Thoughts on the Lindani Myeni case

Lindani Myeni, a Zulu male from South Africa, moved to Hawaii earlier this year.  His wife, Lindsay grew up in Hawaii, but she met him in South Africa when she was visiting as part of a church mission. They had 2 sons.

It was only a few months after moving to Hawaii when Lindani Myeni was shot & killed by Honolulu police. Initial reports claimed that the police were responding to a 911 call about a burglary and that Myeni attacked and injured 3 officers, and he didn't feel the effects of the taser.

People who knew Lindani Myeni had a different portrayal of him. He was seen as a gentle giant who had a great sense of humor.  He had no criminal record. There are no reported incidents before this one. 

Being that Myeni is African, there are assumptions that the police shooting is racially motivated. The identity of the officers still hasn't been made public. 

It was in the same month when Honolulu police shot & killed a 16-year old Iremamber Sykap after a car chase. Sykap was Micronesian (more specifically, Chuukese), and this incident was seen as a sign of racism against Micronesians. 

(note: Sykap and the other suspect involved in the case, Kealii Fernandez, were my former students when I used to be a substitute teacher. I blogged about it at https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2021/04/former-students-and-tragedy-on-kalakaua.html )

--------

Myeni's wife mentioned that the last time she talked with him, he said he was going to take a short drive to a nearby interfaith temple.

It was night-time in a suburb-like community.

The building he went to look like the temple, was near the temple, but it was actually an Airbnb vacation rental.

Myeni didn't know that, he thought he was at the temple, which was open to the public.

However, the couple (Dexter & Sabine Wang) staying at the Airbnb vacation rental just saw him walk into the building they were staying in without permission. They didn't know who he was or what his real intentions were.

The security camera showed Myeni walking up to the building, and was told that this wasn't the temple, left and apologized.

The couple was visiting from New Jersey. They were Chinese immigrants for whom English was a new language. They didn't know there was an interfaith temple nearby.  They didn't know who Myeni was.  

Within that couple, Dexter was calm, but Sabine wasn't. She was very afraid and called 911.  The panic in her voice was very obvious in the 911 call. She said there was a "break-in" (giving an impression somebody violently intruded the building), though to be fair, it's hard to come up with the right words under stress when speaking in a language you're still learning. 

If she was calmer, she could've explained a stranger walked in & left, but that she's still worried because she doesn't know his true intentions.

The police arrived and asked the woman "where he went?" and she pointed him out in a panicked voice.

The police then yelled to Myeni "GET ON THE GROUND".

Myeni walked up to the officer, asked "who are you" and punched the officer. Another officer, who just arrived when the fight started rushed in, yelled "TASER", tased Myeni, who didn't even fall, he lunged at him instead.

Shots were fired. After that, one of the cops yelled: "POLICE" (yeah, kinda late for that).

There are many ways to analyze all this. 

It was night-time, a time of limited visibility. The 1st officer was wearing a dark uniform and shined a blinding light at Myeni. He didn't announce that he was a police officer. He just yelled "GET ON THE GROUND"

It is possible that Myeni thought he was getting robbed by street criminals. That could be why he chose to attack in what he thought was self-defense. Lord knows what could happen to you if just lie on the ground in a robbery. 

It is possible that the police officer could've de-escalated the situation by calmly approaching Myeni by saying "sir, this is the police, we need to talk with you". 

Whether that might've worked, we will never know. But at least it could've given Myeni a chance to respond in a calm manner. Myeni might've explained the situation, that he was lost and went to the wrong building. 

But given the reality that Myeni attacked the officers, I don't think the officers will get convicted in this case.

Some will claim it's a racial thing. But I think that if someone who looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger lunged at the cops, I don't think the cops would be like "he's a white guy, we'll just let him beat the crap out of us". 

I'm not sure if pepper spray is an option. You need some distance but not too much distance. But if used effectively, it could've temporarily stopped Myeni without killing him. He might still file a lawsuit over being sprayed, but even that is preferable over his family filing a suit for shooting & killing. 

If Myeni had decided to fight the issue in court instead of on the streets, he would probably be alive today. Traumatized, but alive! 

To those that knew Lindani Myeni, he was a nice, loving person.

However, the couple at the Airbnb rental wouldn't know that. They just saw a stranger walking in without permission. 

The police wouldn't know that, since they heard a report of burglary and thought someone was in danger. And they sure wouldn't know that when Myeni lunged at them. 

=====

And the sad thing about is that Myeni children will live with the trauma that their father was killed.  

And that all this started because someone was lost and went to the wrong building by accident due to the limited visibility of night. 

And so much bad things happened due to panic. Fear of a stranger. A cop whose first instinct is to yell orders instead of using a calm approach.  

There are no easy answers to any of this. I don't even know if there are right answers.

Admittedly, all of this is based on limited information.

learn more at 

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/06/15/hawaii-news/security-camera-footage-shows-exchange-before-honolulu-police-shooting-of-lindani-myeni/

Augie T, blackface, and local ethnic humor

 Augie Tulba (aka Augie T) is a Hawaii-based comedian who was recently elected to the Honolulu City Council.

In recent years, he has toned down his act, noting that some of his past comedy has been offensive. 

After all, most of us have matured over the years.

However, this past week, his social media manager posted an old clip of Augie T's comedy skit in which he was in blackface and playing a judge in a drag queen contest. 

The comedy skit was seen as racially offensive and homophobic. 

Augie T, who is of Filipino & Puerto Rican ancestries, has an openly gay son whom he remains close to.  

Until recently, I don't think most people in Hawaii knew that painting oneself black is considered offensive to many African-Americans. Yes, we were taught in school about the civil rights movement. Most of us know that the N-word is offensive (though many wannabe gangstas of non-African-ancestries say it because they want to be 2pac or 50 Cent)! But most of us weren't taught about "blackface" and its history & controversy. The issue, while commonly discussed in activist & academic spaces, wasn't really talked about in the US mainstream media until only a few years ago.

When local media outlets in Hawaii report on these kinds of controversy, not only do we have people complaining about "political correctness", some local people claim that is "only mainland people" who complain about local ethnic humor, but they forget some important facts.

All the comedians they listed (Augie T, Frank DeLima, Andy Bumatai, Mel Cabang, the 98.5 Wake Up Crew, etc) ARE ALL OLDER THAN ME! And i'm 40 years old! I'm middle-aged!

I don't know a single popular local comedian that is younger than me that specializes in ethnic humor!

What does that tell you? It tells me it is not about "local vs outsider", it's more of a generation thing! The Wake-Up Crew style of humor is no longer popular in Hawaii like it used to be!

The younger generation don't even get involved with it! Times have changed! Hawaii has moved on!

This is not to claim "racism is over in Hawaii". When I was working at a public middle school, I reported to school admin about 2 staff members of Asian ancestries who made negative comments about Micronesians. And there are much more of those deplorable comments on social media.

But the fact remains that ethnic humor is no longer as popular in Hawaii as it was a few decades ago.

I can name you prominent local musicians who are younger than me (ie Bruno Mars, Raiatea Helm, Josh Tatofi). I can name you local athletes who made it to the pros who are younger than me (ie Marcus Mariota, Tua Tagovailoa). I can even name you local politicians who are younger than me (ie Jeanné Kapela, Adrian Tam).

But I can't even name one local comedian who specializes in ethnic humor that is younger than me.

So don't give me this crap about "it's only the people from the mainland who complain about local ethnic humor".

The younger local people may not engage in battle with those trolls, they're just not interested in that type of humor, and the fact is that not one has risen up to take the place of older local comedians who specialize in ethnic humor. That shows you the interest is just not there anymore.

The old defenders of local ethnic humor claim that their generation was less sensitive and more thick-skinned. But what they don't realize is that many of their generation PRETENDED they weren't offended because they didn't want to get the abuse of "ha ha you can't take a joke! The younger generation is not afraid to openly cringe at such jokes! Plus I know many older folks who once openly laughed at such jokes but realize how wrong it was. That's NOT "becoming a snowflake", that's becoming mature!

It is the trolls who claim that "it's only the people from the mainland who complain about local ethnic humor" that are truly out of touch with modern Hawaii.

Now selling illustrations

 Drawing was an occasional side hobby for me, but I never really thought about selling illustrations. I never won any art contests in school, and the last time I took an art class that involved illustrations was in middle school. I did occasionally draw pictures since then, but I never really took it as an all-the-time hobby.  It was a once-in-a-while thing. 

 I spent more time doing other hobbies like reading,  doing online research, writing blogs, and riding bikes (note to self: get back on the bike already, you've been away too long).

All of my computer work was done in a library or an internet cafe (sadly, most went out of business even before the pandemic) until I finally got my own computer back in 2015. (note: I had one that broke down in 2003, and even then, it wasn't connected to the internet). 

With my computer, I finally started what I really dreamed of, making my own electronic music.

So in 2016, I started making & selling instrumental tracks under my nickname Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior. 

Because I didn't have any money for big-budget videos, I had to rely on still images for my music videos. Some of the images were photographs (usually my own, or those I found online in the Public Domain or Creative Commons).

But other images were my own illustrations. So yes, drawing became part of my business.

Time to get some coloring pencils and construction paper.

I also had to look at photographs and other images while doing my drawings to make my illustrations look a little more realistic and a little less awkward. 

I also did some scratch art (See my official logo) as well as used Microsoft Paint for some graphic arts.

You can find some of the illustrations that made it in my music videos at Pablo The Mad Tiger Warrior - YouTube

Around the end of 2016 &  2017, I did get some unsolicited emails from a vendor that offer artists a chance to get their designs on the clothing they manufactured. I looked at their website and noticed the designs on their apparel didn't match the type of illustrations I was doing.

Afterward, I totally forgot about the idea of having my illustrations appear on clothing and accessories.

Yes, my music distributor CD Baby has a partnership with Merchly, a merchandise manufacturer. The problem is you have to order in bulk, and I don't have room in my apartment for more items ordered in bulk. 

But earlier, this year, a friend posted on Facebook that you can order merchandise with his illustration via RedBubble, a print-on-demand service/vendor specializing in novelty shirts, stickers, and other accessories.

here's my friend's illustrations and the merchandise you can buy featuring his illustrations.

Be the Mutant Walking Fish That You Want in the World by StuartFanciful | Redbubble

 Dammit, I wish I started doing this earlier.

I mean, I've been making music videos featuring my illustrations for 5 years, that means I have 5 years' worth of illustrations that I already made that I can monetize via novelty merchandise. 

So now I started my RedBubble account and started offering a few images that can be featured on merchandise customers might be interested in. 

You can check it out at https://www.redbubble.com/people/madtigerwarrior/explore

Let's look at, for example, this image of a tiger cub taking a nap. 

This image was originally featured in Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior's "Naptime Music" album,  which is available on iTunes, Amazon, eBay, and wherever else music is sold or streamed. 

But now you can buy shirts, pillows, laptop covers, phone cases, clocks, framed art, mugs, bags, masks and more with that image.

find it all at  tiger cub taking a nap by madtigerwarrior | Redbubble

And I'm just getting started.

So far, 3 of my images are available on RedBubble.

I'll definitely add more when time permits

(note: it takes about 15 to 30 minutes to not only upload one image but also approve of how the image will appear on each of the merchandise you're interested in having it appear on!)

I'm excited about this because it adds one more revenue stream for me.

My music can only bring in so much money when I have a super-tiny promotion budget and most people consume music by streaming these days.

But if someone wants an item with my image, I'll get circa $3 per item sold (note: it depends on what item, being that I get 20% of the price, and obviously, some items are more expensive than others).

Being that RedBubble is print-on-demand, there is no need to order or manufacture in bulk, it's only printed when someone orders it.  No need to waste space on unsold items. 

I also indicate on RedBubble if that image appears on my album or music video, bringing additional awareness to my music. Hopefully, customers will check out the video or album it appears on, and this will bring additional revenue for my music.  It's all about the synergy!

So check out my images at RedBubble https://www.redbubble.com/people/madtigerwarrior/explore

1st school year that I wasn't working in a school since 2005

Today concludes the 1st school-year in which I was not employed in the education industry since 2005! 

I was working in the education industry from May 2005 to May 2020. That's 15 years.

The bulk of that time was as a substitute teacher (May 2005 to December 2018) and within that time frame, I did some gigs as a summer program employee (2005 & 2006) and as a para-professional tutor working with students in Special Education programs. From January 2019 to May 2020, I was a Library Assistant at Kalākaua Middle School.   

Spring 2020 was known as a time interrupted by the coronavirus crisis.  Students were forced into distant learning with no on-campus services. 

I left the library position at the end of the Spring 2020 semester. It wasn't like I was quitting school or library work forever. I just felt that me and the head librarian weren't a compatible team. Too much drama involved.

learn more at  https://pwegesen.wixsite.com/kalakaua-ms-library

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

I did attempt to re-apply to work as a substitute teacher. I took the recertification course in September 2020. After the course, I did the job reapplication paperwork. I heard nothing from the Department of Education until February 2021. They wanted another round of paperwork.  By then, I already found another job working in fashion retail and I was satisfied with the position, so I decided to tell the DOE "thanks but no thanks".  Plus, I heard from someone who is still working as a substitute teacher that there wasn't much work available this semester due to distance learning. 

So here I am, just finishing my 1st school-year in which I am not working at a school since 2005.

What I miss and don't miss

 I do miss working with the well-behaved students. I miss it BIG TIME!  I miss sharing my knowledge with them. I miss learning new trends, new slang, and other new stuff from them that I otherwise wouldn't know.  I even sometimes miss the silly stuff that they do. Many of them so filled with joy for life that some people my age have lost! 

I also miss working with some wonderful teachers, assistants & others in the school. They taught me about the profession, how to better interact with students,  about the community they're in, and just about life in general.  I'm still in contact with some of them on social media. 

However, I don't miss the badly behaved students, the mockery, the tantrums, the disrespect.  I see little kids throwing tantrums at their parents while shopping and I'm thinking "thank goodness I'm not dealing with that anymore".

I also don't miss working with diva-like characters that work in the schools. It's not just the head librarian. Some schools' office staff seem to have no joy and take it personally when you question them.  Some teachers seem to view substitutes as inferior beings. Some administrators even expect perfection from substitutes despite us having to assert our authority over students who we never met before and view us as just another stranger bossing them around. 

---------------

The Distance Learning Era

I'm so glad that I'm not conducting distance learning lessons. I believe that the best education comes from having a guide on the side.  You can only explain so much over the computer, it's easier to show the students in person. 

News reports claim that some teachers have retired or quit out of fear of catching the virus. I don't doubt those claims, but I also think some teachers left the industry because they feel "too obsolete" to conduct distance learning with technology they don't even understand. When I was working as a Library Assistant, I had to assist some of the teachers with their inventory of classroom books. Some of them are computer illiterate. Most of those are from a generation that didn't learn computer skills while they were in school. It reminded me of when I was a substitute teacher in a preschool class, and I heard an older teacher telling her younger assistants "you guys are lucky you learned computer skills in school, my generation had to learn this as adults".  

During the Spring 2020 semester, when school was interrupted by the coronavirus crisis, some of the older teachers struggled with distance learning. Some of them admitted they've never used social media before, rarely ever used the internet. And now they're expected to teach over the computers like experts.  I don't blame them if they got so frustrated that they're like "that's it, I'm too obsolete to effectively teach students in this era, I quit!".

It's a possibility some felt that this pandemic era was a wake-up they needed to start embracing 21st-century technology. 

It was also interesting that 2 of the teachers who were loudmouths in the teacher's lounge were relatively quiet in the teleconferences. It seemed like they too were so new to doing things online but didn't want to lose alpha-male status by admitting it.  

------

Self-reflection on my education career

I admit that when I started working as a substitute teacher, I didn't have the proper maturity for the job. On one hand, I tried to be "the cool teacher" who made jokes and used profanity in class. On the other hand, I didn't want to be seen as "soft" so I sometimes yelled with full-blown rage!  All of that nearly ended my substitute teaching career when it barely started!

The "cool teacher" nonsense faded away fast when I realized it reduced my credibility when trying to assert authority to stop misbehavior.  So I developed a more serious side, which isn't always easy to do when some students say "you're always smiling".  But a serious side is very important in that you have to set the tone immediately. You have to show that education is serious business! 

As for the anger, it didn't totally go away, but I've learned some level of self-control over the years. Most of the time, you just have to approach the student in a quiet manner to remind them to behave properly. Most of the time, that works well.  Walking and monitoring the situation usually work wonders. 

However, there are always students that think that following rules is for "wimps, nerds, and dorks",  or that basic rules are "oppressive". And of course, some just get the joy of humiliating teachers in front of everyone. 

 I think most of my anger was when students insist on interrupting when I was speaking to the entire class. Also, if I'm trying to politely redirect the class for at least 44 minutes. Once you yell in the 45th minute, everyone will start acting as if the previous 44 minutes never happened. I can't say that showing anger should be totally eliminated, but I do know that I showed my anger too many times.

  I definitely appreciated the advice on learning to be calm & stern from the former recreation director at the summer program I used to work for 

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/08/positive-work-mentors-summer-program.html

However, Vince was there to guide me in how to best handle situations. Vince told me that yes I have to be stern, but I also have to be calm.

That took a lot of practice. It's not something you can fix overnight.
I have definitely improved on that over time.

Vince also emphasized that you have to keep the students busy because any downtime is a time when they can get out of control really fast. After all, kids aren't good at staying still. 

I wasn't really good at coming up with new activities, but Vince showed me some games I do with the students while they are waiting for the next activity.

Since then, I have learned some funny stretches to do when the students are waiting forever for the next activity to set up, or when they are waiting for the bell to ring.

and 

When I mentioned the issue to Vince, he told me "tell him 'thanks for your concern, but ..............'"

In other words, Vince was teaching me how to be diplomatic.

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

After the summer was over, I went back to being a substitute teacher. Again, this was all new to me. Crazy situations that tested my patience. Situations I never dealt with before. Situations that I witnessed something similar as a kid but now have to take the lead and handle it as an adult.

Sometimes, I would visit Palama Settlement and if Vince was there, I would tell him about the situations I was facing as a substitute teacher in the DOE. Vince himself was a former DOE teacher so he's been there.

and there's more to the story at  https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/08/positive-work-mentors-summer-program.html

 

I've learned the best way to assert authority is to be in total serious mode at the start of class. Introduce myself, take attendance, and go over the plans. 

And talking about attendance, that is always a major struggle for substitute teachers being that we try to pronounce names we've never seen before. Some are traditional names from other cultures, while others are non-traditional creatively spelled names. Some students laughed at mispronunciations while sometimes half-the-class yell out the correct pronunciations. I tell the students "I only want to hear from the student whose name has been called, after all, it's his/her name, not yours."

It was only later in my career (and I really wished I did this when I started) that I realized the best practice when seeing an unfamiliar name is to say "I'm going to spell out the name and I only want to hear from that student".  Then the student will tell me how to pronounce it.  Sometimes, I have to ask again later on because it's hard to remember the names of 30+ students that I never met before. 

And the thing is, I of all people should know because my last name gets mispronounced being that it is not a common name in Hawaii.  Especially when people are not sure if the "g" in "Wegesend" is pronounced as a j-like sound (like giant) or a hard-g sound (like grass). For the record, the "g" in my last name sounds like the "g" in grass. 

Being that my last name isn't easy to pronounce I usually just introduce myself by saying "my name is Mr. Pablo Wegesend, you can call me Mr. Pablo or you can call me Mr. Wegesend, either one is fine with me".  They usually just call me "Mr. Pablo", but I always give options in case they're accustomed to using last names. 

----------

Adjusting to life when no longer working in schools

I sometimes see a school and I have some nostalgic feelings. Like I want to go back! 

Sometimes, some habits die hard. I'm so used to having some level of authority.  I see kids running through the store and I feel like yelling at them to "walk!" but you can't be yelling at the kids in front of the parents when working at a store. 

Talking about working in a store, our work schedule is different from schools. We're open on weekends & most holidays. Sometimes I forget that "today is a holiday" until I notice more parents with their school-aged children, or that the bus is running on a different schedule. 

My duties at the store are cleaning high-touch points & organizing items. If I'm on the floor cleaning or organizing stuff, the customers I meet are in the exploratory phase and therefore usually in a calm mood. 

 It's when they get to the cashier when they're ready to get out of there, that's when they're more likely to be aggravated.  The cashiers have to constantly apologize and can't yell at the customers to "get out the room, go the office!" Because of this, I think being a substitute teaching is easier than being a cashier. 

But organizing items is easier than being a substitute teacher. I love to organize things, whether in a retail setting or a library setting.

But a part of me still miss being in the schools.   

I don't know if I'll ever work at a school again. I'm not ruling it out entirely. But if I never do, then I still feel I had a mostly magical experience in my 15 years. Those 15 years will always be a part of my heart! 

Sincerely,

Mr. Pablo Wegesend

It's more about the respect than the money

 As the economy reopens, some employers are struggling to find workers.

Some people blame the unemployment insurance checks as if they pay too well.

Others blame the low wages and therefore demand minimum wage hikes as if all employers could afford it!

But I think it's something else.

I think it's the respect or the lack of it!

People are becoming more aware of the necessity of taking care of their mental health!

They don't want to go back to jobs where they're not respected. And they definitely don't want to be at jobs where they're told to suffer abuse in silence!

I've had lower-paying jobs that felt like "heaven on Earth" due to the respectful atmosphere of the workplace.

I've also left higher-paying jobs because they were too hazardous to my mental health.

Money comes & goes!  The memories of being respected or disrespected last forever! 

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

I don't begrudge employers that can't afford pay increases. It's hard to run a business in hard economic times with all the demands in less-than-ideal situations. 

But I definitely begrudge employers that expect their employees to suffer abuse in silence.  It really doesn't cost much to say "thank you" More importantly  it really doesn't cost much to say "I'm sorry for disrespecting you" or "we'll back you up in case someone gives you a hard time!" 

=========

Now, time to be political.

Left-progressives tend to demand minimum wage hikes and some are even dismissive towards smaller businesses that struggle with pay increases.   They don't understand that this attitude actually empowers the large corporations they dislike so much.

Interestingly, left-wing progressives say that we should be more like Denmark or Sweden.

But Denmark and Sweden don't have a minimum wage.

But what they do have is more unionization. 

learn more at 

“Working in Sweden: Wages, Working Hours and Annual Leave,” Just Landed, accessed April 9, 2019, 
https://www.justlanded.com/english/Sweden/Sweden-Guide/Jobs/Working-in-Sweden

Claire Boyte-White, “5 Developed Countries Without Minimum Wages,” Investopedia, August 5, 2015,
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/080515/5-developed-countries-without-minimum-wages.asp

Houston Keene, “AOC Invokes Denmark in Minimum Wage Debate — Critics Point Out Denmark Doesn't Have a Federal Minimum Wage,” Fox News, March 3, 2021, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ocasio-cortez-mcdonalds-minimum-wage-denmark.

=

I think that for every job offer, every employee should be given an option to join a union.

In Hawaii, for every job offer, every employee gets offered health insurance plans (ie. HMSA, Kaiser, etc) or they can declare they already have insurance from an outside provider.

I think it should be like that for union membership.  When someone gets offered a job, they should be given brochures from various unions (ie Teamsters, AFL-CIO, SEIU, AFSCME, etc) and note which union they want to join, or even chose not to join a union. However, if a person chose not to join a union, they'll need to pay for their own representation when trouble occurs on the job. 

Unions can represent their employees when it comes to negotiating pay rates and work conditions.  Being that businesses don't have infinite money, unions would have to be realistic in how much pay increases they can negotiate for.

Obviously, large corporations like Amazon & Walmart should pay their workers more. It is very important for their workers to be unionized so they can get the pay increases and improved work conditions that those giant businesses can afford.

With smaller businesses, unions may not be able to negotiate a $30 an hour wage, but they can negotiate slight increases.

But whether the workers are at a large corporation or a small business, they need the unions even more to demand better work conditions and most importantly, demand respect! 

Unite Here, Local 5 (which represents many hotel workers in Hawaii) has publicized their victories in getting the hotels to improve work conditions. 

learn more at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/uniteherehawaii/

======

As for the unemployment checks or any welfare in general, it is common for some people to resent those who get paid without working. Even when growing in public housing, I've heard gossip about who is "working the system" and "who is getting benefits because they're lazy". But really, so what?

I really don't resent those who get paid while not working.

Some will yell "My taxes", "taxation is theft" and the sort.

But if you're really really concerned about your taxes, those getting welfare checks should be the LEAST of your concerns.

The US military is stretched overseas, getting involved in foreign conflicts and having bases in countries rich enough to fund their own military. And add to all that, the defense contractors get rich with all the spending on weaponry and will put facilities in districts of representatives who take their money.

Agribusiness & fossil fuel industry also get billions in subsidies from our taxpayer's money. 

Learn more about "Welfare for the Rich" from John Stossel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwpIBJ3jbFA

Also, so much of our infrastructure spending is mismanaged. In Hawaii, billions have been spent on a rail system that is taking forever to complete. And recently, it was found that the wheels of the train and the track it's supposed to run on don't match.  But the consultants continue to live large off our taxes!

learn more at

Dan Nakaso, “Honolulu’s Rail Project Plagued with Wheels Too Thin and Tracks Too Wide,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, May 7, 2021, https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/05/07/hawaii-news/honolulus-rail-project-plagued-with-wheels-too-thin-and-tracks-too-wide/.

Spending on unemployment & welfare is pennies compared to all that! 

If employers want more workers, they should provide a better workplace! Treat their workers with respect, reduce stress levels, take safety seriously, and allow for bathroom breaks.  When a workplace treats the workers well, the workers will tell their friends and will even recruit them. Who knows, they might even convince a friend who is on welfare to take a leap into the world of employment. When that former welfare recipient is treated with respect on the job, he/she will feel a sense of pride & dignity. 

I've heard all the arguments that welfare deters their recipients from initiative to improve their life. But you know what really deters people from taking initiative from improving their life? Abusive employers who treat their employees like trash knowing they're not going to leave because they fear becoming homeless. When people feel like their only options are to either continue working at the abusive workplace or go homeless, they'll usually take the abuse.

With the pandemic shutting down workplaces, some workers finally feel free of the abusive workplaces and finally have the chance to take initiative to find a better employment situation. 

examples mentioned in 

Eli Rosenberg, “'the final straw': Pandemic Pushes Restaurant Workers Over the Edge,” Yahoo! News, May 24, 2021, https://news.yahoo.com/final-straw-pandemic-pushes-restaurant-200323148.html.

Associated Press, “Changed by Pandemic, Many Workers Won’t Return to Old Jobs,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, May 18, 2021, https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/05/18/breaking-news/changed-by-pandemic-many-workers-wont-return-to-old-jobs/.

Things like welfare, unemployment insurance, disability payments, and Universal Basic Income (UBI) are only meant to ensure the recipients have enough to survive (and usually it's not even that).  

People would rather have employment with higher pay, flexible schedules, a sense of purpose, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, a sense of respect.

The solution isn't so much "eliminate welfare" or "increase minimum wage", the solution is to Eliminate Workplace Abuse and provide Maximum Workplace Respect!

---------

And one more thing about welfare, people express concerns that recipients are going to use the money on drugs.

Look, I hate drugs! I even hate alcohol! I hate it so much that I threatened to pepper spray someone who kept encouraging me to get drunk! 

learn more about the incident at https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2019/07/still-resisting-peer-pressure-to-drink.html

But the reality is that the drug addicts are going to use their drugs no matter what!

So what would be the better scenario?

• 1) drug addicts doing their thing on the streets or at the public parks
• 2) drug addicts doing it in their subsidized apartment

I'd rather see scenario #2!

-------

And going back to "taxation is theft", a common phrase among libertarians.

 I have voted Libertarians in the past, my favorite presidential candidate of all time was Gary Johnson (2012, 2016), he believed in a lot of Libertarian ideals but more importantly believed in picking his battles wisely when he was a governor of New Mexico. 

(learn more from my blog post at https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2012/11/libertarian-movement-gaining-maturity.html)

As for me, I'd rather pay less taxes. But we have to be realistic and acknowledge that taxes aren't going away.  Even with all the non-profits out there, you're NOT EVER going to eliminate people's desire for the government to help people in need. The pandemic should've taught us that! 

I believe in eliminating property taxes. The progressive paradise  Sweden doesn't have property taxes! 

I prefer to replace the income tax with sales tax.  To keep the sales tax from being too regressive, I would eliminate taxes on food, shelter, health care items, and other items needed for basic survival. But I would tax the nice-to-have things (ie cars, electronics, etc) 

I still believe in libertarian goals like

• legalizing a whole bunch of stuff (ie gambling, drugs, adult industries, plastic bags, ghost guns and much more)
• de-escalating the police (and escalating the accountability standards for police)
• getting military out of foreign conflicts
• eliminating licensing for non-dangerous occupations (ie hair-braiding)
• allow for as much entrepreneurship as possible
• reduce zoning laws that restrain the building of more affordable housing
• end the Jones Act (shipping law that restrict foreign ships from going between US ports)
• treating people as individuals and not as "members of groups"

 

But the demonization by some libertarians on things like unions, unemployment checks, and welfare is where they lose me! 

I believe capitalism has improved our lives immensely.

But expecting people to endure workplace abuse, acting as leaving such situations is "easy", and demonizing unions & welfare doesn't win many converts for libertarianism, but it sure wins a lot of converts for socialism (even when proven socialism can have disastrous results, just look at North Korea or Venezuela) 

If we want people to respect capitalism, we have to be real about its pros & cons! 

This blog post is an example of that! 

======

Ps: Please also check out this article by Danny de Gracia  of the Honolulu Civil Beat with so many classic points

Danny de Gracia, “Let the People Get Paid to Stay home. It's Good for Us,” Honolulu Civil Beat, May 24, 2021, https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/05/danny-de-gracia-let-the-people-get-paid-to-stay-home-its-good-for-us/.

It should be no surprise that while tourists are again visiting Hawaii in droves, locals don’t want to get back into the dead-end jobs that put them at risk, pay them so little, and force them to deal with people or situations that are toxic and emotionally draining. And so long as Ige says it’s not safe to take off the mask, we shouldn’t be forcing people to go back to work in-person. 

The token unemployment benefits we pay are nothing compared to the subsidies we give to corporations or the grants that partner nonprofits receive to do the bidding of the state. 

It’s okay, apparently, to receive billions of dollars from the federal government, take forever to spend them, mismanage their use, but when it comes to giving people a few dollars for unemployment, we want to put them through a cheese grater to prove they’re not freeloading.

also this

Until then? We need less people on the road wearing down the infrastructure or polluting the environment. We need less people clogging up corporate human resources reviews of applications because people are applying just to comply with UI job search requirements. Let the people who want to work apply for work, and let the people who want to stay home, stay home – and let’s pay for them too.

 

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!)

------

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)

------------------------

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! 

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

(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.

=====

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

========

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/.

===

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/.

=====

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

=====

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