Chad. Thad. Brad. If those names don’t sound familiar to you, then I don’t know what you’re on. Today, I want to talk about my experiences living in the Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) frat house during Fall Quarter of 2018 at University of Washington. It was my first quarter on campus since returning from overseas studies in Sāmoa. After completing an abbreviated term of AmeriCraps that summer, I moved back to campus as a sublease in an ATO fraternity house (however, I never actually became a member of the frat). That decision put me on course for a thrill ride that ended up burning down the frat chapter (metaphorically) and left me on a long road to mental recovery.

Continue reading “I accidentally cursed a fraternity chapter”

It’s over a week since I last talked about scams and I can’t believe I’m bringing it up again. Today in 51 short minutes, I cut ties with a former high school classmate who attempted to scam me on Facebook Messenger. The scam is a quarantine version of ‘Distressed Stranger‘ in which a stranger (in my case, a long gone classmate who I didn’t even talk with much during school) pretends to need cash for petrol or other urgent personal needs. They bait the victim by coming up with an elaborate, seemingly convincing story. Then, they’ll ask the victim if they can lend a reasonable sum of money with the promise of a high interest return upon repayment.

Continue reading “Former high school classmate attempted to scam me: A debrief”

Tl;dr: It should be made known that I do not sell products and services at this time. If you receive any solicitation for goods, spells, readings, or witchy contraband, walk away immediately. Block and report the bloke who is trying to impersonate me.

—REAL socials—
These are the ONLY social media profiles I have.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/faaumu
Instagram: @longhouse_cat
Twitter: @longhouse_cat (not active)
Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/faaumu
TikTok: All TikTok profiles that purport to be me are FAKE.
Tinder: I do NOT see people online.

Continue reading “I don’t sell anything: On witchcraft and social media scams”

What’s up everybody, it’s dǰ pišpiš. Last year I posted a tier list of 20 durable moments of 2020 which reviewed a number of noteworthy personal, local, and regional events throughout the year. The months following that tier list were filled with uncertainty, ranging from the wild goose chase of in-person AmeriCorps service (at least from the standpoint of my site supervisors) and the onslaught of COVID 19, to contours of grad school admissions vis decreased enrollment and departmental/college cash flow issues. Yet, 2021 was a time for me to step away from the arrogance characteristic of my high school and undergraduate educations. By arrogance, I mean my propensity to relentlessly pursue merit and recognition in my intellectual endeavor without regard to the costs on my body and self concept.

Continue reading “Looking back on 2021: A reflection on work, family, coming out, and graduate school”

Two weeks after the fabled Apple Cup train wreck, we get an apology written either by Peter Rogoff, CEO of Sound Transit—or one of his PR or legal goons. Either way, I think that apology is solid. It gets into the meat of what went wrong and hits on all of the issues I think are critical during a mechanical emergency inside the Link tunnels.

Continue reading “Sound Transit CEO’s apology is solid”

Editorial note: A Canadian transit forum indicated the first two thefts happened on or around 24 and 25 August, respectively. The erroneous dates of 8 and 9 September were based on posts made by bus fans on Facebook about the same incidents a few weeks later. I apologise for the errors.

When you think about bus fans, do you think about someone who takes pictures of buses? Do you think of someone who knows the make, model, and trim of every bus they observe? Do you think of NUMTOTs, a specific community of fanners who espouse liberal ideals of car-free places through investments in public transport infrastructure?

Continue reading “Alleged serial thief and self-proclaimed “Massive moron” could have put bus riders in big trouble with U.S. Homeland Security”

Unveiling exploitation of AmeriCorps volunteers in emergency circumstances

What’s up everybody, it’s dǰ pišpiš. And I feel screwed over. Twice, actually.

Continue reading “I made $8.42/hour tutoring high schoolers in a Seattle suburb during COVID”

What’s up everybody, it’s dǰ pišpiš. Last month, my friend sent me a screenshot of a now-deleted tweet from a fellow student activist. Basically, it claimed Asian Americans for Mental Health (AAMH at UW; formerly API Cares) changed its name because it didn’t want to try to include Pacific Islander students. After a brief consultation with me, my friend wrote back, pointing out Pacific Islander student advocacy and thoughtful consideration of the term “API” went into the name change. It was at that point the student activist understood, chose to remove the misinformation, and carried on.

Continue reading “Political possibilities lie at the intersection of legacy RSOs and small student groups”

Author’s note: Post published with Rona’s blessings. You can view the 2021 Husky 100 on their WordPress site: https://www.washington.edu/husky100/

What’s up everybody, it’s dǰ pišpiš. Sit down folks, because we’re going to have a tender moment. Right here, besides the fireplace drinking knock-off Coca-Cola and playing craps in the ways we know how. I told many stories about my youth, from getting ‘ava at a fool’s shop along the H-1 motorway in O’ahu, to busting my own **** during high school Spanish class in the boys bathroom. It’s times when we share in the humor, seriousness, and sometimes thought-provoking moments I appreciate the relationships and sense of community that come from our interactions. In this post, I want to tell a different story, one that showcases the spirit of family and resilience in a challenging educational environment.

Continue reading “Research Family colleague takes home Husky 100”