Grift

The head of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association (a local trade lobbying group) has announced that the hotels in Hawai’i are completely prepared for the floodgates of tourism to open. He emphasized that the protocols for safety and sanitizing will exceed the CDC requirements.

“This is a statewide effort on standards that has been vetted by the governor’s office, supported by the Department of Health, blessed by the state Attorney General’s office,” he said. “All four county mayors have seen it. We’ve also shared it with our labor affiliates.”

Here’s the clincher ... he also emphasized that hotels will be prepared to isolate guests who fall ill after arrival. “We will basically take care of a customer or guest that comes to Hawaii and during the course of their stay, they contract the virus, what have you,” he assured. “It’s incumbent for us to take care of that person or persons until they require hospitalization.”

This from the guy who was once mayor of Honolulu. He was elected because he was considered the “savior” who negotiated a contract between O’ahu Transit Service (City contracted private management firm for public transit) and the union representing its bus drivers during a prolonged work stoppage. It was a “con game” (also discussed in the old “blog”) that got him elected. Now, he’s running for mayor again. And, he’s trying to present himself as the “savior” of the tourist industry.

What’s really worrisome is that the new “con game” is possibly the only proffered solution to the boondoggle facing the State “duffers” concerning “super-duper corona” screening for all visitor arrivals (refer to the Notes post, “Clusterfuck Redux”). There have been no revelations concerning the progress of the proposed screening method(s). Hence, the “Band-Aid” will be the proactive intervention by the hotels and staff. Yet, how will the hotels handle the isolation and treatment of infected visitors? Will there be any medical professionals on duty? Who exactly will be certified to care for infected visitors “until they require hospitalization”?

More than likely, the infected visitors will be supervised by untrained staff members, who will probably become infected and end up contributing widely to “community spread.” The State “duffers” have run out of time and options, so they made a deal with the hotel association. No doubt, a lot of impressive documentation was prepared, but it’s really just a legal strategy to allow tourists to fast-track entry without the need for testing documentation or quarantine. Yeah, that’s an accident waiting to happen.

Addendum: Another clue is that the “rollbacks” have not been severe. No full-time face mask mandate. Bars and night clubs will be closed for only three weeks, with just enough time to prepare for the September 1st opening of the floodgates of tourism. There will be no further Draconian measures invoked in order to allow tourists the freedom to spend money.

Fog of Deceit

The mayor of Honolulu announced that his proposed full-time face mask mandate is being “reconsidered, just a day after requesting approval for the latter from the governor of Hawai’i. Most likely, the governor directed the mayor to “stand down.” The governor has announced that there will be some “rollbacks” coming.

The rationale for the latest histrionics is the revelation that there were 106 cases of “super-duper corona” infections added to the on-going count. On face value, that numbers appears to an appalling surge. However, upon reading the “fine print,” the reason for the alleged surge became evident. Hurricane Douglas had forced the closure of testing labs, so the tests of approximately three days were lumped together and released on Wednesday. The government “duffers,” of course, knew of of that but chose to exploit the situation. This is the basis of the hoax.

Addendum: The number of cases of “super-duper corona” for today adds 124 new infections. Some could be a spillover from the Hurricane Douglas forced closure of testing facilities. Still, the reported infections continue, which indicates “community spread.”

Net Junkyard

The Net has become unbearable, most notably during the “super-duper corona” hoax. With so much ample time during the “lockdown,” the Net was scrutinized meticulously. The verdict? The Net is only good for pornography, which was determined many moons ago anyway.

“Super-duper corona” and, currently, the “protest” have exposed the vile nature of the Net ... the vacuous social media networks, the “fake news” networks, the vapid entertainment media. All of it is plainly mass produced junk, just like the entirety of the failed “Western civilization” paradigm.

“Super-duper corona” also compromised many previously reliable sources on the Net. Once those sources began to proselytize about face masks, “social distancing,” and “lockdowns,” their credibility was significantly diminished. They capitulated to the fear of death narrative.

So, as stated previously in Notes, music streaming was mummified because of junk music. Borrowing e-books from the library was mummified because of junk literature. So, there’s nothing left. It’s all crappy, mass produced junk.

The search for a more inexpensive cellphone plan continues. So far, nothing has planned out. Tello is probably the best alternative, but the switch to CDMA is not desirable at this time.

Addendum: A Safari browser content blocker (open source Ka-Block!) has been installed on the iPhone XR. It essentially functions as an ad-blocker. The rationale is to block advertisements and tracking scripts that rapidly consume the limited data allotment of the current cellphone plan.

Theatre of Stupidity

The fearmongering over Hurricane Douglas was short-lived, so the old standby, “super-duper corona” to the rescue! The mayor of Honolulu, in a typical “knee-jerk” reaction, has requested approval from the governor of Hawai’i to make face masks mandatory full time. The rationale is that the number of infected people is rising daily. If approved, the mandate will take effect on Thursday.

That’s right, face masks must be worn everywhere except in the ocean (although, that could change at any time). By inference, face masks must also be worn in places of residence, even during sleep time.

In addition, bars and night clubs are slated to close for three weeks while new “super-duper corona” rules are put in place. Expect a full “lockdown” to return shortly.

This pathetic charade will probably continue for years, all because of the fear of death (i.e., thanatophobia) that has apparently affected the government “duffers” as well. When will they realize that “super-duper corona” is going to continue rampaging everywhere until “herd immunity” is finally established?

Doug, Interrupted

Waikiki Beach

Light rain and intermittent winds commenced early Sunday morning. The warning sirens were activated at 11 o’ clock, no doubt to add to the fear factor. A quick jaunt to Ala Moana Center at 11:30am revealed that it was closed. A quick return to Waikiki was necessary because bus service abruptly ended at noon. All other establishments closed at noon as well. Fortunately, an Ahi Poke bowl (for lunch) was procured at the despicable ABC Store as a last resort before it closed. Total caloric intake for the day was reduced because of involuntary physical inactivity.

The humidity at noon became nearly unbearable. Thus, the air conditioning unit in the mausoleum at the “old folks home” in Waikiki was deployed intermittently throughout the day. Around 1pm, the light rain and winds both diminished. Overall, the day was fairly nice.

The 11am data released by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) established that Hurricane Douglas was just north of Mau’i. The path of the hurricane was confirmed, with landfall on O’ahu projected to be 9:30pm. Hurricane Watch status now included O’ahu and Kau’ai.

Then, the much awaited 5pm data from NHC (above) indicated that sometime around 2pm, Hurricane Douglas made an abrupt shift Northwest in trajectory. It is now passing above the remainder of the island chain with some wind and rain possibly affecting the North Shore.

As usual, there was a lot of fearmongering in the local media. However, a more reasonable approach is taken in Notes. Data from NHC takes precedence over local “talking heads.” So, the State remains in total “lockdown” again until tomorrow morning. Perhaps another read of the Notes post, “Lessons from Hurricane Lane,” is in order.

In the meantime, the daily counts for people testing positive for “super-duper corona” are now in the 60-70 range. The State “duffers” should really make a decision at this point in time. Either aggressively deploy “contact tracers” and locate all potentially infected individuals. Or, go with “herd immunity” (for lack of a better term), then forget the “lockdown” and face mask bullshit already.

Waiting for Doug

As of this Notes posting, Hurricane Douglas has been downgraded (Category 1), but it still remains fairly strong. It’s trajectory continues to make minor changes. The 5pm track confirmed the latter.

The gym will be closed on Sunday. Public transportation service will terminate at noon. However, Ala Moana Center will remain open, but that’s most likely subject to change. No personal preparations are being made, which is the standard protocol.

The latest information at 11pm from the National Hurricane Center (above) indicated that Hurricane Douglas is still following essentially the same trajectory. Hurricane-force winds and rain are expected until it passes the main islands early Monday morning.

Hurricane Douglas

Well, there’s another hurricane speeding toward the islands, which is estimated to make landfall on the Big Island by Saturday. O’ahu will host the hurricane on Sunday. Currently, it is classified as a Category 2 hurricane, and it may or may not weaken. It could also change trajectory. Nonetheless, the authorities (term used loosely) have already advised that people should be stocking up on a 14-day supply of food, water, and ... face masks. No doubt, the hoarding will commence within hours. The authorities are also planning ahead for “social distancing” to be accommodated in all emergency shelters.

Will this event play out like the Hurricane Lane debacle (refer to Notes of August 2018 for details)? Then, add in the fear of death from “super-duper corona” for even more fun! By the way, face masks are mandatory when the hurricane arrives. Yes, even with the pouring rain and gale force winds.

Addendum: Douglas was upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane. The National Hurricane Center has indicated that the hurricane will most likely weaken to a tropical storm before making landfall on the Big Island this weekend. Yet, the authorities here have been urging residents to make emergency preparations, almost as if the ensuing panic would provide them with comic relief.

Flashback

The quasi-“lockdown” has afforded time for much thinking. Unfortunately, there have been many intrusive thoughts, usually in the form of sporadic recollections of the past. From childhood to adolescence to adulthood and onto the history detailed by both the legacy journal and old “blog,” a wasted life of foolishness and stupidity was revealed in the horrid flashbacks.

Clearly, the personage in question was not perfect. However, the revelations unveil the sad truth of a person who could be simply described as a “total asswipe.” When did humility finally enter the picture? Who knows? It wasn’t soon enough, though.

Another 4.5 months of instant coffee was procured at Longs® for $17 or so. There is no anticipation for a return to coffee time at the fast food joint in town ... well, at least not for a few years as “super-duper corona” continues to circle the globe ad infinitum.

Workouts at the gym have not been encouraging. Weight workouts encompass the entirety of the first hour. Then, the return during the senior citizen time slot allows for the 30-minute cardio session. Nonetheless, there does not appear to be any possible way to return to weight regimen of old. Thus, the 15% reduction in strength is irreversible. On a positive note, muscle atrophy has definitely been arrested and reversed.

Time is also being wasted on alternative arrangements to the “old folks home” in Waikiki. Where to go? What to do? Even the homeless motorhome (read: cargo van camper conversion) is still being considered. No answers yet.

Addendum: The Spotify® “app” has been deleted, and the associated account closed. In addition, the JBL® Flip 5 wireless speaker has been boxed up for possible divestiture.

Thanatophobia

Four months have now passed since the inception of the “super-duper corona” farce. For a 65-year-old codger, that’s a significant chunk of his remaining “good years.” And, the sedentary “lockdown” most likely shaved off five years from total life expectancy. And, for what?

“Super-duper corona” is now raging again against the backdrop of intentionally haphazard “reopenings.” How could anyone, even the so-called “experts,” not see that coming? Obviously, they did. The outcome is all part of an elaborate ruse.

“Super-duper corona” will continue to “circle the globe” until nearly everyone is infected by the pathogen. The “lockdowns” only insured that there would be a huge pool of future victims with absolutely no immunity.

So, how long will this bullshit, face masks and “social distancing” included, continue? Given the current farce that is ensuing, a good estimate would be many years. The “lockdowns” will keep coming and going. And, finally, when about 75% of the world population has been infected and recover or die, a form of “herd immunity” will put “super-duper corona” in check.

What about the miracle vaccine? Or, the placebo vaccine? The efficacy of both would be approximately the same. A vaccine does not offer any guarantee of immunity, especially for the most vulnerable. It only subsidizes the pharmaceutical industry.

The fear of death (thanatophobia) keeps the masses in check. They do not want “herd immunity.” They do not desire to fall ill or, in rare cases, die. The masses would rather sequester in fear and douse themselves and everything around them with disinfectant. “Super-duper corona” is coming for them no matter how much disinfectant is deployed. There’s no stopping “super-duper corona.” It’s coming!

Theme Park

The Real Waikiki

The big tourist dung heap, Waikiki, is also the locale of the “old folks home.” Well, aside from that nauseating tidbit, Waikiki is currently the major concern in Hawai’i because it essentially is the economy. Yet, few people know that Waikiki is even more fake than its tawdry theme park façade. Most of Waikiki didn’t even exist before 1900 (the year). That’s right. Waikiki was essentially overgrown marshland. There was no beach.

The Ala Wai Canal became the conduit to drain the swamp into the ocean. Then, after dredging, the entire area was filled to create the “land” for development. The beach, too, is fake. Tons of sand were imported to create the tiny strip of beach. The sand must routinely be replaced because of natural erosion by the ocean tides. In essence, Waikiki really is a cheesy theme park.

Ritual

The partial transition to a longer workout at the gym has commenced. The usual one-hour appointment is scheduled and utilized for the weight workout regimen (at a less frenzied pace). Then, the next time slot, appropriately set aside for senior citizens, is exploited for the cardio regimen. The only drawback is the 30-minutes of idle time between sessions when the gym is closed for fanatical disinfection. Of course, if the bulk of the workout can be completed in one hour, all the better.

The fate of the JBL® Flip 5 wireless speaker is now in question. The redundant Spotify® playlists have finally exacted a toll on the psyche. As with everything else in the commodified society, mediocrity and banality reign supreme. Junk music, junk food, junk media, junk science, junk news, junk literature, junk art, junk culture, etc. Of course, the obsolescence was predictable. At three months of usage, the device has essentially amortized itself. So, divestiture is imminent. The Spotify® account will have to be mummified as well.

So, what will occupy the time in the evenings after returning from dinner at Ala Moana Center? There was some consideration of resurrecting reading as a pastime. However, the thought of sifting through myriad junk literature (in the form of e-books from the public library) is not at all attractive. That whole conundrum was expressed previously in Notes.

However, a few evenings have been devoted to reading “Escape from Evil,” penned by the Great Prophet, Ernest Becker. What is most interesting is that Becker described the sinister force(s) at play today in breathtaking detail.

Addendum: With the reopening of the gym and the Makai Mall food court in Ala Moana Center, both the Mausoleum Gym and Mausoleum Diner have closed.

Indecisive Decision

The governor of Hawai’i, after a long period of indecision, has announced that the floodgates of tourism will not be flung open for at least one month. Instead, the totally ineffective (read: “honor system”) mandatory 14-day quarantine will remain in effect for all overseas visitors. The announcement comes “on the heels” of the three deaths (all senior citizens) related to “super-duper corona” reported earlier in the day. In addition, residents have expressed apprehension about tourists coming from the mainland empire, now allegedly ravaged by the pandemic.

Ironically, the number of tourists arriving in Hawai’i continues to steadily increase. The daily average is now over 600 people. A quick look in Waikiki reveals that few, if any, are abiding by the mandatory quarantine. Who knew, eh? The local news media has reported that the police have issued over 8,000 citations to violators so far. However, the citations are useless (i.e., similar to a parking citation). Violators can contest the citations in court, but no one is going to bother. They will either pay the fine, or simply ignore it. And, they’re gone in two weeks anyway. In other words, the farce continues on.

The quasi-“lockdown” continues, although that could change at anytime with “rollbacks.” Most retail stores and shopping malls close by 7pm. Few places have any seating available, and standing around is prohibited. There’s essentially nowhere to go, and nothing to do. And, that is likely to continue until the floodgates of tourism are opened.

Many local businesses are expected to fold as a result of the delay. No tears are being shed for them because none of those businesses actually catered to the locals. Markups were extremely high in order to gouge the tourists. That’s the predatory nature of the entire tourist industry. Why people continue to be bamboozled by the tawdry theme park façade suggests extreme mental midgetry at play.

Update: A slight “rollback” for bars and night clubs now limits the serving the serving of alcoholic beverages to midnight instead of 2am. The reason? Blatant disregard for “social distancing” and the face mask mandate ... uh, can a beverage be consumed while wearing a face mask? Continued violations will reduce the time to 10pm.

Comic Relief

The Molech-themed Twitter® feed did not actually come into existence on the date shown. An anonymous entity had established the account, but abandoned it. After some finagling, access to the account was attained.

The original intention was the replacement of the old “blog,” but the results were disappointing. Rather than delete the feed, it was repurposed (term used loosely). The only question is ... why are there 184 followers? Well, social media and the Net are good for one purpose (hint: certainly not the dissemination of truth). Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!

Spread

Two “super-duper corona” clusters were identified at two gyms after a single gym member, who apparently was ill, attended fitness classes at both locations. The gyms remain unnamed, but there are only a couple of gym chains in Hawai’i with multiple locations and with fitness classes.

An employee at the Cheesecake Factory® in Waikiki tested positive for “super-duper corona” after reporting to work while ill. Same for an employee at the fast food joint in Wahiawa.

The aforementioned cases are being reported as “community spread.” There is now the possibility of a return to full “lockdown,” although there is increasing pressure to ignore the trend. The reason? There can be no impediment to opening the floodgates of tourism on August 1st. Yet, the ability of the State and municipal governments to tackle even the most minor outbreak of “super-super corona” is questionable. Heck, they can’t even develop a viable plan for the screening of tourists.

“Community spread” could become a major problem quickly. The inability of the rank-and-file peons to quarantine themselves when ill is going to be the cause. Then, everyone else will suffer the consequences of “lockdown” again when the government “duffers” are driven to panic. Stupidity really has no bounds.

So, every opportunity is being exploited to enjoy what little personal freedom that has been restored. Any day now, the “lockdown” can return like a bad sitcom.

Herd

With just three weeks remaining before the floodgates of tourism are opened, there still is no plan concerning the screening for “super-duper corona.” The mayor and council of Honolulu have petitioned the governor of Hawai’i to either postpone the target date or increase the screening requirements to include two tests taken per visitor within a span of a week.

There really is no reason to delineate on any of the considerations because the plans are all flawed. As previously discussed in Notes, the quarantine is a farce. And, the whole idea of testing has become an even bigger joke given the demand for testing across empire has severely depleted the stocks of test kits. And, tourists will be given last priority for testing.

The Federal unemployment supplement of $600 per week expires The eviction moratorium ends at the end of the month. Many of the local businesses are now teetering on closure. Ultimately, the decision and the plan will be driven by purely economic interests.

In the meantime, there is reason to believe that “community spread” of “super-duper corona” is now occurring. Without proper mitigation, the number of infections will increase rapidly. So, the prospect of restoring the full “lockdown” is real. Yet, what does that accomplish when there are 1.5 million people here with no immunity?

Overall, there really is no way to avoid the inevitable. “Super-duper corona” will continue to spread until it infects nearly all of the global population. The “lockdown” only “buys time,” but ... for what? Only when a significant portion of the population has achieved some kind of immunity will there be any hope of controlling or eradicating the pathogen. That’s the crux of what is crudely referred to as “herd immunity.” As stated in Notes, some people will fall ill, most will recover, some will die.

Twiddle

There are only three weeks remaining before the floodgates of tourism are opened. Thus, even with some provisions of “lockdown” still in effect, any kind of reprieve must be appreciated.

Dining at Ala Moana Center in the Makai Market food court has commenced, that is, if seating can be found within the limited accommodations. Dining out is a far better experience than eating in the confines of the mausoleum at the “old folks home” in Waikiki. Of course, in three weeks, the food court will be chaotic.

The number of positive cases of “super-duper corona” reported was 41 just for yesterday. That’s nearly twice as high as the peak three months ago. The infections are predominately amongst younger people, which means the dispersion of the pathogen could be extensive. Now is the time to invoke safeguards for senior  citizens and other vulnerable individuals. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. More thumb-twiddling lies ahead.

Addendum: An e-mail arrived as notification that required forms for Section 8 housing vouchers must be filed by July 17th. This is a “once in a lifetime” opportunity as the wait has been nearly 3.5 years since the housing specialist at the Sand Island homeless shelter initiated the process. Unfortunately, as it was back then, there is no way meet the requirements short of lying about assets. So, the coveted spot will be forfeited.

Update: The government “duffers” have indicated that further surges of “super-duper corona” infections could lead to a “rollback” of “lockdown” easing. In addition, although highly improbable, is a postponement of the opening of the floodgates of tourism.

Clusterfuck Island

Mayor of Honolulu

"If we have 25 now, just local on Oahu with no visitors, what's it look like when we open to visitors? Does that mean we have 75 cases, 80 cases, 100 cases? And it becomes concerning," the mayor of Honolulu lamented during a recent interview. He was addressing doubts about the opening of the floodgates of tourism on August 1st amidst the “super-duper corona” debacle on the mainland empire.

What? No visitors? There have been about 400 tourists arriving and departing daily for over a month. That’s about 5,000 people here on any given day. And, only a handful are actually following the mandatory 14-day quarantine. Yeah, what happens on August 1st, when thousands of tourists are expected to arrive each day?

Addendum: The book, “Escape from Evil,” by the Great Prophet, Ernest Becker, is difficult to locate, no less purchase. It is the follow-up to “The Denial of Death” (recipient of the esteemed Pulitzer Prize). Becker’s writing style can be difficult for some, but the message is much more important.

Domino

In a few weeks, the floodgates of tourism will be swung wide open in Hawai’i. The “super-duper corona” infection count is hovering around 25 per day, the same as the actual peak a few months ago. What was once a crisis is now viewed as trivial. What is the meaning of this hypocrisy?

There are, obviously, political and Fascist economical implications. However, the stark conclusion is that “super-duper corona” will continue to spread as long as there are enclaves of people with no immunity to it. Completely cutting off all travel would temporarily mitigate the spread. However, in the end, “super-duper corona” must run its course.

As stated in Notes previously, even a vaccine will not prevent infection. Thus, everyone is a likely candidate. The truth of the matter must be restated ... some people will become ill, some will recover, some will die. That is the corollary of Nature. Humans have strived endlessly to control Nature, but the latter always seems to possess the “upper hand.”

The “lockdown,” the face masks, and “social distancing” are feeble (and politically motivated) attempts to stall the inevitable. To further compound the problem, human solutions are relegated to financial transactions. Money is useless against Nature. Hence, the only real truth is that the chimpo sapiens stubbornly continue to embrace what the Great Prophet, Ernest Becker, defined as the denial of death.

The “globalists” (i.e., the moneychangers and powers-that-be) know exactly what is transpiring, and they continue to use a manufactured crisis to further their interests and to control and euthanize the masses. Yet, the masses are again in denial. They just cannot believe that the “one percent” can harbor sociopathic and psychopathic beliefs. When immense amounts of wealth and power are accrued, the fear and denial of death reaches cartoonish proportions. And, again, as the Great Prophet has written, genocide becomes a form of redemption, a warped tool in the ridiculous quest for legacy and immortality.

Farce Redux

Airport Madness

The mayor of Honolulu has, with the governor’s approval, extended the “lockdown” and associated mandates until July 31st. That’s just a day before the floodgates of tourism are flung wide open. The mayor justified the move by stating that he is making Hawai’i safe for the sacred tourists. In reality, social control is the goal (i.e., keep the unemployed off the streets).

The mayor is also working on an amendment to the original “state of emergency” in order to require full-time face mask usage. Of course, this measure is really to prepare for the thousands of tourists arriving on August 1st. As discussed in Notes, the incoming screening process for “super-duper corona” is a farce. The foolhardy safeguards to insure compliance with the 14-day quarantine have also been detailed in Notes. Every single one of them, including the one-time use hotel room key, can easily be defeated or outsmarted by even the most dimwitted of tourists. And, frankly, who exactly is going to stop several hundred people exiting a hotel and breaking quarantine?

Businesses are eagerly awaiting the arrival of tourists, but there is one hindrance to profitability. Restaurants, retail stores, and fast food joints require volume business. “Social distancing” is the big hurdle. Business venues are expected to aggressively lobby for the elimination of the mandate. So, by the middle of August, “social distancing” will be “history.” As discussed in Notes ad infinitum, fabric face masks are useless even with “social distancing.” A minimum of N95 face masks and protective medical goggles will be necessary when in close contact with the public.

“Social distancing” is already being eliminated on airlines. It won’t (or can’t) be enforced here on public transportation, tour buses, taxis, and ride-sharing. So, the possibility of a rapid spread of “super-duper corona” is high, beginning on airline flights bound for Hawai’i.

Currently, there has been an increase in the infection count, ranging between 6 and 25 new cases reported per day. Since “super-duper corona” does not spontaneously spawn here, it must be imported by the only way in ... airlines. There are about 400 tourists and 100 returning residents arriving daily now. Imagine what the infection count will be like once 10,000 people begin arriving daily (most likely realized during the second week of August). There are one million people on the island of O’ahu alone, all without any immunity to “super-duper corona.”

Addendum: From what can be ascertained, passengers on docked cruise ships are still not allowed to disembark. That is subject to change at any time. And, visitors staying in independent vacation rentals will be able to skirt the quarantine easily.

Update: The mayor announced the amendment to the “state of emergency,” but full-time use of face masks is not yet required. Face masks must be worn full-time indoors, including a person working alone in an office. Presumably face masks are required in a personal residences as well. Face masks must be worn outdoors if “social distancing” is impossible.

Excerpt — The Globalist

A short discourse on the deranged perspective of the moneychangers and powers-that-be was tentatively planned, but a recent article by Steven Yates that fulfilled the latter task appeared on the Unz Review Site. An excerpt:

You are properly disdainful of the masses. Like your fellow globalists you don’t see them as more than cattle, fit to be caged in work cubicles and ruled. But you’ve noticed, even from their inferior genes come, every so often, intelligent men and a few women with the right attitude. Such individuals can be plucked from the mass environment, tested for their reaction when they learn how the world really works, and if they pass the test, trained. The rest — with their gleeful mass consumption, their addictions to screens, their adulation of celebrities and sports icons, their blind adherence to religion or ideology whether “left” or “right” — leave you singularly unimpressed. Most you can barely tell apart since they dress, wear their hair, and talk the same, as members of various tribes. Tribalism, you were told as a child, is our natural state, and you’ve no cause to doubt it. A few idealistic intellectuals once thought they could transcend tribes with their god Reason. They called this the Enlightenment, which had its uses. But here we are back again. You look at society and you see tribes.

Certainly an entertaining read with a dark side ... truth.

Parole

The “lockdown” officially ended at midnight, although there is little observable change. So, no real freedom, just parole. No news coverage either. The only concern appears to be the unhindered opening of the floodgates of tourism regardless of any safeguards against “super-duper corona.”

Workouts at the gym are now in stasis given the one-hour limitation. No gains are expected at this point in time. The muscle groups have been firming up, though, and the sagging has been reversed.

Reliable sources have indicated that Planet Fitness® at Ala Moana Center does not require appointments. There’s no time limit for workouts, and the showers are available. That gym is fairly desolate, too, because members are afraid to return.

Addendum: From what can be ascertained, there should be over 100,000 tourists here by August 14th. The government “duffers” are now looking at deploying a modified version of an “app” that is currently being used to track local SARS-CoV-2 patients. The modified “app” will supposedly track all tourists who were not tested for “super-duper corona” prior to arrival and will be subject to the 14-day quarantine. However, the capacity of the tracking system is severely limited. So, in other words, the tourists will be free to come and go as they please.

Update: A city bus driver, who tested positive for “super-duper corona,” admitted to working five full days while illin’. There has been no follow-up in the local media. Even other bus drivers have no knowledge of the person’s identity. That should be a clue concerning how “super-duper corona” will be managed once the floodgates of tourism open ... don’t ask, don’t tell.