  via: WPRI EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Alan Shawn Feinstein, an educational philanthropist known for encouraging and rewarding good deeds, has died. He was 93 years old. "It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of my father’s passing this weekend," Leila Feinstein CEO of The Feinstein Foundation and Feinstein’s daughter told 12 News in a statement. "He was surrounded by family and loved ones. We will miss him dearly but are heartened by the fact that he led a long and meaningful life." "Knowing that Feinstein Jr. Scholars were doing good deeds every day brought my dad tremendous joy and comfort," she continued. "It gave him peace in his final moments knowing our work will continue even though he is no longer with us." An obituary posted by Sugarman Sinai Memorial Chapel announced that Feinstein passed away on Saturday. Feinstein’s philanthropic efforts were aimed at inspiring young people to help others in need. The Feinstein Foundation, which he started in 1991, promotes the ideas of doing good deeds and being kind to others. Participants were known as "Feinstein Junior Scholars," a title familiar to generations of Rhode Islanders. Many schools around Southern New England have been designated as "Feinstein Leadership Schools." He’s also the namesake of the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development at Rhode Island College. Feinstein received honorary doctorate degrees from several local colleges, including the University of Rhode Island, Providence College and New England Institute of Technology. Feinstein was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and graduated from Boston University and Boston Teachers’ College. He later become a teacher at schools in Newton and Mansfield, as well as Bristol, R.I. He was married to his wife, Pratarnporn "Pat" (Chiemwichit) Feinstein, for more than six decades, and had three children and five grandchildren. Alan Shawn Feinstein was more than a man. Like Del's Lemonade and Autocrat Coffee Syrup, he was a Rhode Island institution. If you attended public school in the Ocean State, you've likely crossed his path in your middle school auditorium as a Feinstein Juniahh Scholah (Junior Scholar for non-Rhode Islanders). He encouraged generations of Rhode Islanders to do good deeds. Countless benefitted from his philanthropic investments and dedication to education. When I initially saw the news on IG that he passed on the 7th, I was like, how did I miss this? I thought it was just Insta's typical trash algi. I even busted my friends' balls for not being on their A-game in breaking celebrity deaths, but it appears the news was made public today by his daughter and CEO of the Feinstein Foundation, Leila. In a world where evil is everywhere, and public education is under attack by extremists, we need more people like Alan Shawn Feinstein. The man's heart was in the right place. He wanted a better world for ALL and believed there was no such thing as "too small" of a good deed. Did he want his name on anything he was involved with? You bet your ass he did, but there are far worse offenses than wanting credit for feeding the hungry and funding public education. There's nothing wrong with wanting a little credit. That's what being a hashtag good guy is all about, and Alan Shawn Feinstein was an OG hashtag good guy. He made the most of his 93 years. I'm sure his family (seen and introduced in an iconic Rhody commercial) is grieving, but I hope they can find peace in knowing how much positivity their dad/grandpa/uncle/etc., Mr. Alan Shawn Feinstein was responsible for. Thank YOU, sir, for all YOUR good deeds. See ya later, Alligator.
0 Comments
Song: Silent Running (ft. Adeleye Omotayo) Artist: Gorillaz Album: Cracker Island (2023) Damon Alborn is a genius.
Sorry I haven't blogged in over two months (we'll get to that l8r in a future Dozie's Brain Dump), but much like the Pats, the boi is back!!
HOLY SHIT!!!! What an ugly, grind-it-out, statement win for the new ball coach and six-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots! Sure, the Bengals are banged up, and there's some serious Ja'Marr Chase contract drama in the Queen City, but that doesn't change the fact that the Patriots are undefeated in the post-Belichick era. Congratulations, Coach Mayo!
What a fool I am for not believing in my guys (I texted my dad we'd be lucky to stay within 14 before the game lolol). Yeah, I hit a nice little SGP, but that Pats ML hit sure would've been a nice payout and feather in the ole proverbial gambling cap.
There's a winning culture in this organization. It sure does feel nice to have a Super Bowl champion QB behind center again.
Jacoby didn't light the world on fire by any means, but he didn't turn the ball over either, and had some biiiig boiii scrambles in key spots.
For the first time in the history of DOL (I'm ashamed), I didn't post an NFL preview blog since I only got this much done and may have the blogging yips. 
Perhaps I was wrong about the Pats going 4-12-1? I will gladly admit (once again) that I was extremely wrong about Kyle Duggar. He is very much a real person and one of the best safeties in the NFL. 23 had himself a fuckin' day!
This angle does the play waaayyy more justice. What a punch!
There are still a handful of Patriots with Super Bowl rings on this roster and one of them made arguably the biggest play of the day.
Alright, I had to get something out but right now #everydaydoz has been my #1 priority and I gotta go get to 161 before PF closes. That said, I am a little mad at myself for not peppering the Pats ML. To be fair, I thought they had no chance. The Dozo Mush lives on.
P.S. Thank you, Travis Etienne. There's no way I hit that bet without you.
 It's impossible to tell this story without diving into my long history of weight struggles and binge eating. I don't want to make this blog gratuitously long (in textbook DOL fashion), and I also don't feel like writing/working right after my most intense workout yet, so admittedly, this is a quasi-rush job (it took 3ish hrs). I'm gonna TRY to not get too emotional or in-depth because this isn't a finish line, but don't get me wrong; I am super proud of myself for sticking to this unintentional bit that will probably save my life. Your kindness and support has fueled me these last three months. Here's the TL;DR timeline of my life going into April 2024 when #everydaydoz began. December 1991: I entered the world in Newport, RI, at just seven pounds, 15 ounces. Fall 2001: Declared too fat to play pop warner football. This the first time I can remember "trying" to lose weight. Idk, exactly when...like 5th or 6th grade...which was the 2002-03 range: Hit two hundo lbs for the first time. August 2006: Started my high school football career (I was a key returner going into my senior year and a key loss after I graduated in the local paper). As an offensive lineman, being fat helped!  Spring 2009: During my junior year, I started a run-of-the-mill calorie deficit and exercise diet and lost around 60 pounds. I remember being 221 at my lowest point this go-around. I even ran the Blessing of the Fleet, in which my football coach saw me and was not thrilled with how "skinny" I was going into double sessions. I fucked up my bib and ripped off the part you're supposed to turn in and since I didn't want to give them my entire bib, there might not be record of it...but I finished that fucking race.  November 2009: My high school football career ended with our seventh consecutive league loss, and so did the biggest excuse I had to be a fat guy, lololol. Fall 2010: I start college. I don't know if I had already hit 300 by the time I moved into my dorm, but it didn't take long for me to reach that number I never thought I'd hit. Spring 2012: Lose 60ish pounds using a product called "HCG" that tricked your body into thinking it's pregnant or some shit that somehow made you lose weight. I took these drops under my tongue & only ate about 500 calories daily. This was my first foray into gimmicky weight loss attempts. By December 2012, most (if not all & then some) of the weight was back. February 2016: Start Optifast meal replacement program AND dozonlife.com. I was 24 and did not cheat from Feb 3rd, 2016, to some time in late June. I only drank shakes and went from 376 lbs to 256.  August 2017: Move from Narragansett to Nashville to start my first legit teaching job (three weeks into the school year). At this point I had kept off essentially all the weight I lost in 2016 and was THRIVING socially. October 2017: I quit my job as an 8th grade social studies teacher in Nashville for a multitude of reasons. It was a shotgun move and a total disaster. I wanted to come back pretty much after my first day teaching. #everydaydoz has lasted significantly longer than I did in Nashville. This failed move realllly fucked me up and completed wrecked my recently improved self-confidence for years. July 2019: By this point, I had gained about 2/3s of the weight and re-enrolled in the Optifast program. December 2020: Finish my 2nd stint with Optifast. I got to 266 after starting at 338. March 7th, 2020: Eat #43burgers in a publicity stunt in an attempt to get hired by Barstool. The following week, the world shut down due to a global pandemic. Between the isolation, stress, financial struggles, the emotional toll of the Pani unmasking all of the horrors of society, and some family beef...the weight I had just lost started to creep back. June 2022: Hit my highest documented weight (426.6 lbs). November 2022: I started working out again and documenting the process. I recorded a brief video before every workout. I kept it up consistently until September 2023, when I moved to the other side of town. This move triggered a re-gain of most of my progress throughout this timeframe. December 2023: Weigh in at 394 at sleep apnea appointment...oh yeah, I totally forgot to mention that part...I got so fat that I stopped breathing at night. I wasn't diagnosed until May 2023, but I wouldn't be surprised if I had it for at least the year before...maybe even longer. April 1st, 2024: I did a smidge over an hour on the bike, posted it on my IG story, and #everydaydoz inadvertently began.  April 4th, 2024: After realizing I had worked out every day in April (beast), here's the first official mention of potentially working out every day, as a bit.  April 6th, 2024: The hashtag "everydaydoz" is used for the first time.  At this point I didn't think to crop my stats. We were still in our edd infancy. April 15th, 2024: Mid-April check-in. In the days leading up to this, I had started giving more daily info, but this was the first post of its kind. The story says it all. There's no need for me to waste your time writing an unnecessary description or, even worse, making you read a long-winded explanation explaining that I won't waste our time since I can just provide you with a primary source.  April 30th, 2024: I completed the original goal of the bit (worked out every day in April).  May 15th, 2024: 45 day milestone post.  May 20th, 2024: 50 day milestone post (yeeesh...those eyes).  May 31st, 2024: The two month mark.  June 9th, 2024: 70 day milestone post.  June 19th, 2024: 80 day milestone post.  June 29th, 2024: 90 day milestone post (I did not intentionally wear this shirt both days).  Today (July 9th, 2024) marks 100 straight days of exercise. I didn't set out to do this, it just happened, but man am I grateful that it did. I knew I needed to make a change, but didn't know what I was gonna do. This whole bit was to hold myself accountable and as of typing this, I still haven't stopped. No days off like 2010 Wale. Obviously, people need to rest, but I am hooked on this feeling and wanna get this weight off ASAP as possible. Throughout #edd, I've usually checked in with blurbs on my IG story, but for day one hundo, I wanted to get back to my roots tonight and write a blog because obviously this is a major part of my life/story/journey/blah, blah, blah, but also bc I want to inspire others. Believe me, I know how easy it is to get worn down and just give up. I still battle those thoughts. Until like 40 days in, I felt like I looked the same in every pic and was kind of embarrassed that I was living out the Alex Jones meme in real time.  But eventually, I noticed I was getting less fat. If I can do this. You can too. No excuses. I kept living throughout this lifestyle change. I went to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, a musical festival, worked multiple jobs, visited family a ton, and battled many thoughts of taking the early checkout...no matter what happened on a particular day, I had to work out. There were only two close calls of the streak ending because of oversleeping. It's crazy, but I genuinely enjoy exercising now. I promise you, you can change too. As happy as I am to make it 100 straight days and LOVE all the support/encouragement/love, I'm nowhere near where I want to be. I cannot afford to get complacent. As someone who's lost significant amounts of weight multiple times, I'm terrified of re-gaining. Ironically, the fact that I'm going slower than I would like is for the best. I'm making gradual and sustainable life changes "the right way." I asked my Dr. about Ozempic, and my Dad even brought it up, too...while it was appealing, the price is just not possible for me, and it feels too good to be true. Who knows, maybe I'll end up getting on something down the line...but for now, I really enjoying working out. Eating healthy not so much, and I need help with that...but overall, I'm pretty content with how things are going. I know I'm losing weight while still enjoying life. I've done drastic diets before, and it just leads to cheating. My weight has held me back literally and figuratively, which has fucked up my confidence and self-worth. I'm trying to rewire those parts of my brain, but it takes a while to update 32 years of negativity. It's a major reason I haven't written as much in 2024. I love DOL, but I went kind of all in focusing on saving my life. Even now, I'm ashamed of this blog because I'm rusty and still not going as deep as I can emotionally (granted a lot of it is on the IG stories I shared) and have said "I" way too many fucking times. I haven't dove into the real reasons why I binge and all the emotional shit that went into me getting up to 426.6, but again...this isn't the finish line. I'm not satisfied, and I guess we can leave some meat on the bone for later. Of course, if anybody actually wants to talk or needs someone to help them with their shit, I am here. I just want to be happy and make it in this fucked up world. I am so scared of what's happening in America and just ate my feelings to deal with it. I'm fighting back because I am worth it, and so are you. We can't just give up. No matter the battle you're facing, you can overcome it (or, at the very least, try to improve your situation). For a while, I thought my weight was why I couldn't find love, and while I still think that's a significant factor, I've learned that the way I treat myself because of my weight plays a central role in why I'm currently at risk of dying alone. It's such a cliche, but you really do have to love yourself first before you're ready to love someone else. In closing, thank you for reading this and sorry if it sucks and that I'm not skinnier yet lol. Thank you to anyone and everybody who's liked a story, messaged me, or even said something nice IRL (that means in real life, Grandma). I'm nowhere near the finish line, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the ride getting there. I love you all. Stop Project 2025. P.S. Since there's no "before" pic from April 1st, here's a comparison of me in January.  vs. today.  It's a start, and we're nowhere close to the end.
Double P.S. Seriously, thank you sooo fucking much to everybody that's given the boi some love throughout this journey. A major reason why I ballooned up to 426.6 was because I felt worthless and that nobody cared about me. I know it sounds so fucking woe is me and depressing, but it's the truth. I had basically given up and accepted that I was gonna eat myself to death. You're not supposed to go through life alone. Connection is everything. My size has stopped me from living the life I want and deserve, but I'm taking control once and for all. Thank you for reaching out, whenever you may have. Stop Project 2025. Song: End of a Century (1994) Artist: Blur Album: Parklife It's nice to see you again, loyal DOL reader! Ya boi is back for the first time since the C's clinched banner 18. Today's SOD sorta encompasses the two most significant parts of my year to date: my newfound obsession with Blur and today being the 100th DAY of #everydaydoz. You don't know what that is because I've barely blogged in 2024? Don't sweat...I'll get to it all in the next blog. Dozie loves you. Stop Project 2025. 
C's WIN BANNER 18 BY 18 on 6/17/24!!! (the numbers of the late Bill Russell, Hondo, and Sam Jones) I AM SO FUCKING HAPPY FOR THIS TEAM!!!!!!!!!! LET'S GOOOO!!!!! SUCK OUR COLLECTIVE DICKS, KYRIE!
Crypto PP did it again!!!
Listen to those green bleeders giving the Jays their well-deserved flowers!!! After seven seasons & 107 playoff games together, the Jays are finally NBA CHAMPIONS!!!!
The field goal percentages might've not been super sexy, but these stars played elite defense and combined for 17 assists.
What a father. What a player. What a moment. I COULD CRY!!!
That's a great question, Jayson!
How about that Eastern Conference AND NBA Finals MVP, Jaylen Brown!?!?!
Marcus may be gone, but his legacy of grit and balls lives on.
The C's won 80 games this year: 64 in the regular season and 16-3 in the playoffs, highlighted by a 10-game winning streak over three rounds. That is some all-time dominance. The 2023-24 Boston Celtics are NBA champions, and this team has no intentions of slowing down. I'm just so fucking happy for these guys and also exhausted because I couldn't sleep last night. I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve. I was at a music festival in NH this weekend and didn't see a second of Game 4, so it was like it never happened. Honestly, I was souped. I wanted the C's to lose and win it at home tonight like they just fuckin' did!!
This is the first Boston title in the post-COVID world, and while my entire worldview and relationship with sports have drastically evolved, the wait is ovahhh!
The C's are the one team that I still have that fire with. Sure we've won in it all in my lifetime, but that was 16 years ago, with plenty of heartbreak in-between. I wanted this ring so badly. After all the close calls, It was their fucking time. I've watched the Jays grow and battle through years of adversity. It's been an absolute delight. It was all worth it for this moment. I'm sorry, the blog rust is real right now, but idgaf.....THE C'S ARE CHAMPS!!! mood:
I haven't published it yet, but I wrote a brain dump at work about my state of mind going into this game. I'm just gonna soak this championship in. It's time to watch all the post-game stuff. I promise I won't have a 3 week break between blogs because I do wanna dive deeper into this incredible season, but here's that brain dump as I left it when the school day ended:
I'm trying to do some writing during my free period so I can nap guilt-free before the gym & Game 5 of the NBA Finals: Presented by YouTubeTV, but I'm struggling to shake the rust off. That's bound to happen when you neglect your craft, but with school ending soon, I hope to find the time to create again. Every blog I've written in the past threeish months has started with an apology for my lack of content, and I am sorry for that. I hate that this is the current state of DOL, but the reality is that I haven't had the emotional stamina to write. Writing and freedom of expression are everything to me; I just haven't felt up to creating lately. I'm exhausted from existence. Like genuinely, what is the point? I could write the most profound thing ever written, and nobody would see it. I could channel all this ache into something hilarious, and there wouldn't be a single laugh. Billionaires will continue to rape the planet and her population while decent people like me get worn down and broken. I'm struggling to see the point when the worst people humanity has to offer are the ones "climbing the ladder." It is wild how the C's are on the brink of a championship, and I've barely covered it on DOL. You best believe I've been bleeding/pissing/sweating/crying/puking green this entire playoff run. I was even at the Garden for Game 1 of the ECF, and once 18 is officially clinched, I want my first tattoo to be of Jaylen's game-tying shot. (PICTURE OF THE SHOT) The C's have brought me some joy, but it's mostly just relief when they don't lose. TBH, I'm souped they lost Friday. I selfishly wanted them to win at home tonight so I wouldn't miss it (I was at a music festival w/o service...I bought the tickets months ago before the Finals schedule came out). Of course, I'm going to choose the C's because of how it affects others and not just me (hashtag good guy), but if I could pick between the C's winning it all or having her back in my life, I'd choose the latter without hesitation. Nothing matters more in this life than love. Even as I've been actively improving my life (77 straight days working out and counting), I'm still wicked sad and feel defeated for a multitude of reasons. I'm constantly worried and uneasy about my own BS (like being able to afford to survive) but, more importantly, the world at large. How do more people not care about humanity right now? If I'm not at school, I'm either sleeping/alone in thought, trying to sleep, doing something to distract my brain from the fears and pain that consume it, or at the gym trying to better myself but counting down the minutes until I can crawl back into my bed. I am pretty bummed out about how I currently don't have plans for the game tonight. I don't want to watch the C's win their first championship since I was 16 alone, but the options are limited when it's a weeknight and you're 32. The few friends I have who are a part of my life are busy/live out of town. It's been years like this, but I still struggle with feeling unwanted, and that world has passed me by. There used to be a time when I stressed out over having to turn down plans in fear of hurting feelings, and now it's like unless I plan something out months in advance, it's almost impossible to spend time with people. As a spontaneous kind of dude, I fucking haaaate it. That sucks, and it's a minute piece of this equation for why I'm unhappy and terrified. Like, despite the lack of writing lately, I know deep down I'm still fanfuckingtastic at this. I'm just losing my damn mind living in such a cruel, fucked up world. The loneliness does not help, lolol! Go Celtics. Hopefully, I won't end up watching them win it all alone, like Stephen Glansburg.
I did Glansburg it, but it's okay though...especially if I end up at the parade. Fingers crossed it's on Juneteenth so I don't have to that the day off cause I am straight up not going if it's on another weekday :/
Every player on this team deserves their love, but that will come at a later date. I'm leave you with this...HOW ABOUT RHODE ISLAND'S OWN, JOE MAZZULLA!?!?
P.S.
If you wanna get your Tom Petty swag on, this is the video for you. Fuck the h8rs!!!!!
Song: We Are The Champions (1977) Artist: Queen Album: News of the World Kind of basic, but incredibly accurate. #BLEEDGREEN!!!! Let's fuuuuuckinnngg GOOOOOOO!!!!!!! 
Let's fucking goooooo!!!! The job isn't done, but as the late great Bill Walton would tell you, you have to enjoy the ride.
Credit to the Pacers. What a run for the 6-seed. That was one of the most competitive sweeps in Big Four history. There's no shame in this loss. It's not that crazy to think of universe where Indy's up 3-1 rn, but alas, the superior Celtics proved themselves, bringing out the brooms to get back to the NBA Finals: Presented by YoutubeTV for the second time in three seasons (who knows what would've happened if Jayson didn't fuck up his ankle in the open seconds of Game 7 last year).
I'm so fucking happy for JB. He's gotten so much shit about having no left hand and terrible braids (they're much improved as of late!!) and absolutely balled out this series. Take that, haters! The Renaissance man averaged nearly 30 ppg in the sweep. You can tell how much this team loves and respects him. Pure joy!
Indiana didn't score for the final 3:33 of the game. During the same timeframe, Jaylen Brown showed why he's just the third winner of the Larry Bird Trophy.
I'm so excited and proud of this team; they're doing exactly what's expected of them. The media is acting like they're the first #1 seed in NBA history. Some years the route is "easier," but they earned that by being the best team all season, by a large margin. The C's are taking care of business, 12-2 in the playoffs. Winners of seven straight. Undefeated on the road in the playoffs, but fair or not, the Jays will be judged on rings. I want Al to win a ring so fucking bad. But Dallas scares me. It's not gonna be easy. Luka can take over games, and there's the obvious Kyrie factor and narratives. That flat-earther can't beat us.
The Boston Celtics don't put up Eastern Conference Championship banners. Four more wins. There will be much more to come on DOL in the lead up to the NBA Finals: Presented by YoutubeTV, but ya boi is exhausted from a long weekend live betting the C's and crushing #everydaydoz.
Ain't that The Truth!
P.S. Rest in Peace Bill Walton. This phrase is gonna get run into the ground, but it's true...He was a true trailblazer. Song: Colin Zeal (1993) Artist: Blur Album: Modern Life is Rubbish No exaggeration, I've listened to this song 80 times this weekend. LET'S FUCKING GO CELTICS!!!!!! 
Eddie Vedder is a fighter. He's the only frontman of a Big 4 Grunge band that is stiiiill allllllllliiiiivvvvive. He's fought for climate justice, gun control, and human rights and in the clip this entire blog is about, he's fighting for what's right by bashing alt-right placekicker Harrison Butker, calling him a pussy (which you could argue is ironic, but that word has taken on a life of its own) for his sexist and ignorant comments.
ICYMI: The Kansas City Chiefs Kicker (who may or may not have been on my fantasy team last season) gave a 20-minute commencement speech at a Catholic university where he essentially told women their role is in the kitchen, as well as many other fascist/theocracy talking points like how IVF is somehow the biggest threat to society. This is a direct quote of the first thing he said that wasn't a greeting or thanking the university:
"While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique. Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues, things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values and media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder."
Not surprisingly, the far-right is eating it up; Butker's jersey sales are through the roof, but plenty of people and organizations have criticized his speech, where he told a bunch of women who just graduated college that they're basically better off making babies and sandwiches.
While this is just an allegation...look at this guy...would it really shock you? The biggest homophobes are always deeeeeep in the closet.
I've loved Pearl Jam for 20+ years, and Eddie's lyrics have meant so much to millions of others and me. However, his closing line in this clip might be my favorite thing he's ever said.
"People of quality don't fear equality."
There's nothing wrong with wanting to have a family or putting off a career to be a parent. I'd hope most people can agree there, but that's not what this KICKER [the last guy (tied with the punter) on a football team who should be talking about masculinity] said. At a college graduation, which is probably the biggest day of most of these students' lives to that point...Butker spewed some 1950s bullshit about how women's dreams don't matter. Who the fuck is this guy? I didn't even dive into all the homophobia and lies (TBH, I'm rusty from not blogging a lot lately due to apathy in a crumbling world...which is precisely why I need to write). This guy said Congress passed a bill where people can go to jail for saying who killed Jesus. WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!?!? That's not even close to accurate. I didn't know kickers could get CTE.
Perhaps the craziest part of this whole story is that Butker's mother is an accomplished scientist! Weirdly, he may have a point because she couldn't have done that good of a job raising him if he thinks so poorly of women and has no issue saying so publicly. People of quality don't fear equality. Butker literally called diversity, equality, and inclusion TYRANNY in his diatribe. Tyranny is oppression, like forcing your beliefs on others. The right wants to rewrite history, but this country (while v flawed) was founded on FREEDOM OF RELIGION, which also means freedom FROM religion. Fuck Harrison Butker. I only drafted him last year cause I had Mahomes as my QB! |
Archives
July 2024
|
RSS Feed