cedillos is nothing like that!  He's a surrender pansy!  From now on, I will demand that any attorney I hire will be in the mold of Camille Vasquez instead of surrender pansies like Steve Cedillos!

On the court date, he said that my keeping my blog post up is "making it hard for yourself", DAMMIT, I HIRED YOU TO DO HARD STUFF! What's the point of charging $1578 if you don't want to do hard stuff? If you can't be like Camille Vasquez and embrace the tough fights, then quit being an attorney! You're supposed to boost your client's energy for the tough fights, not ask them to surrender!  Otherwise, you are more deadly to your client's mental health than your client's initial opponent!