https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/03/thoughts-on-coronavirus-crisis.html
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/04/thoughts-on-coronavirus-crisis-part-2.html
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/04/thoughts-on-coronavirus-crisis-part-3.html
image by Alissa Eckert, MS, Dan Higgins, MAMS,
1.) My life under the coronavirus crisis lockdown
In my previous posts on the coronavirus crisis, I mentioned about being a school library employee being locked out from the campus but still getting paid. I also mentioned my school has weekday morning teleconferences to keep us updated.
I also mentioned about the Unemployment Insurance office being overwhelmed and trying to get state workers from other departments to help out.
Since the previous post, I did apply to help out. At the time, they were looking at morning & afternoon shifts. I initially applied for the afternoon shifts being that I have morning teleconferences with my school. However, they changed it to everyone working one shift from morning to afternoon. Therefore, a scheduling conflict for me.
I also noted to them I can do data entry, data verification, and email/chat interactions (if available) but no call center work. But the bulk of the open positions are for call center work. Sorry, but I need to save my sanity.
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Last week, I have been able to vacuum and wipe the floor of my studio apartment. The Favor Squirt & Mop floor cleaner is wonderful for cleaning the floor.
SC Johnson
Favor Squirt & Mop
However, the yellowed tiles (meaning the tiles weren't supposed to be yellow, it got that way over time) were a different challenge. These tiles tend to be in areas that rarely receive sunlight or fresh air (for example, under my storage tubs, under my mattress). I previously tried remedies suggested online like using baking soda & vinegar. Didn't work.
This time I used laundry bleach. It worked. The challenge with that method is that while the bleach worked its magic, I stayed outside on the lanai (balcony) due to the strong smell of the bleach. Every so often I come back in, wipe the bleached area, notice some of the yellow stains have faded, then add more bleach on the areas that still need more fade. Then I went back outside for fresh air. I did this several times over a circa 2 hour period. By the end, the yellow on the tiles has faded so much that you wouldn't have known it existed a few hours earlier.
Also on the homefront
- I rearranged my storage bins & tubs for more consistency
- got new curtains for better privacy protection
- replaced my battery-powered radio. The previous one stopped working, and I would like to have one so I can listen to the news during stormy weather or other situations involving power outages
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For outside exercise, I usually take walks, though if time & weather permits, I'm on my bike.
On April 25, when the mayor reopened public parks for individual exercises (group gatherings and team sports still not allowed), I rode through Ala Moana Beach Park. There were so many people on the pathways, it was like pets all being released from the cage all at once.
Last Saturday night, I rode my bike all the way from home (circa UHM) all the way to Kalihi, and back home. Fun times.
2.) Hawaii still not ready to reopen so fast
In the continental US, there have been massive protests to reopen places and end the coronavirus lockdowns.
In Hawaii, only a small fringe take part.
There's a historical reason for that.
For thousands of years, Hawaii has been isolated from the outside world and therefore not exposed to the diseases that the Europeans, Africans, and Asians have long developed immunity to. When the Europeans came in the late 1700's, the Native Hawaiians were exposed to diseases their bodies had no immunity to. Thousands have died to influenza, measles and other diseases for which we now have vaccines for. It didn't take a massacre for the Native Hawaiians to be eventually outnumbered in their own homeland, all it took was outside diseases to wipe out a large number of them. It was only after 1900 when the bulk of the Native Hawaiians finally developed immunity to such diseases that their numbers finally start to increase again.
learn more at
Doug Herman, “Shutting Down Hawai‘i: A Historical Perspective On Epidemics in the Islands,” Smithsonian Magazine, March 25, 2020,
With that history, the people of Hawaii were quick to demand lockdown when the first cases of coronavirus came in early March. People were angry that the government didn't act fast enough to shut everything down.
Being that Hawaii is the midway point between North America & Asia, it was expected that Hawaii would become a major breeding point for the virus. But because of the lockdown, the disease didn't spread as much as expected.
Parks were recently reopened for individual exercise under the recommendation of health experts.
There have been talks of slowly allowing certain businesses to re-open.
This reopening will only happen gradually and could be scaled back if cases increase again.
However, tourism will still be highly regulated. There is talk of placing ankle monitors on tourists to make sure they are in 14-day quarantine when they arrive. There is concern that this is police state tactics, but it does have the support of the residents here. They don't want so many tourists coming all at once soon, being that there are worries they will bring a second wave of coronavirus.
on the ankle monitor proposal
Chad Blair, “Nothing Screams ‘aloha’ Like an Ankle Monitor,” Honolulu Civil Beat, May 2, 2020,
Christina Jedra, “COVID-19 Monitoring Could Turn Hawaii Into a Tourist ‘prison Camp,’ Critics Say,” Honolulu Civil Beat, April 29, 2020,
It might be months, even years before big events would reopen again. That would be the last thing to reopen.
3.) More localized governance is better
It is commonly said, "why can't a big country like the USA be so quick to stop the virus (or do anything else, fill in the blank)?"
But the reason the USA federal government can't act so quickly is because it is so big!
The larger the landmass to control, the longer it takes to take control of anything.
Smaller countries like Singapore and South Korea were quick to contain the virus BECAUSE they are smaller. They have less landmass and fewer people to control.
Meanwhile, big countries like China, Russia, and the USA move much slower to contain the virus. They're just too big!
Hawaii was able to slow the spread of the virus because it has a smaller but dense landmass. This even though people complain the governor didn't act fast enough.
In the continental US, a cluster of neighboring states was able to come together to coordinate lockdown and gradual reopenings based on the conditions on the ground.
Daily Kos (a left-wing website known for clickbait titles) have noted that these coalitions of states (for example, West Coast states, Northeastern states) could effectively function if they were their own little united states. We could have an independent nation of the Westside, New England, Mid-Atlantic, and so forth! However, this comes with a fear of a rebirth of a southern confederacy.
Anyways, here's the Daily Kos article
Kos, “Trump Declares Himself a dictator. Blue-State Governors organize. A Breakup Is Now On the Table,” Daily Kos, April 14, 2020,
4.) China, Taiwan and WHO
China's initial response to the coronavirus crisis is to deny it and censor anyone who goes public about it.
Taiwan's response is to go public about the situation and encouraged people to wear masks when going outside.
If you are in charge of a world health organization, whose example would you follow?
Sadly, the real-life World Health Organization (WHO) ignored Taiwan's example because the Chinese communist government still can't get over the fact that Taiwan is an independent nation not under its control.
If an ex doesn't want to be with you for the last 61 months, you should be over that already (or at least acknowledge you'll never be together again). But this is 61 YEARS since Taiwan was outside China's control, China should just get over it and move on.
The people running WHO are moral cowards! They should stand up and acknowledge publicly that Taiwan is an independent nation. But in press conferences, when questioned about Taiwan's virus management, the WHO's epidemiologist Bruce Aylward acted as if he didn't understand the question. No, Aylward understood the question, just like we understand that Aylward is a coward that can't speak truth to power.
Learn more at
ReasonTV. “How China Corrupted the World Health Organization's Response to COVID-19”. YouTube video, Posted April 15, 2020.
5.) Rent freezes
I believe that landlords should be flexible and not be so rigid when dealing with tenants who can no longer pay their usual amount.
If I was a landlord and I was charging (for example) $900 a month, but the tenant can only pay $200 this month, I'll just take the $200, and delay whatever projects I was hoping to pay for.
However, I'm not in favor of freezing rents for everyone. Those who can pay the usual amount should do so. I'm currently getting paid the usual month so I am paying my rent this month.
Apartment maintenance isn't free. Landlords stay have to pay property taxes, maintenance staff, electricity for the common areas, and repairs. That stuff isn't free.
Learn more at
Poppy Noor, “Landlords On the Pandemic: 'everyone Has an Impression of Us as Rich and Greedy',” The Guardian, April 20, 2020,
However, there is one shady practice that should be condemned
Some landlords have been using their tenant's social security number to check the IRS website to see if their tenant received the $1200 stimulus. This is a privacy violation
Learn more at
Mark Pygas, “Property Manager Allegedly Used Tenant's Ssn to Track Stimulus Payment and Demand Rent,” Upworthy, April 2020,
6.) The coronavirus crisis affecting rats too
As people's habits have changed during the coronavirus lockdown, so do the animals who depend on human habits.
Rats who have long lived near restaurants had to find new sources of food. They migrated to new territories where they fought with rats that were already there over resources.
Areas near homes where they'll be more food disposed because everyone is now at home will get an increase of rats coming their way.
This rat migration could also affect homeless humans living on the streets.
Learn more at
Dartunorro Clark, “Starving, Angry and Cannibalistic: America's Rats Are Getting Desperate Amid Coronavirus Pandemic,” Yahoo, April 13, 2020,
7.) A famous name can hurt your chance of getting unemployment compensation
Most of us know of a Tupac Shakur who was a rapper/actor who passed away in Las Vegas in 1996.
While his spirit lives on, there is another Tupac Shakur still alive in Kentucky.
But instead of making records & films, this Tupac Shakur (who usually goes by the name Malik) is a cook working at two restaurants. Or was a cook, until both restaurants shut down due to the coronavirus crisis.
So Malik filed for unemployment compensation. However, the people working in the unemployment office saw that name and thought it was a prank.
Kentucky governor Andy Beshear found out about this and used this case as an example of how frauds and pranks have delayed the processing of unemployment claims.
Turns out that Tupac Shakur was for real and he was wondering why his unemployment checks didn't come in.
When Governor Beshear found out the truth, he apologized and promised this Tupac Shakur he would get his unemployment compensation. Shakur said he forgives Beshear for his errors.
Learn more at
WTVQ News Desk, “No Joke: Tupac Shakur Needs Unemployment Benefit,” WTVQ, April 28, 2020,
Lauren Floyd, “Kentucky Governor Apologizes for His Response When Tupac Shakur Filed for Unemployment,” Daily Kos, April 29, 2020
