Am I still doing music?

 I had several people asking me if I'm still making music.

The last time Pablo The Mad Tiger Warrior released an album ("Science Fiction Music"), it was January 1, 2021. 

I did release a stand-alone single "Summer Fun" at the start of summer 2022.

It's now 2024, and people thought I gave up on music. 

No, but I've been busy with other stuff that takes up time.

But I do plan to release another album soon. I can't give you the release date yet.

I already selected the tracks.

I'm still in the process of editing a few tracks, basically improving them to enhance the listener's experience.  There's a few more I want to polish. 

Then I have to figure out what order the tracks will appear. I do have an idea of the first track and the last few tracks. 

Then artwork and videos.

At the same time, I still have a day job, plus organizing stuff at home, plus blogs, plus exercise, plus other stuff. 

And of course, I have to pay distribution & disc manufacturing costs. I already racked up a lot of debt. Getting my computer fixed last year, and replacing my smartphone this month (I'll blog on it soon) used up credit money I've planned to pay for this album's costs. 

But you can help by buying my music on Bandcamp, iTunes, and eBay.

You can buy merch with my art on RedBubble.

And you can also donate money to me via PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/pweg

With the right finances and sufficient time, you will get to hear Pablo The Mad Tiger Warrior next album, which will be "Urban Honolulu Jams 2"

Stay tuned! 

coming soon

So many thoughts, so little time! 

Busy with stuff!

Work!

Volunteered 2 weekends with the Friends of the Library of Hawaii's annual Book & Music Sale!

Got a new modem & router to connect my computer to the internet!

But what I hope to blog about soon is my latest smartphone, the Unihertz Titan. It's like the BlackBerry with a physical keyboard, but a different brand.

I hope to blog about it in the near future.

Stay tuned! 

letter to Kaiser Permanente regarding quack psychologist Dr Mark Verschell

 

Last month, I wrote the following blog post regarding quack psychologist Dr. Mark Scott Verschell

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/12/beware-of-psychologist-dr-mark-scott.html

and in the Christmas 2024 blog post, I pointed out that Dr. Verschell is a disciple of the devil.

Now, I have just faxed the following letter to Kaiser Permanente's Hawaii Grievance and Appeals Operations regarding Dr. Verschell

        From: Pablo Wegesend

To: Kaiser Permanente’s Hawaii Grievance and Appeals Operations 

This letter is in response to a letter that was sent to me  from your office.  The letter was dated January 03, 2024, though it was received in my mailbox on January 11, 2024.  The letter that was sent to me was in regards to my grievance against Dr. Mark Verschell.

Much of  what will be mentioned in this letter was expressed in a previous email to Kaiser Permanente, as well as phone conversations with Dr. Marie Ring (12/26/2023) and Dr, Michi Wong (01/02/2024). However, I will write about my experiences with Dr. Mark Verschell in this letter to ensure your office has as many details about the situation as possible.

I was assigned to Dr Mark Verschell by Kaiser Permanente on 12/12/2023. I set up my initial appointment with Dr Verschell for 12/23/2023.

Before the appointment, I emailed Dr Verschell information about my mental health as it relates to career development. I even gave him a word document listing the various challenges I experienced as well as my strengths and weaknesses.

During our initial appointment on 12/23/2023. I spoke of my background and some of my struggles with career development.  After I explain some of my situation, Dr Mark Verschell then asked me questions like “do you think you can change your employer’s mind”, and “who is in charge of the organization, you or the employer?” Both of those questions were asked in a negative, condescending, combative tone ask if he think I have never thought of those things before.

He also questioned why I quit negative work environments as if the main problem of my career development was quitting negative work environments.

He never considered that my leaving negative workplaces was my attempt to protect my mental health from further harm.

He talked to me as if I had never experienced speaking with mental health professionals before. However, I had past experiences with other mental health professionals before and I experienced better treatment.

Meanwhile, he hasn’t asked me essential questions that could’ve really got into the heart of my mental health struggles as it related to career development.

 For example, he never asked me if I had any history of depression.  If he did, I would’ve told him “yes” and we could’ve explored how my past experiences with negative workplaces contributed to my experience with depression.

He never asked an essential question like  "what physical and psychological effects he endured from those workplaces". If he did asked, I would’ve informed him that at times, my body was shaking, my heartbeat increased and I experienced effects of what could be described as a nervous breakdown. I would’ve told him that I become worried that negative work experiences could contribute to a heart attack. I would’ve told him that in February 2023, I have consulted doctors about my heart, but their EKG test and heart monitor wasn’t able to find any negative issues with my heart.

He could’ve asked me about whether I had any past positive workplace experiences. If he did, I would’ve told him about past workplaces where I thrived. I would've told you great stories of great supervisors. But he didn’t ask.

Toward the end of the session, I did ask him how he dealt with negative workplaces. He said he could do that in the next session. 

Throughout the initial session with Dr Verschell, I already had a negative first impression. I questioned myself whether I should continue with Dr Verschell or should I give him a second chance.  I usually have trouble making split-second decisions. I decided to just say yes to a second session, after all, I could always cancel if I still feel uncomfortable.

Usually, when it comes to quitting negative situations, I usually give myself 24 hours to make my decision final.

However, after my initial session with Dr Verschell, I felt such a negative first impression that I decided to send him a notice of cancellation of future services circa 30 minutes after the initial session ended.  That first impression of Dr Verschell was that bad.

In fact, my first impression of Dr Verschell was so bad that even the negative workplaces of the past have nowhere near the negative first impression that I got from him! 

On the following day, I did sent Dr Verschell an email further explaining why I refuse to do another session with him, where I felt he gone wrong with his negative tactics, and I compared his tactics with other (more positive) therapists I had in the past. In that email, I even gave him a chance to apologize. I got no response.

What really bothers me about Dr Verschell was his constant questioning of “do you think you can change your employer’s mind?” which totally misses the point of seeking mental health services.  Like does he really think I have never thought about that before.

Also, his aggressively questioning me of what I left negative workplaces shows his lack of understanding of how negative situations can cause psychological and even physical harm to those who experienced it.

I get the impression that Dr Verschell showed a severe lack of empathy that one would expect from a therapist. I felt as if he was talking down to me. It’s as if he doesn’t realize that I already had too much experience of people talking down to me, I already had enough experience of me talking down to myself, and that I needed someone to uplift me, not talk down to me.

Anyways, Mahalo for giving me the opportunity to express my negative experience with Dr Mark Verschell.

Sincerely,

Pablo Wegesend  

And to Dr. Verschell, you are now publicly exposed for who you are. You should've seen this coming! 

And even before writing this letter, the people I spoke to at Kaiser Permanente were horrified by what they heard about you. This letter just puts it all in writing for their official record! 

2024 has finally arrived

2024 has finally arrived!

 

My Final Blog post for 2023

 2023 as come to an end and I'm ready for next year! 

The biggest thing for me in 2023 was being a substitute teacher again.

Actually, I made a soft return in November 2022 (while I was still working part-time at Macy's), but this year, I was all in.

As mentioned in the blog post from May 2023

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-school-year-i-returned-to-school.html

So January, I was back with Kelly Services. I also reapplied with another private sub-agency Hi-Employment. I had a short history with Hi-Employment, for whom I worked with in late 2018. I had a longer history with Kelly Services. (2012-2018). I left both at the end of 2018, to take the library job with Kalākaua Middle School.

By February, I was working with both Kelly Services and Hi-Employment. Kelly Services works with private & charter K-12 schools.  Hi-Employment does that plus the private preschools as well as some Head Start sites. 

Though the bulk of my career is with the public schools, I haven't worked with them this year. The problem is that the DOE (like other state agencies) takes too long with job applications (the private agencies do background checks much faster) and even worse, take longer to pay employees. With the private agencies, I get paid next week Friday. With the DOE (or any state agency), I have to wait until the following month for my paycheck. I'd rather not wait.

If the Hawaii state government decides to start paying employees the following Friday, I'll reapply with the DOE  ASAP! But sadly, the state government is FILLED with people who just don't want to change anything. Meanwhile, they're losing out on people like me who would love to contribute but can't be waiting an eternity for their paycheck. 

I love the flexible scheduling that comes with substitute teaching. I also love going from school to school and working with the different students in different environments.  

The worst thing about substitute teaching (and other gig jobs) is that there's no sick leave or vacation pay.

I had a 3-week illness (the flu, no covid) so that means 3 weeks of not getting paid. Stayed home and rest because I had low energy, but lots of coughing and mucus.  I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

This summer, I still had sub gigs at the various preschools. And this winter vacation, I'm subbing at a Head Start site. But the next vacation has no guarantee of a sub gig! 

I'm on the lookout for a more profitable, full-time job where I can thrive. 

However, finding a steadier job with better pay that matches my talents and my psychological well-being has been a major challenge for me.  

As noted in a blog post from earlier this year....

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/03/my-mental-health-career-development.html

I did some have good temp jobs in the past, the problem is that they're temp

Library jobs are a good fit, the problem is people don't want to leave those positions, and I have to wait for someone to retire before a position opens up

When it comes to clerical work, organizing stuff is (usually) easy for me. The problem is having to do call-center duties, which would be too overwhelming for me

substitute teaching is a very good fit for me, the problem is there's no paid vacation or sick leave

I'm very selective in applying for positions so that I don't waste interviewing for positions that aren't a good match for me

it would be a good idea to apply for teaching assistant positions when possible. Just know if it's a good fit before applying

When applying for positions, the job listings usually list the generic criteria (especially true for state positions)  but when interviewing for the specific position, what the employer is looking for is usually more specific than the generic criteria listed in the initial job posting

When it comes to those kinds of interviews, I sometimes aced certain questions (because they match my previous experience) but as soon as they ask about something I have no previous experience with, the vibe of the room changes

When writing cover letters or doing the interview, I'm going to be more upfront about what works for me (ie. written guidelines, polite instructions, etc). This is to inform the employer ahead of time of how to best guide me, and also to weed out employers that don't want to make those accommodations.

I did get some mental health services earlier this year. The problem is that after 9 months, he kept asking me the same questions (we're talking about open-ended questions that require long explanations) about things we discussed multiple times already. It's as if I was talking to the air. 

But sometimes, leaving one service provider can land you with someone even worse, as noted in the following blog post

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/12/beware-of-psychologist-dr-mark-scott.html

I do have plans & ideas for further mental health services for 2024! But I'll keep the details private for now as they're still just ideas not yet put into action. 

=========

This year marked my 2 decade anniversary at my current apartment. 

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/07/20-years-at-my-apartment-2-decades-of.html

I experienced the biggest rent increase going from 2022 to 2023. I was worried about another big increase for 2024. But lucky for me, 2024 rent is going to be the same as 2023.

But still, I need more revenue to remain in my apartment for the long term.  

I have considered the following options

• look for other apartments to move into
• ask friends if they want to be roommates in a 2+ bedroom apartment
• Apply to be roommate via the Hawaii Homesharing program
• stay in my current location and hope for the best.

I contacted the landlords for 2 affordable apartment units but I got no response.

I asked friends about being roommates, one expressed interest. We had discussions, but we haven't reached a final decision. 

========

This year also marked my 2-decade anniversary of this blog and my 1-decade anniversary of having a YouTube channel. 

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/10/2-decades-of-blogging-1-decade-on.html 

Just reading my earlier blog posts showed how far I have come in developing as a person, as well as how the world has changed over the years. 

Learn more at .

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/11/a-brief-reflection-on-old-blog-posts.html

========

Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior hasn't released any new music in 2023 and only released one single in 2022. This got people worried that I'm not making music anymore. 

Well, I haven't had as much time to make music, but I did make enough tracks for my next album, which I plan to call "Urban Honolulu Jam 2", a follow-up to my 1st "Urban Honolulu Jams" (released 2016).  I'm still in the process of changing titles for some of the tracks as well as figuring out what order should the songs appear.  Also, I still have to figure out how I'll pay for distribution and CD manufacturing since I already have more than enough debt as it is. I'm open for donations via PayPal  at  at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/pweg

 And don't forget  that Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior  has all kinds of merch (shirts, hats, pillows, postcards, stickers, magnets, and much more) showcasing my designs at RedBubble. They don't make it until you order it. Check out my designs and start shopping 😊 at https://www.redbubble.com/people/madtigerwarrior/explore

And going back to music, here are some of my favorite tracks from 2023

• Smith "Lemon"
• Latto v/Lu Kala "Lottery"
• Coi LeRay "Players"
• Lil Durk & J Cole "All My Life"
• Miley Cyrus "Flowers"
• Miley Cyrus "Jaded"
• Depeche Mode "Ghosts Again"
• Dua Lipa "Houdini"
• XG "Left Right"
• Toosii "Favorite Song"
• Chvrches "Over"
• Saweetie, Tyga, YG "Birthday"
• Big Boss Vette "All the Pretty Girls Walk Like This"
• Megan Trainor "Made You Look"
• Doja Cat "Paint the Town Red"
• Doja Cat "Agora Hills"
• Drake w/SZA & Sexy Red "Rich Baby Daddy"
• Lizzo w/SZA "Special"
• Tate McRae "Greedy"
• Jack Harlow "Lovin on Me"
• The Chainsmokers w/Shenseea - My Bad
• Teezo Touchdown "Familiarity"
• Tiesto, BIA, 21 Savage "Both"
• Post Malone "Chemical"
• Jonas Brothers - "Waffle House"
• Maneskin "Kool Kids"
• That Mexican OT, Paul Wall & Drodi "Johnny Dang"

and the nostalgia tracks

• Tyga, YG, Blxast "West Coast Weekend" 
• Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, RBX, The Lady Of Rage - "West Coast Party  2023"
• Pitbull w/ Lil Jon "Jumpin"
• Paul Russell "Lil Boo Thang" 
• Demi Lovato "Cool for the Summer (rock version)"
• Luke Combs "Fast Car"
• Hannah Laing, HVRR "Party All the Time"
• Bobbi Storm "We Can't Forget Him"

and to end this year, and will probably be more impactful in 2024

• Nicki Minaj w/ J Cole "Let Me Calm Down"

notable deaths of 2023

 Earlier this year, I have written the following blog posts on prominent people who have passed away this year.

on David Crosby, Pelé, Barbara Walters (the last 2 died in late Dec 2022)    https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/01/notes-on-recent-deaths.html

on Tina Turner, Tony Bennett, Sinead O'Connor, Jim Brown & Jerry Springer       https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/07/notes-on-recent-deaths.html

on Pee-Wee Herman and Magoo      https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/08/pee-wee-and-magoo.html

Closer to home here in Hawaii, on Tracy Ryan & David Nahinu                 https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/03/notes-on-recent-deaths.html

Jim Leahey and Gregg McMackin (aka Coach Mack) https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/02/jim-leahey-and-coach-mack-2-legends-of.html

Bob Wagner                                                                 https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/10/in-memory-of-bob-wagner-1947-2023.html

I didn't have time to post about other prominent people who have passed away this year, but now I have time. I definitely won't be able to blog about every prominent person who died this year. I'll just write about those who have done something I found interesting. 

=====

Jimmy Buffett was the musician that was known as the life of the party.  His biggest hit "Margaritaville" was the anthem for Westerners who move and/or visit the tropical areas for a good time. He had a cult following called the "parrotheads" who come to his concerts with parrot hats (and sometimes, real parrots).  Beyond his image as a tropical slacker, he was a real hustler with a business empire of restaurants, clothing lines, stores and more. 

learn more at https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/jimmy-buffett-margaritaville-singer-dies-072354351.html

https://reason.com/2023/12/25/jimmy-buffett-bard-of-the-florida-man/

--------

Steve Harwell was another singer with party tracks. He was the lead singer of Smash Mouth, an alternative rock band that was popular at the dawn of the new millennium (also happened to be the time I went from high school to college).  "Walking on the Sun" was the band's 1st hit, but the most popular one was "All Star", the perfect jam for any part. They also covered the Monkees "I'm a Believer" which was part of the "Shrek" soundtrack. Sadly, Harwell's life as his addiction to alcohol and other drugs lead to his downfall.

learn more at 

https://www.npr.org/2023/09/04/1197540017/smash-mouth-steve-harwell-dies 

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/sep/04/smash-mouth-steve-harwell-lead-singer-death

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/09/04/breaking-news/smash-mouth-frontman-steve-harwell-dies-at-56/

=====

Harry Belafonte was an entertainer & a civil rights activist. He was a descendant of Caribbean immigrants and brought the Caribbean influence to US American music before Bob Marley became a worldwide icon.  He was also an actor, who like Sidney Portier, who preferred dignified roles over stereotypical roles usually given to African American actors. All this during an era when the civil rights movement was about to launch. 

Belafonte not only supported civil rights movement, he also helped fund and organize some of the marches, including the famous  Freedom March on Washington.  Decades later, he organized Nelson Mandela's first trip to the USA.

He become UNICEF's Goodwill Ambassador and was involved in various humanitarian causes.

He continued to be critical of those in power, and he was especially disappointed by African-Americans who gained access to power. He blasted fellow Jamaican-American Collin Powell for his role in the US-Iraq war.. He also criticized Barack Obama for not caring enough for the poor and for not being radical enough.

learn more

https://www.npr.org/2023/04/25/516446742/harry-belafonte-dead

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/25/opinion/harry-belafonte.html

https://www.wshu.org/music/2023-12-29/island-man-how-harry-belafontes-caribbean-roots-helped-him-change-america

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/25/arts/music/harry-belafonte-dead.html

=====

Bobby Knight was a college basketball for Army, Indiana & Texas Tech. He was known for his knowledge of basketball strategies but even more well known for his temper tantrums.  He was verbally abusive to everyone who got anywhere near him. Not only his players, referees, and journalists but even college administrators. At Indiana, he was videotaped head-butting and choking players. But what really got him fired was grabbing the arm of a student (who wasn't on the team) who greeted him in an informal manner.

Needless to say, Bobby Knight wouldn't last in this era. Abusive coaches have lost their jobs in recent years, including but not limited to Urban Meyer and Todd Graham. The days when coaches could get away with anything are now over.

Learn more on Bobby Knight at        https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/01/sport/bobby-knight-death-coach-health-spt/index.html

======

Henry Kissinger was the US Secretary of State under Richard Nixon. This was during the Cold War when the USA and the Soviet Union were competing over who would be the dominant power. While the USA prides itself on "freedom", its foreign policy was more about advancing power than advancing freedom. Kissinger supported fascist dictators in Chile, and supported massive bombings in Southeast Asia.  For that, he was confronted even decades later by protesters. 

learn more at

https://www.npr.org/2023/11/30/1216237476/henry-kissingers-complicated-legacy

 https://jacobin.com/2023/08/henry-kissinger-war-crimes-realpolitik-rehabilitation

======

Norman Lear was a TV producer not afraid of controversial content. Back in the early 70s, there was no cable TV, much less the internet. TV shows tended to sugarcoat the reality of the world. Norman Lear lead TV into a new direction, with sitcoms that addressed racism, sexism, poverty, abortion and much more. His famous show "All in the Family" was known for family arguments about all those issues. The main character Archie Bunker was a racist sexist set in his ways even as the world around him changed. He constantly clashed with his more liberal family members.   His other shows included "Maude" (focused on a white liberal feminist) "Good Times" (focused on a low-income African-American family) and  "The Jeffersons" (focused on an upper-class African-American family).   

Norman Lear later focused on activism, starting a liberal organization "People for the American Way" to counteract against religious conservative groups like "Christian Coalition" and "The Moral Majority" 

learn more at                                                   https://time.com/6343345/norman-lear-dead-obituary/  

https://www.salon.com/2022/07/27/norman-lear-100-birthday/

https://www.salon.com/2023/12/07/norman-lear-was-a-true-hollywood-liberal-for-better-and-for-worse/  

======

Pat Robertson was the leader of the Christian Coalition, a politically conservative group that encouraged evangelical Christians to vote Republican. He even attempted to be a nominee for US president back in 1988, but George HW Bush had the upper-hand as the vice-president under Ronald Reagan.

Robertson was known for his lunatic rants. He blamed various various natural disasters on the populations of the areas. He thought hurricanes that hit Louisiana and Florida were punishment for hosting gay pride parades. He thought the 2004 tsunami that devastated South & Southeast Asian nations was a punishment for those countries for having a non-Christian majority. He thought the 2010 earthquake in Haiti was punishment for the voodoo faith of some of the residents. He also expressed agreement with Jerry Falwell's rants that blamed the LGBT, ACLU, pagans and feminists for the 9/11 attacks. 

Robertson called others "satanic", yet he aligned himself with dictators of Liberia & Zaire (now known as Democratic Republic of Congo). Who's satanic now?

learn more at 

https://www.npr.org/2023/06/08/584849772/pat-robertson-dies-televangelist-and-a-leader-of-the-religious-right

https://www.aaronrosspowell.com/p/speaking-ill-of-the-dead

=======

Silvio Berlusconi was Italy's version of Donald Trump: a celebrity mogul turned right-wing leader of the nation. Both used xenophobia as a selling point voters, both had sexual assault allegations. Both corrupt and sore losers when voted out of office.

learn more at 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/12/world/europe/silvio-berlusconi-dead.html

=======

Carolyn Bryant (later known as Carolyn Bryant Donham) was the Mississippi store clerk known for her connection to the 1955 Emmett Till murder case. Till was an African-American teen from Chicago and was visiting relatives in Mississippi. Accustomed to a more integrated environment, he wasn't hesitant to flirt with European-American females. However, this was still the Jim Crow era, and inter-racial mixing was considered a deadly taboo. 

After Till flirted and whistled at Ms. Bryant, his cousins got him out of there immediately, knowing what might happen. What did happen was Bryant's husband (Roy Bryant) and his older brother (JW Milam) found the house Till was staying in, kidnapped him, tortured him and dumped his body in the river. 

The trial got worldwide attention. An all-white jury acquitted Mr. Bryant and Mr. Milam. Knowing that double-jeopardy laws protected the acquitted from further consequences, both men bragged about the incident in a magazine interview.

While Emmett Till didn't get the official justice he truly deserved, the Bryants and Milam because social outcasts. Even their early supporters didn't want to be seen with them. They lived on the run, moving from town to town, hoping the media would never find them.

Mr Bryant and Mr Milam died before the turn of the century. The social media age began, and it was easier for information about Ms Bryant's whereabouts to become public. Her last years included protests outside the senior-citizen's homes she resided in.  

Learn more at https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/27/us/carolyn-bryant-donham-dead.html

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/7/26/2183381/-And-What-About-Emmett-Till-s-Killers-Turns-Out-The-Local-Black-Community-Took-Its-Revenge

=======

Sandra Day O'Connor was the first female member of the US Supreme Court. She was appointed in 1981 by Ronald Reagan and was the only women there for a decade until Bill Clinton appointed Ruth Bader Ginsburg (aka the RBG).  She retired in 2006.

Though she was appointed by a Republican and usually sided with the center-right, she did disappoint conservatives who wanted judges that would vote against abortion.  She expressed skepticism of affirmative action but upheld a university's affirmative action program in a 2003 ruling. 

learn more at 

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sandra-Day-OConnor

https://www.biography.com/legal-figures/sandra-day-oconnor

========

Mangosuthu Buthelezi was a Zulu nationalist in an era when South Africa was transitioning away from apartheid.  His Inkatha Party disagreed with Nelson's Mandela's African National Congress (ANC) on strategies and tactics. Buthelezi didn't agree with the ANC on their advocacy of a worldwide boycott of South Africa, nor did he agree on their socialist aims.

South Africa's apartheid government gave several African tribes some small amount of land to rule over (known as "bantustans". Buthelezi was the leader of KwaZulu, the Zulu homeland. However, that wasn't enough as those  bantustans were located in remote areas and were only a tiny portion of South Africa.  They did nothing to protect the rights of the majority of the indigenous African populations. Buthelezi was seen by some as a "sellout" for accepting the position of ruling over a bantustan. 

After Mandela was released, Buthelezi was Mandela's main rival when it came to support of the country's indigenous African populations. Buthelezi was the spokesperson for the Zulus who felt they might be left behind in favor of Mandela's Xhosa tribe.  Mandela and Buthelezi eventually made peace as it was inevitable that Mandela would be elected as the first indigenous African president of South Africa. Buthelezi then worked for Mandela as the minister of home affairs. 

Learn more at 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/09/world/africa/mangosuthu-buthelezi-dead.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66308185

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

Gangsta Boo was the only female member of Three 6 Mafia, a gangsta rap group from Memphis. She was part of the group when they became underground legends but left before the group had mainstream success. She later focused on making solo albums and collaborations with other rappers. 

She was known for both her aggressive rhymes and sex appeal. She paved the way for other female hardcore rappers like Cardi B, Remy Ma, Kamaiyah,  Trina, Khia, La Chat, GloRilla and more. 

learn more at https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/gangsta-boo-lola-mitchell-three-6-mafia-dead-obit-1234655043/

Merry Christmas

 Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior wishes you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas

(note: merch with the above images (and more) are available on RedBubble at https://www.redbubble.com/people/madtigerwarrior/explore

====

And today celebrates Jesus Christ, the man who was sent by God on a "suicide mission" to help heal the people and get them to follow God's light. Jesus sacrificed his life for the truth  and was killed by those who can't stand the truth!

And I feel like I was sent to Earth by God for a purpose. To sacrifice myself to expose the truth to the world

At first, I thought I was going to do that by being a media mogul with a record label, TV/radio show, the works.

None of that worked out that way!  I didn't get the status of a major executive producer. At 43, all I have is my blog and instrumental tracks! And a tiny bank account. I sometimes I feel that I failed as an adult to gain a higher status in life.

But I feel that God has sent me here to go on various "suicide missions" disguised as "opportunities" to expose rotten people in various institutions! Whether it was educational programs, jobs, internships, or even clinical settings, if I find psychologically dangerous people, I can't be silent about it. God wants me to publicly expose it on my blog, my YouTube channel and spread the word on social media.

And what do I get out of it? Not money, in fact, I lose a lot of money in the process. 

Sometimes, I have found an opportunity that I thought would be "The One" which turns out to be filled with corrupt, psychologically dangerous people, and I end up being the one who exposes it all. And if I have to start from scratch all over again. 

While the phrase "silence is violence" can sound overly self-righteous, I feel like I'm doing the world a major disservice if I'm silent about corrupt, psychologically dangerous people I come across in real life. Lowlife scum thrives with the silence of others! While I can't be too harsh on those who remain silent, I'll be the one who sacrifices myself so that those who are exposed won't be able to hurt others anymore.

Sometimes, I wish God would just give me the money without all the drama. Why I gotta be the one doing these "suicide missions" of exposing psychologically dangerous people hidden within the various institutions I come across? Why should I be doing all the work in exposing people within institutions? Why can't other people pick up the slack, so I can just relax and chill for once?  But if it's got to be me, then I guess it is. 

Don't get me wrong, I have had opportunities to work with great people and I appreciate them all! My current employers are great (hope they stay that way) but it's all just temp/on-call work without sick leave or vacation pay. 

But even if my current employer is great to me, I end up coming across other people in non-employment situations that need to be publicly exposed.

In fact, in my previous post, I wrote about a devil's disciple disguised as a mental health professional (Dr. Mark ScottVerschell). He tells me that I shouldn't be quitting those negative workplaces I left, that I should stick with those employers to gain seniority and gain money and status. See, this is the Devil trying to play games with me, telling me to "go along to get along" with truly shady people! 

Don't be surprised if Dr Mark Verschell used his position as a mental health professional to discourage people from exposing sexual harassment, racism, and unsafe practices in the workplace.  Dr Mark Scott Verschell is truly the devil's disciple. 

Well, I guess that was a "suicide mission" that was disguised as a mental health healing opportunity that turned out to be another psychologically dangerous person to be publicly exposed.

I mentioned this on a community social media outlet "NextDoor" and someone told me "You are not doing yourself any favors by posting these things. For all you know, your employer is reading them." This is Not about doing myself any favors, it's about doing the world a favor by exposing psychologically dangerous people, and if I have to sacrifice myself, then so be it!

Plus, my employer can read whatever they want. You can't live your whole life living in fear of what your employer might read! Your employer doesn't make the final call on whether you go into heaven or hell! Think about that!

But yeah, I really hope that in 2024, I will just get a great opportunity without all the drama. I would LOVE to take a break from these "suicide missions" and have other people pick up the slack for once. Or better yet, I just win money from Publisher's Clearing House, use it to finally become a media mogul, and have a bigger platform to spread the words of truth without having to be the one doing those "suicide missions".

But I also have to mention that my struggles, as frustrating as they are, are simply First World Problems compared to the ones facing journalists in war zones around the world exposing massive human rights abuse. I have it easy in comparison.

Merry Christmas