Leap Day 2020

There were no updates to Notes anticipated for a while, but Entropy 2020 has seemingly provided a plethora of trivial fodder.

• Local government officials have stated that COVID-19 testing will commence next week.
• Hoarding of food and sundries has wielded its ugly head because of the ill-timed warning (by local officials) to prepare for a possible coronavirus epidemic.
• Assurances that entry points to Hawai’i have restrictions in place to prevent import of the Chinese novel coronavirus have been recently announced by local officials.
• The coronavirus debacle is the excuse that the central bank of empire has been eagerly awaiting in order to reinstate ZIRP and the eventual move to NIRP. That’s what author Naomi Klein profoundly referred to as “disaster capitalism.” The return of ZIRP is a key factor in the pending motorhomeless decision.
• Notes has been invigorated with a new desktop visual theme. The mobile version (which apparently cannot be disabled) sports the desired “microblog” layout. The new theme has also been applied to the previous “blog” (i.e., “Silence, Little Lamb!”).
• The Molech-themed Twitter® feed has over 15,200 “tweets.” There has been much difficulty in finding new content, so its disposition is once again uncertain.
• Workouts at the gym have become tedious. Motivation is at all-time low because of persistent shoulder and ankle pain.
• Subsequent to severing ties with immediate family, all social interactions with people have been minimized to pithy salutations only.
• Budget cuts at the “old folks home” in Waikiki have eliminated the night security guard position and reduced janitorial services.
• Slippery Sy has apparently resigned from his position at the “old folks home” in Waikiki. Incidentally, there have no more bogus eviction notices since last November.

Will the next Notes update occur during the following Leap Day in four years? Who knows? Who really cares?

Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is apparently of little concern in Hawai’i. Local news coverage is scant, at best. Yet, undercurrents run deep. Local inventories of N-95 filter masks have been depleted. So, the fear is certainly brewing covertly amongst the natives.

As stated previously, there has been no effort to impose any coronavirus screening on incoming tourists, even though the majority are coming from Japan and South Korea, where COVID-19 is surging. Worse yet, local authorities have stated that no official novel coronavirus test kits are available. Test kits that were previously delivered had been defective.

The prevailing attitude can only be described as cavalier. The self-assured posture rests on the premise that a quarantine can be quickly established on any of the islands. The latter foolish thinking, of course, precludes the notion of actually being a participant in a prison-like quarantine.

If such a quarantine were established, there would be no way to escape the island or the novel coronavirus infection itself. The futile and panicked hoarding of food and essentials will precede increasingly violent outcomes. And, the huge senior citizen population will be the most vulnerable. Mortality rates for the kupuna will be high. Obviously, a contingency plan is necessary.

The infection of the large transient homeless population will also serve to accelerate the spread of COVID-19 amongst the general population. Mortality rates for the homeless people of all age groups will be high because they are afflicted with compromised immune systems.

The Chinese novel coronavirus could already be present in the local population. Ignorance or fear may prevent seeking medical assistance. Medical staff may not be able to diagnose the disease properly without test kits anyway. There may also be intense political pressure to suppress any information about infected patients.

Then, there is the issue of “big money.” A coronavirus scare would implode the tourist industry overnight. Unemployment and homelessness would spike. Even the local moneychangers and powers-that-be would be affected. All are ample reasons for a cover-up.

Update: The State government officials have now issued a suggestion that resident stock a 14-day supply of food, water, and other necessities. The frenzied panic hoarding is about to commence.

Open Notes

No new updates to Notes are scheduled for the near term. Post questions and opinions in the comments section below. Responses in no particular order:

1. The state of affairs in Hawai’i is degenerating as expected. Currently, there is the fear of COVID-19 but the concerns are mostly about the financial impact on tourism. If the novel coronavirus infects the transient homeless population here, it will “go viral” (no pun intended). The true exodus requires relocation. With the entire empire in a state of decay and disarray, there are no viable domestic options. Expatriation?
2. Notes will most likely continue on. Gratitude is always extended to the legacy readership. Yes, many thanks!

All questions and opinions are appreciated.

Generations

“Aren't you beginning to feel time gaining on you? It's like a predator; it's stalking you. Oh, you can try and outrun it with doctors, medicines, new technologies. But in the end, time is going to hunt you down... and make the kill.” — Dr. Tolian Soran to Captain Jean-Luc Picard from “Star Trek: Generations”

There has been absolutely no contact from immediate family. The disposition of moms remains unknown. Clearly, if moms had been capable, a call would have been made. Previous evidence has already suggested that moms has dementia. Of course, the bro’s family has every intention of permanently severing ties. Consider the excommunication completed.

Being alone isn’t so bad. Dying alone may be more troublesome. However, a pariah has no choice in these matters. Oddly, there is much shared in common with some of the more sane homeless. In fact, dining at the food court at Ala Moana Center is much more relaxing when one of the latter is in close proximity. The sane homeless people are quiet and clean up after they are done.

There has been no final decision concerning alternative housing or motorhomelessness. The possibility of a coronavirus epidemic here is highly likely given the sheer number of tourists vacationing with absolutely no screening in place. If an epidemic ensues, it will spread across the island rapidly and to the other islands with equal rapidity. The ramifications are ominous. Of course, a good pandemic could really clean up the “mess” around here. Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!

Picard and Dr. Soran

The previously deactivated Crackle account was reactivated in order to view the ”Star Trek” flicks (featuring the Next Generation cast) on the iPhone XR. Because of the temporary nature of the account, the associated “app” was not downloaded.

Addendum: The second dose of the shingles vaccine was obtained at Walmart® in town. The Medicare Advantage health plan actually covered the exorbitant cost except for the $3.90 copayment. There were a couple of adverse reactions to the vaccine, which weren’t experienced with the first dose.

Breaking! A 60yo male has tested positive for the Chinese coronavirus COVID-19 upon his return to Japan after vacationing in Hawai’i. The likelihood that he had infected others (during incubation period) while in the islands is extremely high. Search local news sources for more updates.