Welcome to The Finale

Hello Dear Friends,

Close to one year ago I offered to rip the roof off the healthcare system. I shared my experience in a blog, here. I initially thought it would be a shingle or two. Last August, I realized the whole system was going down. Let’s catch up for a moment. Learn more about topics below by using the blue clickable links. This reads like Jess with the Mess or Donkey of the Day? Either way, I’m enjoying myself.

This snippet is dedicated to my former two-year-old who decided it would be a great day to take herself to the front of the church to share a song on her heart. She snatched the mic from the Minister himself. My daughter gave the church a show that day. She sang with such conviction “I GOT HOES, I GOT HOESSSS OHHHHHH, IN DIFFERENT AREA CODES, AREA CODES. HOES”. I’m wheezing laughing from the back of the church. Her father looked humiliated, he yeeted her off that stage so fast that I was hysterically laughing by the time they got to me. Thanks, dad.

I also have a song on my heart, only I’m on the mic now. Lauryn Hill-Doo Wop (That Thing), I love this song. Before we jump into my favorite verse, let’s talk trauma. Apparently having a high ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) score is a reason to call someone crazy? I don’t know, that sounds like 2+2=9. That’s a major uneducated reach. Trauma-informed care can be pivotal in improving our quality of life. The same trauma informed care that doulas provide is essential and deserving of prior payment, protection and safety. A gym membership does not offer trauma-informed care, btw. That was absolutely a subtle drag over hot coals. And please don’t take gym selfies, it’s not doing anything for us at all. Us? Everyone watching you.

People truly need to get off social media and read basic psychology or just touch some grass. People’s inability to take accountability for their actions is the real pandemic. Men bully women and women behave like men in response to that. That’s my POV, only (ex: personal life, registered nurse, doula). Imagine going to work and a woman offers to take you outside. I don’t know what’s outside besides karma.

“Never in the history of telling a woman to calm down, did she calm down” captures a well-documented truth, telling someone to calm down almost always backfires. It’s not just a gendered observation; it applies to anyone in a heightened emotional state.

Telling someone to "calm down" or dismissing their feelings when they share them is insensitive. Without addressing the underlying issue, the advice is basic at best and ineffective. Physiologically this is a dangerous game to play without understanding someone’s traumas beforehand. In a fight or flight state, the brain is flooded with stress hormones, logic becomes secondary as the body prepares for an attack. Calming down an involuntary response is not possible. A man yelling at a woman is enough to set off the cascade. A woman bullying a man, unprovoked, may have the same effect. Woman to woman? Next level response. We’re supposed to trust one another, when that trust is gone, what’s left for us?

Birth pulls people into a state where connection becomes the primary survival strategy. That’s the essence of tend‑and‑befriend. Birth makes someone seek connection because connection is what keeps the nervous system safe enough to give birth. Attending births taught me that safety is love. Feeling safe in my own body overrides nearly everything else. Once safety became my primary focus, laboring times decreased drastically. I am not a baby whisperer as some might say. The person who gives birth and their partner are the icons, here. I'm just there to keep their birth space safe, like a birthkeeper does.

Never in the history of telling a woman you’re a changed man does that mean you’re actually a changed man. So, there’s that.

*Clears throat in the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

Lauryn has patiently waited for her turn. Here’s one of my favorite verses. Even Lauryn Hill tried to warn people 27 years ago (8/25/98). The movie, Black Panther, warned us that the council only knocks once. There are only two options to choose from: Wakanda Forever or Wakanda Fornever.

This is my favorite verse of Lauryn Hill’s song, title mentioned above…

The second verse is dedicated to the “men” more concerned with his rims and his Timbs than his women. Him and his men, come in the club like hooligans. Don’t care who they offend, poppin yang (like you got yen)…The pretty face men claiming that they be the big men. Need to take care of they three or four kids, men. And they face a court case when the child support late. Money taking and heart breaking, now you wonder why women hate men. The sneaky, silent men. The punk, domestic violence men. Quick to shoot the semen, stop acting like boys and be MEN. How you gonna win, when yo aint right within? How you gonna win, when yo aint right within? How you gonna win, when yo aint right within? Uh-uh, come again. Yo, yo, come again. The breddrin come again. And sistrin come again.

ETA, I believe in equal opportunities. Fellas this verse is for you because your counterparts aren’t innocent either. Not all men are bad as the media tries to insist. Just like not all women are bad. Hold my beer, homies.

If ya feel real good wave your hands in the air. And lick two shots in the atmosphere!
If you did it then, then you’d probably f- again.
Talking out your neck sayin' you're a Christian. A Muslim sleeping with the gin. Now that was the sin that did Jezebel in. Who you gon' tell when the repercussions spin? Showing off your ass 'cause you're thinking it's a trend-Girlfriend, let me break it down for you again. You know I only say it 'cause I'm truly genuine. Don't be a hard rock when you really are a gem. Baby girl, respect is just a minimum. Men f- up and you still defending them. Now Lauryn is only human, don't think I haven't been through the same predicament. Let it sit inside your head like a million women in Philly, Penn. It's silly when girls sell their souls because it's in. Look at where you be in hair weaves like Europeans. Fake nails done by Koreans. Come again. Yuh, a win-win, come again. A win-win, come again (Yeah, yeah). My friend, come again.

I attended the Million Women march in Philly, in August 1997. I bought and immediately wore a t-shirt with an illustration of a beautiful pregnant mommy. I loved it. On my birthday, November 21, 1997, I conceived my firstborn daughter, the same woman that will always have my heart. Win-Win come again :)

Lauryn’s song represented two eras 1967 and 1998. The message remains the same. Let’s be better people. Future generations are watching us.

Happy Birthday in advance to my firstborn. She knew the game and taught others to learn the same. I love you with all my heart. No travels together this year but you go and set the world on fire for me.

Staten Island, New York

Moving on to a completely different topic…

Staten Islanders, are you the one? Michael Jordan raised the question. I’m here to answer. Yes, we are the ONE, been the one, and will remain the one. The people that didn’t flip our city red are hurting like the other boroughs, but everyone turned their backs on our pain. Staten Islanders act like Brooklynites, but people still don’t like us. People complain that we don’t have a transit system, but don’t wish to come here, that sounds legit. We love us. That’s all that matters. The fireworks on our block were so beautiful the last day we came together. Music blasting, people dancing, the love in Staten Island runs deep amongst the good people.

Michael Jordan’s campaign asks Staten Islanders if they are The One. Check out the visuals, this is the New York that we’ve grown to love.

Why People Don’t Like Staten Islanders

New York City Councilmember Frank Morano, his wife Rachel and his son Carmine welcomed a new life into their family. They had a beautiful baby girl named Colette Celia. His wife looks like a pro holding their little girl. I love a red head! She’s a beautiful woman.

Well, then there’s Frank, Franking.

“Morano, a Republican representing Staten Island’s South Shore, joked that little “C.C.,” as she will be known, has a few years ahead of her before she can vote: “So I don’t have to be nice to her just yet.” -Reported by Staten Island Live.

Oh, no Morano. That’s grounds for a divorce, sir. By C.C. do you mean Carbon Copy? Obliviously, people like Frank do not represent us, that’s the raggedy side of Staten Island. Don’t look at me, look at Frank. He’s smiling in the family picture like he just didn’t risk his life.

Btw, there’s no sundown city if people run when approached. People say our Italian population causes these issues. IKYMFL. Italy is a whole vibe. People are loud and wrong, that’s it. You’ll find that in every borough across New York. If you stood with us during the NYK Championships, then why is this an issue any other time?

COVID-19 was the litmus test that our country failed. After 9/11, we cried and prayed together. During the pandemic, people were complaining about wearing a mask. We all saw and felt that devastation, yet we chose to move in separate directions after lockdown was over.

Thank you, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) for officially calling out that empty seat waiting to be filled on July 14, 2026. I didn’t understand how this was legal either. I find it shocking that a seat held up a family from grieving or supporting their family member. This is not normal. Thank you for your continued bravery in every room you show up in. WE LOVE YOU!!! We does not include anyone but US. AOC represents New York’s 14th District. YERRRR. The Bronx and Astoria, this love goes deep. I retired on 7/14/26, the day after my Irish twin’s birthday. My brother and I are of Irish descent and have long celebrated our twinship. This strange world is not normal to me, either. I finally can support the people and things I care about without being plagued by the infamous mom guilt.

Bad Boys, Come Out & Playyyyyyyyyy

C’mon guys, Diddy already aired himself out in that song. I know you hear the bottles clanging together.

Speaking of bad boys, look who finally joined the chat. Congregation, please welcome Dr. Anthony Stephen Fauci.

Dr. Fauci, it’s about damn time. The front runner of the pandemic that cannot legally claim the Fifth Amendment protections to avoid testifying. I guess Biden legal didn’t prepare him properly. Yikes.

Hiden Biden pardoned Dr. Fauci for a reason. Maybe that’s the real reason Biden dropped out of the elections. He’s a runner, y’all. Imagine him being President while Dr. Fauci was pleading the fifth over 110 times. Kamala Harris deserves the biggest apology. Getting thrown into an election last minute is terrifying. Being harassed and ridiculed for “losing” an election is insane. The numbers don’t show a loss to me. Hatred did not win over love. I’m glad she doesn’t have to deal with COVID’s aftermath. This world needs to learn to exist without coming up off the backs of women. Black women? We don’t speak English. MAG-NO.

Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky blew the whistle. Justice Department, it’s on you. Trump said he wasn’t a big fan of Fauci. I’ll trump him, he/it/thing, we never were a big fan of you, either. Remember Central Park 5? New York does. We also remember Donnie, the OG of Big Pimpin, cheating on his wife with a model. His comb over was in the chat though. He cheated on THEE Ivana Trump, fumbled the bag with that one. So, Donnie, don’t get too comfortable. You’re up next, sir. No more New York Knicks games for you.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, YESSIR, you’re up next. Thousands of 9/11 families demanded that you be banned from the 25th anniversary ceremony. The fist bumping mayor has landed himself in some stuff. There’s something about him that reminds me of men who have a sudden clean slate. The ones that immediately head to the gym after a breakup. Let’s see what Mamdani has been up to, via New York Post’s newspaper, dated 7/26/26.

‘Our objection is based on his public record-his failure to meaningfully acknowledge the horror of that day, and his employment, support for, or association with individuals who have minimized 9/11, defended terrorists, or even suggested America ‘deserved’ the attacks”. said Giovanni Galante, whose 29-year-old wife Grace was among the 2,977 innocents killed’-New York Post’s newspaper, 7/26/26.

Giovanni lost his 29-year-old wife on the day that brought us down to our knees. I wish he did not have to live with the pain of that experience. I wish none of us did.

My objection, a few staff members and I saw a POV of 9/11 that no camera or video has captured. We unknowingly watched the first plane take rapid speed before hitting the first tower. The reality barely sank in before the second tower was hit. We watched both towers collapse. We sat completely numb to this our new reality. We all walked home from Manhattan that day, people barely talked. I walked carrying my heels in my hand. To carry the weight of having no hope for tomorrow? We will always remember. Maybe if Mamdani would stay off of Twitter and actually do his job, we’d care about what he’d have to say. At least I would.

My friend, Khamladai Singh (Khami), was 25 years old when she passed away. She worked at Windows on the World. We attended Midwood High School together. Her picture is next to mine in our yearbook. Roshan Singh was 21 years old when the towers collapsed. Roshan is Khami’s brother. Their roles were so intricately tied to Windows on the World that they went to work during the early hours of the morning. They are together, I believe that. I pray their mother knows that they’ll be there for her one day, excited to embrace their mom again, releasing the pain that has bound her since the day they left.

Days after 9/11, after we returned to work, I learned that a coworker lost her niece and nephew. It was then that I realized that I was standing with Khami and Roshan’s aunt. It was also then that I realized they weren’t here with us anymore.

For the respect of the people that continue to mourn, every year, each second. Let them have their peace. That’s all they ever asked for. Mamdani will pledge allegiance to the karma he is due if he even thinks he is welcome into this sacred space, respectfully.

Side note: The gentleman that shared with us that he has been discharged from a rehabilitation center to home, we appreciate an update. But please provide in-person or video proof. Thank you.

The Real Hood, Corporate Healthcare

Last, but certainly not least. The companies that cost so many healthcare professionals, patients, members and communities their quality of life.

First up is Emblem Health, my former employer, please come to the front of the congregation. My department was rebadged from Emblem Health to Cognizant Health, not sure if you remember that. One random Tuesday the Cognizant executives call a meeting; they were talking about riding on snowblowers while we waited for the meeting to start. In less than 5 minutes over 200 employees were fired. I was one of many of them.

Emblem Health deliberately chose to partner with United Healthcare to launch the NYCE PPO for New York City employees, fully knowing that United Healthcare was actively under an expanding, high profile Department of Justice antitrust and criminal fraud investigation.

‘NYC, Emblem Health to pay $53M worth of copays back to 250,000 city retirees in new settlement.’ By Isabella Gallo (8/3/2026)

Well damn, as we can see, Emblem Health didn’t learn their lesson. United Healthcare absolutely deserves their DOJ investigation based on my experience with their company. UHC is also my former employer and the reason why I left nursing completely to pursue entrepreneurship in August 2021.

United Healthcare cost Brian Thompson’s life, we saw it all over the news. Brian was the CEO of United Healthcare, he was assassinated by Luigi Mangione in December 2024. Sir Andrew Witty would host fireside chats in the middle of the workday. Andrew is a corporate businessman, not a United States healthcare expert. This means that he is not well versed in the complexities of the US healthcare system when he accepted his position at United Healthcare.

Andrew Witty is a British citizen that spent over 3 decades at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a massive UK based pharmaceutical giant, btw. His profit driven approach was attractive to American healthcare corporations as Witty was viewed as a prize asset. That prized asset left United Healthcare roughly five months after Brian Thompson’s assassination. Witty, cited leaving for “personal reasons.” News outlets shared that UHG/UHC was participating in insider trading.

The Magnificent 7 Ring Leader

Meta’s owner Mark Zuckerberg is already facing the heat. Social Dilemma, a documentary on Netflix (2020) is experiencing a major resurgence right now. I saw it in 2020, and I was looking at Mark like he had lost his damn mind. While Mark is scrambling to take accountability, we’ll look to his former inner circle for council. Facebook turned people into the zombies playing Candy Crush very quickly.

Social Dilemma shows everyone that Mark Zuckerberg (asking us if Zuckerberg is a psychopath is wild) used the Sesame Street philosophy of using television to educate children and parents and completely flipped it for profit. The people blowing the whistle on Mark are the actual architects of Silicon Valley. Top executives, no disguises or pixelation. Mark did not take accountability for his actions during a recent trial. Mark is in big trouble.

When we wonder why the world is the way that it is, it all traces back to profits. Visibility. Popularity. Concepts that don’t center individuals or the collective experience. They are made for us to consume but we are the ones that are being consumed. We’ve become the product. Now it’s time for the tables to flip in our favor. South African, Elon Musk, we see you trying to hide behind trump. You’ve been quiet lately, please don’t be procreating, we don’t have time for any of that.

MAGA, don’t have us embarrass you either.

The End.

ETA: typos. God Bless America.