For the next Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior album, here's what's been done so far
all tracks completed
the order the tracks will appear has been finalized
I started the album cover artwork (front cover is completed, back cover started but not completed)
Here's what still needs to be done
complete CD design
come up with & complete an album description
figure out whether to order a basic post-production tune-up (cheaper) or get full mastering services (highly recommended but also highly expensive and therefore highly out of my budget range)
disc manufacturing (plan to go with a cheaper service than the last time)
apply for online distribution with CD Baby
videos
So what's holding me back?
Basically time and money!
Those who want to help with the money part can help with the following options
The last time I wrote a political blog (July 8), I questioned whether Biden or Trump were the best 2 people that a nation of 300 million people could come up with to be their leader.
First, there was the assassination attempt against Donald Trump at an outdoor rally.
A few days later, there was the Republican convention! Trump was seen as a survivor, and JD Vance was seen as a hero for the working class. Plus, having Hulk Hogan at the convention brought excitement. How the hell the Democrats going to top that when all they have is past-his-prime Biden?
Then THE BIG NEWS! Joe Biden ended his presidential campaign.
Despite pessimistic predictions, it didn't take long for the Democratic Party to unite around current vice-president Kamala Harris. After all, she's the only person that could inherit the money raised for the Biden-Harris campaign.
Back in 2019/2020, Kamala Harris tried running for president. She didn't inspire confidence. It was obvious that she was pandering to the far-left who already thought she was a corporate Democrat! She wasn't ready for prime time.
But now she is! She reintroduced herself to the country as a center-left candidate who is ready to take command. She reminded us that she was a prosecutor who stood up to con artists, sex offenders, and whatever other categories Donald Trump belonged to.
As for who would be Kamala Harris's vice-president, there were some strong names in the running. Like Josh Shapiro, Gretchen Whitmer, Andy Beshear and Pete Buttigieg.
However, the relatively unknown Tim Walz came out of the shadows with his soundbites taunting Donald Trump. The Democrats needed excitement, and Tim Walz brought it.
Part of politics is balance. Kamala Harris is a woman from the West Coast, part of the coastal liberal elites. Tim Walz is a man from the rural Midwest and has won elections in rural counties that normally vote Republican. Tim Walz has masculine credentials as a former member of the National Guard and a former football coach. However, his masculinity is the one that isn't afraid to stand up for the vulnerable of our society. He was the advisor to his school's Gay-Straight Alliance long before any state embraced same-sex marriage. For many, Tim Walz is the dad they wish they had
And the recently completed Democrat convention brought more excitement than the Republican convention! All the stars were there. The speakers taunted Donald Trump with a mix of aggression and humor. And to top it all off, Lil Jon performed snippets of his biggest hits during roll call.
Meanwhile, RFK Jr was supposed to be the most prominent of third-party candidates. He was once known as an environmental lawyer associated with the far-left. But his anti-vax views became popular with the far-right during the covid lockdowns.
Whatever RFK Jr's support from the environmentalists he had left was pretty much gone when he told of his bizarre story of dumping a dead bear cub in NYC's Central Park.
RFK Jr pretty much surrendered and endorsed Donald Trump!
However, third-party supporters aren't totally out of hope.
The Libertarians have Chase Oliver, who is the mold of past candidate Gary Johnson. Jill Stein is back for the Green Party.
Activist/professor Cornel West is also running for president, though he won't be on the ballot for most states.
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As for Hawaii, it was one of the most boring primary season ever!
The only excitement was for state House races in Kakaako (where Kim Coco Iwamoto beat incumbent Scott Saiki) and Mililani (where Trish La Chica beat Ken Inouye).
Honolulu mayor's race was just the incumbent (Rick Blangiardi) versus a few candidates with minimal name recognition.
Several offices had only one candidate running. Snooze!
Very low voter turnout!
The general election would have more turnout because that's when people can vote for president.
Hawaii is most definitely going blue as usual! Even though Trump has some passionate supporters here, the general population here thinks of him as a pathetic joke. Kamala Harris will win Hawaii easily!
Here are a few thoughts on the recently concluded Summer Olympic Games. There's so much going on within the 2 weeks that I'm not even going to bother commenting on even half of what happened. But I just want to share a few thoughts.
1. ) the sad end to health precautions
Back in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, there were strict protocols regarding the players' health. There was constant testing, and those who tested positive for covid had to withdraw and quarantine.
This time, it was anything goes!
USA track athlete Noah Lyles knew he was infected but competed anyways, putting his competitors, coaches, trainers, etc. at risk.
Lyles may be one of the fittest people on Earth but that didn't mean he was invincible. He collapsed towards the end of one of his races. Also, the people he came into contact with (i.e.. coaches, trainers) aren't required to be the fittest and could have had possible vulnerabilities to infections.
And I liked Noah Lyles from the time he mocked the idea that the NBA champions are "world champions".
But I blame the organizers more than Lyles himself for putting others at risk. Athletes are mentally trained to get out there even when they're not at their prime. To them, the Olympics are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, never to be missed. It isn't surprising many would go on the fields/courts/etc. even when they're not feeling well.
This is why the leaders must step up and say "No, you're not going out there, you need to quarantine"
The Olympics should return to the public health protocols, testing athletes for infections and telling them to quarantine if tested positive.
2.) Imane Khelif
Imane Khelif is a female boxer from Algeria.
In the early rounds, she fought Italian boxer Angela Carini. Carini basically surrendered easily and the fight was over.
But the internet rumor-mongering was beginning.
There were rumors that Khelif was "a man" and "transgender". There were screams of "how dare they let a man fight a woman in the boxing ring!"
But it's all based on lies.
Imane Khelif was born a woman, and her childhood pictures confirm that she looked like an average girl.
But because her body produces more testosterone than the average female, people just assumed "she's a man", when she's not!
Algeria isn't known for being progressive on gender issues and they wouldn't allow a "man" or a "transgender" person to compete in women's sports.
Also, if you watch the actual boxing match between Imane Khelif vs Angela Carini, it would be mega-obvious that it was nowhere near a brutal beatdown. I've seen preschool girls fight more aggressively than that! Carini just surrendered easily after a few punches from someone a few inches taller. That's all it was.
And while Khelif continued on to win gold this time around, she didn't always have success against other female boxers. This isn't a "man" who dominates women in the ring. This is a woman who had a mixed record of success & failure and stepped her game up to gain more consistent success.
So this idea that a so-called "man" fights women in the boxing ring is NONSENSE!
When a man dominates in sports, people admirably say "he's a beast" and give him superhero status.
But when a woman dominates in sports, too many people dismiss the results by calling her a "man". Sad that people have to be negative about someone being successful!
3. ) Simone Biles is back to dominate
Back in 2021, USA gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from competition due to mental health reasons.
On social media, we had non-athletes like Charlie Kirk and Matt Walsh questioning her toughness. Nevermind that Kirk is only tough when debating college freshmen, and Walsh is only tough behind the mic on his podcast. I've seen zero evidence of athletic prowess from either of them.
This time, Biles came back stronger than ever, winning more gold medals.
Meanwhile, still no apology from Kirk or Walsh.
4. ) Break dancing at the Olympics
While many sports appear at every Olympics (like track, swimming, gymnastics, and much more), others just make a one-time appearance based on what the people at the hosting site are interested in.
For example, while the Japanese martial arts judo appears in every Olympics, karate made a one-time special appearance at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
And for the 2028 LA Olympics, flag football will make a one-time appearance.
This time, it is break dancing (or breaking) that makes a one-time appearance.
And there were the sourpusses who complained about "cultural appropriation" because many of the participants were of non-African-American ancestry.
(Jeffrey Louis aka Jeffro shined in the early rounds but didn't win a medal)
I mean, surfing started in Hawaii, but you can't expect every nation to send a Native Hawaiian participant.
(USA did have Carissa Moore who won gold in 2021 but didn't medal this time around. A Tahitian man Kauli Vaast won the men's gold for France this year)
You don't get to the Olympics by looking like the originators of the sport.
You get to the Olympics by excelling in the sport.
Breaking may have started in the African-American communities in New York in the 1970s, but it has since gone worldwide. It has become popular in Europe and Asia. Which was why Paris organizers decided to host breaking, and also why many participants are of Asian ancestry (including those who represent non-Asian countries).
After all, basketball was started by a Canadian man of European ancestry who immigrated to the United States. That would be James Naismith. But even Team USA is filled with people who look NOTHING like Mr. Naismith. Even European teams (like France) had many players who are of non-European ancestry.
This whining about cultural appropriation is pure garbage.
And those who whine "we African-Americans started breaking, why so many participants not like us?" ............ do what Jeffro did and put yourself in competitions and shine!
After all, if Naismith's descendants want to shine in basketball, they have to put in the work instead of whining about cultural appropriation.
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as for Australian breaker Raygun, I'm not even going to join the cyberbullying brigade. At this point, I think she suffered enough. She may not have fascinated the crowd, but it's not like she put anyone in danger!
The University of Hawaii at Mānoadoesn't provide the same library hours during summer compared to the Spring & Fall semesters.
Back in 2015, I was a student at the university. The shorter library hours during the summer sessions were a major challenge. I still didn't have a computer at home and relied on the library's computers to accomplish any tasks that required the use of a computer. So everything that required a computer had to be done by 18:00 (aka 6 pm).
At the time, I was my major's (Library & Information Science) representative in the university's Graduate Student Organization (GSO). I drafted a resolution for increased library hours during the summer. The resolution was approved by the G.S.O in July of that year.
Later that year, I presented a poster at the 2015 Hawaii Library Association (HLA) conference about the need for extended library hours during the summer.
Back in 2015, when I was a student at UH-Manoa, I noticed the school’s library was open for fewer hours during the summer school sessions compared to the fall/spring semesters. That year, I drafted a resolution that was approved by the school’s Graduate Student Organization calling for increased library hours during the summer sessions.
It’s now nine years later and nothing has changed. This is problematic especially because summer sessions cram 16 weeks of coursework into six weeks, making it more essential for students to get as much library time as possible.
The shorter hours are also a major inconvenience for those with daytime responsibilities, as well as for those without a computer or quiet study space at home.
The university should do the right thing in ensuring that future summer school sessions will have the same library hours available as the fall and spring semesters.
Pablo Wegesend
The good news was that the editors deemed it worthy to be posted online.
The bad news was that they decided to post on the Saturday edition, and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser doesn't publish a print edition for Saturdays. (Their website does post a print replica online though).
It would've been nice if they posted it on the Sunday edition, when more people are reading the newspapers. For devoted newspaper readers, the Sunday edition is always the best one!
Oh well, can't win them all.
But I truly hope that the students at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa can win a major victory with extended library hours for future summer sessions.
The United States of America has 300+ million people!
And yet, we are being told that have to chose between Joe Biden & Donald Trump!
Image from the CNN debate 06/27/2024
Donald Trump, Joe Biden
Is this the best 2 that a nation of 300 million can come up with?
Donald Trump is a racist, a rapist, a fascist, and a con artist.
That much is really well-established!
He has a rabid following who cheers him on, even as he changes his positions and denies what he said earlier.
Hillary Clinton was being generous when she pointed out that half his base is "racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic" and therefore "a basket of deplorables".
Trump doesn't even live a conservative Christian lifestyle but many conservative Christians support him because he promised them to support their anti-abortion agenda. And this is a guy who doesn't use condoms when having sex with porn stars.
Trump also appeals to the covidiots who want to live in a fantasy land in which the coronavirus never existed.
Trump also benefitted from the fact other Republican candidates (ie Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ted Cruz) turn soft and meek when Trump ridicules them.
Chris Christie showed excessive softness against Trump back in 2016, and while he finally showed fighting spirit against Trump this year, it was too little, too late.
Nikki Hailey showed some grit in challenging Trump, but her aggressive foreign policies no longer appealed to many Republicans the way it did back when George W. Bush was president.
Also, while Hailey seemed moderate in comparison to Trump, her proposal for the government to verify the identity of social media users exposed her fascist tendencies.
And to challenge Donald Trump, what do the Democrats have?
Joe Biden?
I'm old enough to remember when Joe Biden was known as a loud, passionate speaker.
His constant gaffes and tendency to exaggerate were always there, but nobody could deny his energy and vigor.
But now?
What energy? What vigor?
It was only circa 5 minutes into his debate last month when I realized we are in deep trouble.
When Biden lost his train of thought, Trump pounced and showed no mercy!
This went on throughout the debate!
Trump was his usual loud self (though he didn't interrupt as many times as he did in the 2020 debates)!
Meanwhile, even when Biden had strong points, his delivery was weak!
(the one exception was when Biden told off Trump, saying that his deceased veteran son wasn't a sucker or a loser, that it was Trump that was a loser)
Optics matter!
It was obvious that Biden had become a shell of his former self.
I'm old enough to remember Biden debated Sarah Palin (2008) and Paul Ryan (2012)!
In those debates, Biden seemed strong and in command.
That Biden is now gone. It's over.
And it wasn't just about one debate.
It was also clips after clips over the months showing Biden looking dazed and confused at various events.
It was also his post-debate interview where he seemed dazed and confused and couldn't even confirm whether he watched footage of his recent debate.
He's long past his prime!
On social media, I read posts by medical professionals in geriatric care noting that Biden is showing signs of dementia.
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Some say debates shouldn't matter in elections.
But part of an executive leader's job is public speaking. It is one's job to express that you can take charge of a difficult situation.
It was obvious Biden couldn't do it anymore.
When it comes to influencing people, a show of strength matters.
As Bill Clinton stated in 2002(when George W. Bush was in power and the Republicans gained seats in Congress) that .....people prefer "Strong and Wrong" over "Weak and Right"
Read that again
people prefer "Strong and Wrong" over "Weak and Right"
Trump comes across as strong, even though he is usually wrong!
Biden came across as weak even when he said some right things.
Of course, some Biden supporters ridicule the idea that the debate will turn undecideds into Trump supporters.
But we have to remember ....... undecidedpeople can decide not to vote!
It's NOT enough to emphasize why we shouldn't vote for the opponent,
you also have to emphasize they should vote FOR you
It's NOT enough for Democrats to expect votes just because people are offended by Trump
Hillary Clinton relied on that strategy in 2016, but it didn't work.
Barack Obama won in 2008 and 2012 because he gave the people a feeling that they were voting FOR someone.
Bill Clinton won in 1992 and 1996 because he gave the people a feeling that they were voting FOR someone.
Hillary in 2016 and Biden in 2024 assumed they'd just get votes because "the other guy is bad"
But if the undecideds feel "Trump is BAD" but ALSO feel unimpressed by Biden (which they are now) or Hillary (which they were in 2016) then those undecided people will DECIDE NOT TO VOTE!
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Yes, we have minor party candidates (like RKF Jr, Cornel West, Chase Oliver)
Yes, the media has been long irresponsible in refusing to give more coverage to lesser-known candidates.
But unless a miracle happens, it will be Biden vs Trump!
Trump already showed that he won't take NO for an answer. He refused to admit defeat in 2020 and he promised to pardon those involved in the January 6 insurrection. He will fall all appointable positions with loyalists. Trump is out for blood and will do anything to stay in power as long as he can.
This election is too important for the Democrats to rely on someone who is obviously past his prime.
This election is too important for the Democrats to assume victoryjust because Trump offends people.
It's time for Joe Biden to step down. It's time for him to do what LBJ did in 1968 and withdraw from his re-election campaign.
It's time for a new generation to carry the torch.
Vice-President Kamala Harris isn't a perfect candidate, but she can better relate to the people of today than Biden could.
Even though she isn't the best public speaker, with some practice (and some bullet points prepared), she can show that she is tough enough to take on Donald Trump. She can show that she is in command!
Then maybe, the undecideds can decide "I can trust Kamala Harris to be president".
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UPDATE:
I made a 10-minute video speech declaring that "I'm NOT impressed by Trump or Biden"
Somebody on LinkedIn posted the following about cover letters
I don’t believe in cover letters! I am sorry if you do, but if I come across a job application that still requires a cover letter I don’t even bother continuing it. In 2024, who has time to write let alone read hundreds of letters, most of which are written by AI? I think cover letters are overrated and an extremely naive way to shortlist candidates. You can get to know much of what’s written in someone’s letter by checking their LinkedIn profile or maybe asking for references. Do you agree?
Well, I don't agree!
And this is my response
I write cover letters even if I wasn't asked to.
Because I want to put my experience into context.
A resume is just a list. A cover letter puts life of what's on that listand gives a fuller explanation of how my experience fits the job I'm applying for.
Also, an interview can only cover so much, and the ones conducting the interview might forget to ask you for essential information that shows you're a great fit for the job.
So instead of complaining about writing another cover letter, EMBRACE the opportunity to write another fantastic cover letter!
Who knows, it might unlock the door to the ultimate opportunity of a lifetime.
A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) has been a major part of the conversation within the last few years.
A.I. can analyze data faster, and with that, it could threaten jobs.
(Note how many times people told me that A.I. would make my library career goals obsolete).
But A.I. isn't a God. It's not even human.
A.I. is just a mish-mash of data inputted by some humans. It doesn't record all of human knowledge.
And more importantly, A.I. doesn't even have empathy.
Empathy is something that is grown through experiencing emotions, whether it's you experiencing situations, or you learning about other people's situations.
And when it comes to life-or-death situations, empathy has to be part of the equation.
When it comes to life-or-death situations, it should be human intelligence, not artificial intelligence, that makes the final decision.
The following is from a recent article by a medical doctor.
Dr. Eric Snoey, “Wait Times Go down. Patient Satisfaction Goes Up. What’s the Matter with Letting Apps and AI Run the ER?,” MSN, May 19, 2024,
The basic problem with hospitals’ growing obsession with efficiency is this: Algorithmic systems treat all patients the same, expecting precise, like-for-like responses to every question with just the right amount of detail. Except every patient is unique. And they tend to give up their stories at their own pace, in broken, non-linear fits and starts, sometimes conflating truth and fiction in ways that can be counterproductive and frustrating, but also uniquely human. I am often reminded of Jack Webb in the old TV series “Dragnet” imploring a witness to offer “just the facts, ma’am, just the facts.” In real life, whether from situational stress, self-delusion, superstition, health illiteracy, mental illness, drugs or alcohol, my patients' initial version of their complaint is rarely "just the facts” or the final word on the subject.
The doctor later mentioned about his situation dealing with a patient while working alongside a resident who used A.I. to analyze the patient's data
And so, I complimented my resident on her list of concerns but suggested that we spend a little more time with the patient. The story of her symptoms didn’t feel complete. I recommended my resident grab a chair and simply ask the patient about her life. What emerged was the chaotic picture of an exhausted part-time student by day, working two evening waitressing jobs and surviving on pizza, pasta and energy drinks. She had always had a "fragile stomach."
Our list of reasonable diagnoses was expanding and contracting, replaced with irritable bowel syndrome, food intolerances, gut motility issues, all overlying a stressed individual barely keeping it together. The labs, ultrasound or CT scan initially proposed now seemed irrelevant.
The result: The patient got out of the hospital faster. She received helpful suggestions about stress reduction, diet and sleep habits. She got an appointment with a primary care physician and avoided thousands of dollars in tests. Had we just relied on tests instead of asking a few more questions, there is a good chance we would have missed the best approach to her problem entirely.
Basically, the doctor asked the patient about her life situation and used that information to figure out how to best help that patient.
That's how I wanted to be treated when I receive medical care!
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As for my writings, I could put out more content if I used Chat GPT.
But that wouldn't be honest.
The whole point of writing my blog is to share MY perspective.
MY perspective.
Not a machine's perspective.
I approach writing as sharing my unique individualized thought process.
There's nothing unique nor individualizedabout using an A.I. program to spit out content.
Yes, I used spell check and Grammarly to edit what I'm writing. I also use a Citation Generator to help me properly note my information sources.
But that's all the A.I. I used in writing my blog posts.
I wish Grammarly had been around when I started blogging, it might've saved me from embarrassing grammar errors that I only found when reading some of my posts years later.
While Grammarly can give me suggestions for improving my blog post's grammar, I can ignore them when I want.
I make the final decision of what appears on my blog.
