thoughts on the coronavirus crisis (part 2)

So far, this is week 3 for the mandated lockout from my worksite due to the coronavirus crisis.

image by Alissa Eckert, MS, Dan Higgins, MAMS,

for part 1  of my thoughts on the coronavirus crisis
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/03/thoughts-on-coronavirus-crisis.html

And here are more thoughts on the coronavirus crisis.

1. My situation as a non-teaching school employee

I work at a middle school library, and the schools are closed.  Only "essential workers" (administration, custodians, security) are allowed on campus, and only for limited times.

Teachers are now engaged in distance learning. For students with internet access at home, they can access lessons from their Google Classroom. For students without internet access at home (our district includes public housing and homeless shelters), they do worksheet packets that they pick up on campus on a grab & go basis.  There was talk of mailing packets (other schools do it), but admin was worried it would take too long to arrive. 

As for me, all I can do is take part in an all-staff teleconference every weekday morning in which were given updates.

For the rest of the time, I'm basically on vacation. Being that I'm a library worker, there's not much "work at home" I can do.

Some people are outraged that unionized state workers like me are "getting paid to do nothing". But if we're not getting paid from our jobs, then we would be applying for state money via unemployment insurance. Either way, we're getting paid by the state, so we might as well be keeping our job while "getting paid to do nothing".  

2. Distance Learning

Those who hate traditional learning are gloating at the idea that the coronavirus-mandated school lockdown is finally going to be the end of the oh-so-oppressive traditional learning. 

Not so fast!

Yes, distance learning does have its advantages. It can be a godsend for students who can't attend regular school on a regular basis due to illness. It can be a godsend for students who have to travel due to family reasons (note: my school has a large immigrant population, and some students have to temporarily withdraw from school if their family requires them to take trips during the school year). 

It can also be an option for students who want to avoid traditional school due to bullying. 

But distance learning does have its limits.

You can only learn so much from looking at a screen or reading from a book. Screens and books are great at teaching facts. But success is also based on learning skills, and skills require learning by action by doing with a guide on the side to correct you.


At our school, students who have to do worksheet packets (because they lack internet access at home) are begging for more help from the teachers, but due to the coronavirus social-distancing mandates, teachers can't be by their side.  That right there tells me that many students need the "oh-so oppressive" traditional learning at school campuses. 

Home schools can work when parents are well-educated academically. But even being well-educated doesn't guarantee being an adequate homeschool teacher. Let's put it this way, some great athletes became terrible coaches. It's not what you know, it's how you teach what you know.

Home schools can much harder for parents who aren't well educated. Most of these parents want to break the cycle for their children.  Even harder when parents are immigrants having difficulty with the local language and understanding the local school system.   

Some schools have given out laptops to students without computer access at home. At my school, it was talked about, but not implemented due to concerns that students might break it or lose it, and that it would be expensive to replace. 

Plus, I think students should learn to do things without relying on a computer all the time. 

----

Many who dislike traditional education assume that parents will become more comfortable home-schooling now that distance learning is mandated.  Some will, but even more are like "please schools, take our kids back, we can't handle being with them 24-7 even though we made them". My school already heard such pleading from parents already.  


Most students also benefit from being around peers. It's what they look forward to every day when they come to school.   Memories with their school peers is what they will treasure for a lifetime.

Sonia Shah noted that the "hype of online education will be abandoned, as a generation forced into seclusion will reshape the culture around a contrarian appreciation for communal life.

from the article
“Coronavirus will change the world permanently. Here’s how.,” Politico, March 19, 2020, https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/19/coronavirus-effect-economy-life-society-analysis-covid-135579

3. Work from home

For years, I see advertising for jobs that you can "work from home" without the hiring company being listed. I assumed those were scams. 

But now that many workplaces are locked due to the coronavirus mandated lockouts, many are doing work from home.

Some cheer the supposed end to the oh-so-oppressive traditional workplace.

Again, not so fast.

Yes, work at home does have its advantages. It can be a good option for people with disabilities or have family obligations.  It also benefits people who live far from the urban core who otherwise have to make long commutes.

The disadvantages are that teamwork is usually done best with a guide on your physical side. You can only explain so much over a screen. 

People joke that the coronavirus is a conspiracy by Zoom to get more people using it.

However, the coronavirus crisis has exposed the security weakness of Zoom.  People have hacked into Zoom meetings and posted very nasty messages.  

At one university, a student who had to do his dissertation defense over Zoom experienced having racist & pornographic messages pop up on the screens of everyone watching on the screen. This has happened at children's storytimes too!

Dennis Johnson, “Demand That Zoom Immediately Create a Solution to Protect Its Users from Racist Cyber Attacks!,” Organize For
https://campaigns.organizefor.org/petitions/demand-that-zoom-immediately-create-a-solution-to-protect-its-users-from-racist-cyber-attacks/

Elizabeth Redden, “Dissertation Defense On Zoom Interrupted by Racist Attack,” Inside Higher Ed, March 30, 2020,
 https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2020/03/30/dissertation-defense-zoom-interrupted-racist-attack.

David Greenwald, “Racism and Zoom Bombing Is an Unfortunate New Thing,” The Davis Vanguard, April 1, 2020,
 https://www.davisvanguard.org/2020/04/commentary-racism-and-zoom-bombing-is-an-unfortunate-new-thing/.

Hawaii's Department of Education has recently banned staff from using Zoom due to these concerns.  Google Meet and WebEx are more secure and are approved. 

4. Telemedicine

Traditionally, if you're sick, you go to the doctor. 

But if you're sick from contagious diseases, going to the doctor might spread your germs around making others sick.

Telemedicine has come to the rescue in such situations.

Now, more insurance companies are covering telemedicine session.  

As long as they avoid Zoom for now. 

Telemedicine will also be a benefit as it is an option for those who need a doctor's note to get sick leave, but can't leave the house while having a contagious illness. 

5. Sick leave

With the coronavirus crisis, public health officials tell us to stay home and not go to work if you're sick.

But the reality in many workplaces is that if you're absent, you don't get paid. 

This is especially true in many restaurants.  That's the worst place for a sick person to be working because that will spread germs to the food everyone will be eating. 

The coronavirus has prompted many companies to expand their sick leave options.

Most likely, this expanded availability of sick leave will most likely be government-mandated. At this point, even many Republicans will have to give in. 

6. Adding teleconference to Congress & legislature meetings

Tele-conference is not yet an option for Congress and for most state legislatures.

Expect that to change soon.

If a Congress member can't be in Washington DC due to health reasons,  maternity reasons, or out campaigning for president (too many to name in this primary), they should still be able to do a teleconference for important meetings and votes.  Tele-conference can also be a benefit in that members can spend more time in their district. 

===

Some political writers (like Dana Milbank of the Washington Post) threw a hissy fit when Thomas Massie wanted a roll-call for the stimulus package in response to the coronavirus crisis. They were outraged that he was doing this when most Congress members are extra-vulnerable to contagious disease due to their old age. But Massie wasn't totally wrong in demanding a roll-call. Roll-calls keeps legislators accountable.  

Thomas Massie criticized the stimulus package by stating this

https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1242256222092439555

I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again: each bill should address only one issue! Congress should pass separate bills to deal with #coronavirus & I could probably vote for some of them. (I voted for the first corona virus bill) so many are trying to get their pork in this bill!

This is the attitude legislators are supposed to have. Keep the bills short and to the point! For each issue, vote on a separate bill for each issue.

I wrote blog posts on this topic back in 2011
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2011/06/your-senator-doesnt-want-to-read-bill.html

This time, it's about the "One Subject At a Time Act", which  will make each bill being voted on to (....... omg........noh!) to just stick to one subject!

Otherwise, it will be easier for bills to stacked with laws dealing with totally different issues, and members of Congress just voting for it, ALL OR NOTHING, just based on the title of the bill!

and also this (written back when Dan "the rapist" Inouye was still alive

No, Inouye doesn't want to stick to one subject per bill, because that reduces HIS power to manipulate the process! He wants him and his allies to put multiple issues under one 1,000+ bill without having us to understands what's in the bill! Having us understand what's in the bills REDUCES HIS POWER!  Giving us time to understand AHEAD OF TIME of what Inouye is about to vote on , will REDUCE HIS POWER! Having him just focus on one subject per bill will REDUCE HIS POWER!
 
Which is why Inouye and other members of Congress will NEVER agree to having short bills,  will NEVER agree to having the bill read aloud so that there's a public audio recording (that can be on YouTube) before they vote on it, will NEVER agree to give the general public time to understand the bill before it gets voted on, and will NEVER agree to stick to one subject per bill!
 
While the US Constitution is great in that limited the government's power, it didn't limit it enough. The biggest flaw with the US Constitution is  that it didn't require bills to be of limited length, it didn't require a 7-day notice to the public on the bill before it gets voted, and  it didn't require  bills to just stick to one subject!

As for the hissy-fit throwing writers (like Dana Milbank) who express faux-concerns of these votes putting old Congress members at risk of being infected, Thomas Massie had this classic response

https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1244915197690753024

Two reasons Congressional leaders don’t want remote voting for members: 1) too hard to twist arms through the phone. 2) wouldn’t be able to justify unrecorded votes. At a minimum, we should be holding public hearings on this virus using modern teleconferencing technology.

Thank you super much Thomas Massie. I may not agree with him on everything, but dammit, he is mega-correct on things I've just mentioned! 

========

Here in Hawaii, we had a great editorial in the Honolulu Star Advertiser on how we can have open government (currently violated by governor David Ige) in the era of teleconferencing. 

Sandy Ma, Brian Black, and Keli‘i Akina, “Protect Democracy by Restoring Open Government in Hawaii,” Honolulu Star Advertiser, April 6, 2020,
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/04/06/editorial/island-voices/column-protect-democracy-by-restoring-open-government-in-hawaii/

>> Should a public body continue to meet, it should provide adequate notice of the meeting and ensure that the public can participate via videoconference, telephone and submission of written testimony, as appropriate.

>> In the event audio or video coverage of a proceeding or meeting is interrupted, the presiding official should suspend the discussion until the audio or video is restored. When operating remote meetings by video conference, all participating members of the public body should be clearly visible and audible to the public at all times. The intent is to ensure that the connection and platform are appropriate and stable to make public officials clearly audible and visible by all participants.

>> At the start of the meeting, the presiding official should announce the names of any members of the public body participating remotely. During a meeting for which only audio is being provided, anyone speaking should state their name prior to making their remarks.

>> All votes should be conducted by roll call so that those following by video or audio are aware of how each member of the public body voted.

>> Any documents presented to the public body at the public meeting should, if possible, be put on the website of the public body prior to the start of the public meeting.

>> At the beginning of any executive session being held remotely, all members of the public body should affirm that no other person is present in the room with them or can hear them.

>> The public body should record all meetings and make the recording available on a public website on a timely basis. 

The only type of people who would object to such ideas are lowlife scumbags who have something to hide.

7. Voting

Hawaii was already planning to have all-mail voting this year. This idea is becoming more popular in the era of the pandemic.

I previously expressed doubts due to my experience as an election day precinct official. On recent election days, I'm usually stationed near the machine that accepts completed ballots, and PLENTY OF TIMES, ballots weren't accepted because they weren't filled out correctly.  I mentioned in a previous blog post

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2019/04/letter-to-editor-no-chance-to-fix.html

I do not support all-mail voting. As someone who has worked as an elections precinct official, usually stationed near the machine where voters submit their ballots, there are always voters whose ballots weren’t accepted because they didn’t understand how to fill in their ballots properly. This is especially true for primary elections, but it also happens in general elections.

Had those voters submitted their ballots by mail, their votes wouldn’t have counted. At least at the voting precincts, the machine could catch their errors and we could give those voters another chance to fill in their ballots properly.

Let’s continue to have walk-in voting locations in every district so that voters who need help from a person can get that help.

Dale Ho of the ACLU did note that in an all-mail election, that we can have requirements that if there are ballots with errors, we can notify the voter to give them a second chance to do corrections.  However, in my experience as an election precinct official, some people made error after error. I'm not even exaggerating when I said that one voter took more than 10 times before he was able to submit an error-free ballot.  

from the article
“Coronavirus will change the world permanently. Here’s how.,” Politico, March 19, 2020,https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/19/coronavirus-effect-economy-life-society-analysis-covid-135579


---
There are also people who want online voting. We did that option at the election precincts where people can do electronic voting. Nearly everyone refused.  All electronic voting is vulnerable to hacking, regardless of all the promises to keep it secure.  We need to have a paper trail, regardless of the anti-paper fanatics who demand everything to be digital! 

8. Regulations

Much of the response to the coronavirus crisis is based on the expansion of government authority. Stay-at-home mandates, government bailouts, demands for expanded government health care, expanded sick leave, and more.

But the coronavirus crisis also exposed the weakness of other uses of government authority.

Regulations that were getting in the way of actually solving the problem were finally being eliminated.

Some examples noted from John Stossel's article

John Stossel, “The Red Tape Pandemic,” Townhall, March 25, 2020, 
https://townhall.com/columnists/johnstossel/2020/03/25/the-red-tape-pandemic-n2565634

When coronavirus appeared, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made its own tests and insisted that people only use those CDC tests. But the CDC test often gave inaccurate results. Some early versions of the test couldn't distinguish between coronavirus and water.

Private companies might have offered better tests, and more of them, but that wasn't allowed. The World Health Organization even released information on how to make such tests, but our government still said no. Instead, all tests must go through the government's cumbersome approval process. That takes months. Or years.

Hundreds of labs had the ability to test for the virus, but they weren't allowed to test.

and more

But the bed shortage is another consequence of bad law. Critical access hospitals in rural areas are not allowed to have more than 25 beds. Trump has now announced that he's waiving those rules. 

In some states, there's a shortage of doctors or nurses. That, too, is often a product of bad law -- state licensing laws that make it illegal for professionals licensed in one state to work in another. Trump said he would waive "license requirements so that the doctors from other states can provide services to states with the greatest need." Then it turned out that he could only allow that for Medicare; he didn't have the power to override stupid state licensing rules.

Fortunately, many states finally waived harmful licensing laws on their own.

It's good that governments finally removed some rules.

But the time that took killed people.

Once coronavirus passes, America should leave those regulations waived.

And we should repeal many others.

Anytime there's a report of a government reducing regulations, opinion writers act as if the sky was falling and that the government is allowing for corporations to be lax on environmental & public safety. 

If I was in charge of rewriting a constitution, I would mandate that most regulations require a renewal of every 4 years.  However, many regulations are the closest thing to eternal life on earth, and they only get eliminated during serious crises when lives are in danger. 

9. Trade

Within the last few decades, companies have become too reliant on China for manufacturing.

There's a saying about don't put all your eggs in one basket.

However, people in the Trump administration want us to put all our eggs in the American basket.

That's also ridiculous.

If I was in charge of a multinational corporation, I would have factories in different parts of the world. Have a factory in China, India, USA, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Kenya, Dubai & more.

Why?  Because if there's an emergency in one part of the world (ie coronavirus in China,  9/11 in the USA) factories in other places can pick up the slack. 

Also, it makes more sense to have factories that can serve different locales. You can have factories in North America to serve the North American market, Asian factories to serve the Asian market, and more. And if there's an emergency that halts production in one place (for example, an epidemic in China), the existing factories in other places can expand production to fill in gaps traditionally served by the Chinese factories. 

======

Some examples of how Trump's tariff fanaticism is putting lives at risk.

Jenny Leonard, “Maker of Purell Hand Sanitizer Denied in Request for Trump Tariff Relief,” Yahoo Finance, March 27, 2020,
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/maker-purell-hand-sanitizer-denied-120052178.html

With the U.S. now surpassing all other countries in the number of coronavirus cases and health experts estimating the peak may still be weeks away, President Donald Trump’s administration is having a harder time defending tariffs on health-related goods imported from China. 

That’s especially true for products used in the U.S. response to the pandemic that are in high demand but running short on supply, such as ventilators, surgical masks and hand sanitizers. 

Gojo Industries, the inventor and manufacturer of Purell-branded products, builds its hand-sanitizer and soap dispensers in the U.S., but a key input that ensures the dispensers work is made in China and subject to a 25% duty.

So, we are making it more expensive to import something as important as hand sanitizer? 

And who pays the tariffs? Americans do!  We end up paying more due to Trump's anti-trade fanaticism. 

10. The growing digital divide

The coronavirus crisis is pressuring us to be even more reliant on the internet than we already are.

But with rising unemployment, more will either no longer afford it, or those who didn't already have access will still be without access. 

So even more, those people will feel left out. 

Those from privileged backgrounds already have a hard time understanding how it is for people without internet access at home. These snobs already sneer at those who want analog options because they can't afford a computer.   This snobbishness is about to get worse. 

11. Demolition Man

As for those who demand everything to be digital, I'll just leave this funny link from the movie Demolition Man. Sylvester Stallone's character comes back alive in the future when some of our new social distancing habits become mandated. Sandra Bullock's character is from that future. Watch the generation clash in this classic clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jae38H1_j-E

CD Baby closes online store, still doing distribution

CD Baby started out as an online CD store back in 1998, back when CD's were the dominant music format. This was also in the early era of the Internet, and the world was about to change in a big way.

The following year, Napster came on the scene allowing users to upload and download music files for free. That put a major hurting on CD sales and the music business retaliated with lawsuits. However,  the lawsuits couldn't stop the general public from wanting to download music from the Internet.  A few years later, Apple CEO Steve Jobs came up with an idea to allow music businesses to sell mp3 copies through the company's online store iTunes. 

While CD Baby continued to sell CD's, they expanded their business by becoming a music distribution service for independent artists. 

The music distribution was changing at the time, with the emphasis changing from getting the music into physical stores to now getting the music into online stores and later, streaming sites. 

Independent artists don't need to audition for CD Baby. They just submit their music to CD Baby, pay a fee,  and their music will be distributed to iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Pandora, TikTok and much more. 

And their music would be available on CD Baby's online store (store.cdbaby.com). Until now.

In February 2020, CD Baby announced that they are going to shut down their online store while still distributing music to other platforms. 

The following is a snippet of the press release from CD Baby's CEO Tracy Maddux

https://diymusician.cdbaby.com/business/the-music-business-is-evolving-and-were-evolving-with-it/

22 years ago when CD Baby launched our online store it was revolutionary, helping independent musicians gain direct access to their fans and the market in the only way available at the time. By 2009, sales through our store accounted for only 27% of the total revenue we paid to artists every week. By 2019, sales on our store comprised less than 3% of our clients’ total earnings. It’s clear that our store just isn’t where fans want to engage with their favorite artists and discover new music. 

This announcement came a few days after I submitted the music files, cover art & other information for my latest instrumental album "Naptime Music: an instrumental album". At that point, I already paid the fees for the online distribution and CD manufacturing.

Being that I was envisioning "Naptime Music" to be played for preschool naptimes, and some preschool teachers still used CD's for naptime, I thought manufacturing CDs will be perfect for this album.

CD Baby did state this about their physical distribution program

https://support.cdbaby.com/hc/en-us/articles/360039018232-What-you-should-know-about-the-retirement-of-CD-Baby-s-retail-store-?_ga=2.259793289.286372079.1585549405-2024275994.1585549402

Will CD Baby still warehouse and ship my CDs and Vinyl?

YES! Although we’re retiring our own retail store, we’re continuing our physical distribution program.

CD Baby will continue to:

• warehouse your CDs and vinyl
• fulfill orders placed through Amazon, Alliance, local record stores, and other outlets
• send you re-stock requests when we need more discs

and 

Where should I send fans to buy my CDs and Vinyl? You should send fans to where your CDs are being sold. This could be the Amazon Marketplace, your own website, or more! If you are directing fans to your website, social media platforms or EPKs, you'll just want to be sure to remove old CD Baby store links and replace them with links to one of the examples mentioned.

And this is where I still have more questions than answers.

Ever since Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior started selling music in 2016,  I have encouraged my fans to go to store.cdbaby.com to buy physical CDs of my music.

 I have long boycotted Amazon because of the documented workplace abuses going on in their warehouses.

Learn more at "Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace" 
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/technology/inside-amazon-wrestling-big-ideas-in-a-bruising-workplace.html?_r=0


(note: users can use the Amazon site to find items sold by CD Baby, but the CD's are coming from CD Baby's warehouse, not the Amazon warehouse. As far as I know, CD Baby's warehouse doesn't have any documented workplace abuses like Amazon does).


 I did check to see if Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior has any listings on Amazon. Only 2 of my album CD's are listed ("Urban Honolulu Jams" and "Sounds Like a Video Game"). My other 2 albums ("Urban Honolulu Metal Industries" and "Naptime Music") are not listed.

I have sent an email to CD Baby about that issue. Still waiting for a reply. 

I still want to direct my fans to buy my CD's, but I can't do that if there's nowhere to link to. That's my main concern with CD Baby closing its online store and Amazon not listing all my CD's that I'm selling through CD Baby. 

Yes, my fans can still download my mp3's from iTunes and Google Play. My fans can still stream from Spotify and Apple Music.  I'm grateful that CD Baby has distributed my music to those platforms.

But I did spend money on getting my CDs manufactured and distributed and I still want a place for my CD loving fans to buy them. 

I'm still waiting to have this issue resolved!

thoughts on the coronavirus crisis

This time, it's different!

In this century, we have seen previous epidemics like SARS, MERS, H1N1 come & go!

But none has caused the massive social disruption like the coronavirus.

I admit, because of the previously mentioned epidemics that came & went, I was skeptical of the fear caused by the current epidemic (now a pandemic).

Also, because I tend to believe the more liberty the better, I have been skeptical of anything that demands more government intrusion than we already had!

However, because hospitals in China & Italy have been overwhelmed, and because PPE's (personal protective equipment) have been in short supply, governments do have to take action to prevent the same level of trouble here. 

In Hawaii, all the county mayors and the governor have been putting a lockdown on all non-essential activities and a "stay at home" directive. People can still leave the home to get medical services, grocery shopping and outdoor exercise (for now). Social distancing is pretty much mandated now.

As for me, I can go days without interacting with anyone and it doesn't bother me much. But house arrest in my tiny apartment?  Just the thought of that drives me insane.  

We already had an increase of sedentary-related illness and I want to reduce my chances of getting those illnesses myself. I already eat too much and spend too much time in front of a computer. Mandated house arrests will only make the problem worse.

Luckily, both the mayor and governor allow for outdoor exercise with social distancing.  However, I heard the Honolulu mayor said if there are more cases, he will up the restrictions. That makes me paranoid about that leading to police harassment if I go outside and talk a brief walk outside.

For now, I'm appreciating my solo walks around the block. There is a wind advisory, so I'm loving the walks in the windy weather. 

For tips on exercising outside during the coronavirus crisis, check out  ........

Hannah Keyser, “Https: //sports.yahoo.com/even-during-coronavirus-you-can-carefully-go-outside-anxiety-mental-health-182526658.html,” Yahoo, March 19, 2020, https://sports.yahoo.com/even-during-coronavirus-you-can-carefully-go-outside-anxiety-mental-health-182526658.html.

Changing Social Norms

Even though I love spending time alone, I also loved going to events. UH sports games, nightclubs, block parties, booksales (sponsored by the Friends of the Library of Hawaii) were all things that I loved. They bring people who shared the same interests together and developed bonds between people who otherwise would never meet each other.

So even though I've been social distancing before it was cool, I am worried that even after the pandemic subside that people will continue their reluctance to go to events.  And when people don't come together, it only hurts the social fabric. 

I also see a decline in physical contact meant to bond people together, whether it's handshakes, hi-fives, hugs, and more. Recently people have been more conscientious about intrusive touching since the start of the #metoo movement and that's has been great in reminding people about respecting each other's personal space.  The coronavirus crisis will now lead to an even steeper decline in physical contact. 

Hostility to outsiders

One of my concerns in the reaction to the coronavirus crisis is that heavy-handed government action could lead to hostility to those not in the in-group!

In Hawaii, there have been protesters with signs telling visitors to "go home".  Yes, I know it's to prevent more viruses from spreading. But do you think that hostility will subside when the pandemic subside?  Once you get people angry like that, that anger doesn't fade easily when the triggering situation fades. 

Already, well-known xenophobes like Pat Buchanan are gloating that this coronavirus crisis is destroying the globalist dream of open borders and free markets.  He is happy that this urge to stop a virus is leading to more travel and migration restrictions. 

Pat Buchanan, “Will the Coronavirus Kill the New World Order?,” Townhall, March 13, 2020,

https://townhall.com/columnists/patbuchanan/2020/03/13/will-the-coronavirus-kill-the-new-world-order-n2564863

Again, this urge to exclude will not fade so easily once the pandemic fades.

Because the virus originated in the markets in China, this had led to hate crimes against anyone who even remotely looks East Asian. 

The "woke" who claim that "people of color can't be racist because they don't have institutional power" bullcrap are quick to ignore the fact that it isn't just those of European ancestry who are committing the hate crimes against Asians.  Some of those anti-Asian hate crimes that have been recorded have also been committed by African-Americans, and I wouldn't be surprised if some Latinos have been doing the same thing. Even on social media, I've seen Polynesians making racist jokes/comments about East Asians and the coronavirus, even though some of their islands had a measles outbreak last year. 

Donald Trump claims that calling the coronavirus the "Chinese virus" is "telling like it is". No, it's all about the "hey look at me everyone, I'm being politically incorrect". 

People will respond with "what about the Spanish flu or the German measles"? Those diseases too should've been given different names.   Diseases like Lyme Disease and Ebola were named after very obscure towns that most of the world has never heard before.

Schools and libraries

For now, Hawaii's public schools are on an extended break. Spring Break was just supposed to be last week, but students are scheduled to return on April 7. That will most likely be delayed again.  The school I work at has 1,000+ students, so much for social distancing. Some high schools here have up to 3,000 students.  Try social distancing that! 

Starting today, my school's staff have been teleconferencing in the morning.  So basically, I'm working half-days.  Teachers are planning assignments that students can do at home. Being that I'm a library clerk and not a classroom teacher, I currently don't have much of a workload now that the schools are shut-down. 

University campuses are a different story.

At the start of the coronavirus crisis, universities like Harvard made an abrupt decision to get everyone off-campus. The problem is that many students have nowhere to go. International students can't just leave so easily. Even students from other parts of the country had to scramble for arrangements.

Connor Perrett, “'I barely kept from crying': Schools and Universities Throw Students Into Panic After Telling Them to Leave Campus and Take Classes Online Amid Coronavirus Fears,” Yahoo News, March 10, 2020,

https://www.yahoo.com/news/barely-kept-crying-schools-universities-004713428.html

College classes have also gone online. But if the school's facilities are shut-down, how the hell students who don't have their own computers supposed to do their online work. When I was a university student. I relied on the library's computer labs to do all computer work.  I also relied on the library for quiet study space. My university's main library has so much study space that you can easily do some social distancing while doing research for your classes. 

Some professors aren't tech-savvy.  This is especially true for older professors who don't teach STEM classes.

I was never a fan of online classes. I liked classes where you're actually in class, having discussions and having assistance from a professor or classmate right next to you. You can only learn so much from hiding behind a screen.  Even though I like spending time alone, this trend towards online classes where you're physically isolated from your classmates disturbs me. In-class classes were a great setting for me to socialize with people with similar interests and it would be sad to have less of those opportunities for the next generation. 

A sociology professor Dr. Rebecca Barrett-Fox wrote an article with a clickbait title  "Please do a bad job of putting your courses online" and those who took that title literally threw a hissy fit in the comments! But if you read beyond that title, you would notice that Dr. Barret-Fox suggested that if the class wasn't originally scheduled to be an online class, don't go overboard with unrealistic expectations for yourself and the students on such short notice. 

Rebecca Barrett-Fox, “Please Do a Bad Job of Putting Your Courses Online,” AnyGoodThing, March 12, 2020,

https://anygoodthing.com/2020/03/12/please-do-a-bad-job-of-putting-your-courses-online

also for professors who assume "I know my students, they'll be fine in online-only courses.

Rebecca Barrett-Fox, “You Probably Don’t Know Your Students as Well as You Think You Do (And That’s Okay, but You Still Have to Design for Their Success),” AnyGoodThing, March 19, 2020,

 https://anygoodthing.com/2020/03/19/you-probably-dont-know-your-students-as-well-as-you-think-you-do-and-thats-okay-but-you-still-have-to-design-for-their-success/.

So far, I'm noticing that the University of Hawaii system has been more reasonable with their responses. They did put all classes online, but they did allow dormitory residents to stay and allowed the library to remain open.  However, the library, usually open to the public, now is restricted to university staff and students.

Susan Essoyan, “University of Hawaii Closes Campuses to General Public,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, March 20, 2020,

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/03/20/breaking-news/university-of-hawaii-closes-campuses-to-public-only-students-and-staff-allowed/

As for the public libraries, the ones in Hawaii have been shut-down for now. Many people rely on them not only for physical books but also for their computer labs.  For a long time, that was THE place I go to use the internet.  For now, those who could only use the internet at the public library are out of luck. That means 3+ weeks of not being able to check their email. 

Prisons

The one place that social distancing is nearly impossible is the prisons.  Most are overcrowded. A place where contagious diseases are easily spread.  When the guards fall ill and have to call in sick, the prisons get even more under-staffed to dealing with over-crowded conditions.

Sure, people will gloat when some heinous criminal like Harvey Weinstein gets the virus behind bars. For the harm they did, people understandably will have little sympathy for them.  

However, those who may have been wrongfully convicted,  those who are convicted but have overly harsh sentences for comparatively minor violations, those convicted of unjust laws, and for those who are not convicted but are behind bars because they can't afford bail, my heart goes out to them. 

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley have been advocating for compassionate releases for some inmates (most likely nonviolent offenders, those who are already disabled or elderly) but as soon as you say "some inmates are getting out of jail", the public will go into a panic about "killers and rapists being out in the streets".  Being that some inmates have been alienated from loved ones and have no home, putting them out there during the coronavirus crisis will make them vulnerable in a different way. 

Beth Baumann, “Ayanna Pressley: Prisoners Are Vulnerable to the Wuhan Virus, so Let's Set Them Free,” Townhall, March 15, 2020,

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/bethbaumann/2020/03/15/ayanna-pressley-prisoners-are-vulnerable-to-the-wuhan-virus-so-lets-set-them-f-n2564960

The release of domestic abusers will definitely put people in danger, as those abusers have a long history of taking everything personally and they sure don't forgive very easily 

Domestic Violence

Forcing families to stay home together for an extended period of time, what can go wrong?  A lot!

Tensions will flare, and those with abusive personalities will definitely take advantage of the coronavirus crisis to isolate their victims.  Their victims worry about having no place to go and worry that wherever they might go (shelters, hospitals, etc) will further expose themselves to the virus

Melissa Godin, “As Cities Around the World Go On Lockdown, Victims of Domestic Violence Look for a Way Out,” Time, March 18, 2020,

https://time.com/5803887/coronavirus-domestic-violence-victims/

Economics

The cancellations and shutdowns have caused serious harm to those who work in events and hospitality. That will definitely spread to the industries that those workers spend money on.

An article on how the coronavirus crisis has economically harmed those who work at music events......

Samantha Hissong, “How Coronavirus Is Destroying the Livelihood of Music's Behind-the-scenes Workforce,” Rolling Stone, March 16, 2020, 
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/coronavirus-canceled-tours-behind-the-scenes-967499/

Unemployment insurance is being offered, but their eligibility requirements don't cover every situation.  If the economy doesn't rebound, the unemployment insurance fund will eventually dry up.

I used to be a substitute teacher and I remember not getting paid when schools are on vacation. Now that the schools are locked out, the substitute teachers are scrambling at a time when economic opportunities are declining everywhere. I'm currently blessed with a full-time position at a school library and I'm still getting paid the full amount. It is a possibility that government revenue dries up and positions will be cut. How much longer will I be blessed? 

Naptime Music

The wait is finally over!

Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior released his latest album!


The title is "Naptime Music: an instrumental album"

As you may tell, it is an album of slow, relaxing sounds suitable for naptime.

Here is the official album description

This instrumental album was inspired by the time Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior spent as a substitute worker in preschool classes where naptime is part of the day.  Slow relaxing music was used to calm the children down as they lie down and took a nap. It was the greatest part of the day.

It’s not just the children who can benefit from this music.  Adults too can benefit from using slow relaxing music to calm themselves down in this busy world.

With digital technology, Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior has combined the elements of various genres (including easy listening, trance, ambient, soul, smooth jazz, classical, house) to make an instrumental album of slow, relaxing music perfect for naptime.

 =========

The tracks were made using the Magix Music Maker softwares (Music Maker Jam  and Music

Maker Live 2016). The artist has bought the Audio Pro Unlimited & commercial license to professionally sell  tracks made with Music Maker softwares!

All images & tracks copyright to Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior!

Here are the track listings

1.) Flowing Water Wonder

2.) Nice Walk on a Rural Path

3.) Green Organ with a Green Soul

4.) Sweet Romantic Fine Dining

5.) Daydreaming Ambiance with Horns

6.) Relaxing Ambiance with Horns

7.) Slow Jam for a Luxury Hotel

8.) Naptime Ambiance with Marimba Keys

9.) Spacing Out with Egg Shakers and Little Bells

10.) Space Canyon

11.) Night Relaxation on a Hill

12.) Calming Ambiance with a Sweet Guitar

13.) Dreaming guitar with the wind

14.) Restful Urban Atmosphere

15.) Calm Meditation in High Elevation

As you may tell from the titles, the tracks have a setting of places of relaxation:  near bodies of water, rural paths, fine dining, luxury hotels, outer space, hills, and even in the urban areas. 

The track titless also give hints of instruments sampled: organs, horns, guitar, marimba keys, egg shakers, little bells

As mentioned in the previous month's blog post previewing the release of "Naptime Music"
http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/02/coming-soon-to-stereo-near-you.html

I encourage preschool teachers to get this album to be used for naptime. 

I encourage mindfulness instructors to get this album to be used for their classes. 

I also encourage everyone else to get this album to provide themselves with a calming ambiance.

So where can you get the album?



The album is being distributed and published by CD Baby.

CD Baby is  selling physical CDs and mp3 downloads for "Naptime Music:an instrumental album" on its online store

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/pablothemadtigerwarrior10

The album (and individual tracks) is also now available for digital downloads on iTunes and Google Play

iTunes

https://music.apple.com/us/album/naptime-music-an-instrumental-album/1501774512

Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Pablo_the_Mad_Tiger_Warrior_Naptime_Music_An_Instr?id=Bjprbieya5t33suuvesyysbsufm

For streaming users, the tracks will also be available on Spotify, Apple Music, and  Soundcloud!

=========

The Future

I do plan to make videos for all the tracks. I can't afford big-budget videos, so it's mostly going to be still images that I add via Movie Maker app! 

However, I do have other responsibilities so I can't guarantee that I will make x-amount of videos within a certain time frame.

Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior's next album will be another instrumental album, that will focus on various genres of electronic music! Some tracks have already been made, but more will be need to be made before I complete the album. I don't have a timeline of when that will be done.  After that, I plan to do another hip-hop instrumental album.  A few tracks been made, much more will need to be made before completing that one too!

Stay tuned! 

brief thoughts on recent Hawaii news

So much to blog about, so little time to blog about them.

Here are some thoughts on some Hawaii news from the last few months

1.) Diamond Head shooting & fire

On January 19, 2020,  near Diamond Head, 2 cops (Tiffany Victoria Enriquez and Kaulike Kalama) were killed when answering an emergency call when a disgruntled tenant (Jaroslav “Jarda” Hanel) was believed to kill a landlord (Lois Cain) who was attempting to evict him. The house was burned, with the fire spreading to nearby houses.

In the following days, many in Hawaii expressed the thought that "this wasn't the Hawaii we knew". But really, I think most of the surprise had to do with the fact that the incident took place in an upper-class community. Not much shock would be expressed if the incident happened in a lower-income area like Leeward Oahu.  Money can buy you a greater likelihood of safety, but it can't guarantee your safety.

on officer Tiffany Victoria Enriquez
https://www.khon2.com/tragedy-at-diamond-head/community-family-and-friends-remember-officer-tiffany-victoria-enriquez/


on officer Kaulike Kalama
https://www.khon2.com/tragedy-at-diamond-head/remembering-officer-kaulike-kalama/

an eyewitness account of the Diamond Head shooting & fire
Stephanie Sofos, “The Murder of My Neighborhood,” Sofos Hawaii, January 22, 2020,
https://www.sofoshawaii.com/blog/the-murder-of-my-neighborhood



on Lois Cain, the landlord who was murdered attempting to evict Mr. Hanel from her property
Denby Fawcett, “It Was Lois Cain’s Stubborn Loyalty That Likely Got Her Killed,” Honolulu Civil Beat, January 23, 2020,
https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/01/denby-fawcett-it-was-lois-cains-stubborn-loyalty-that-likely-got-her-killed/

2.)  Fear of coronavirus

FDR once said "you have nothing to fear but fear itself".

It's time to fear the fear.

So many events have been canceled due to the fear of coronavirus.

Examples include

•  Honolulu Festival
•  Festival of the Pacific Arts & Culture (FESTPAC)
• Mariah Carey concert
• LA Clippers exhibition that is months away

All the fear is causing people to stay home in fear. This fear is going to hurt the economy much more than the disease itself!

On the bright side, the media hype is finally forcing our local bus system (called TheBus) to clean all the buses daily. 

Nina Wu, “Thebus Will Be Disinfected Nightly Amid Coronavirus Concerns,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, March 6, 2020, 
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/03/06/breaking-news/thebus-will-be-disinfected-nightly-amid-coronavirus-concerns/

3.) School employee fired for being pregnant outside of marriage

Maryknoll School, a Catholic school located in Honolulu, has fired Michelle Gabriel (middle school director PE teacher) for being pregnant but not married.

I worked as a substitute teacher at that school (via Kelly Services) several times, and I met Michelle Gabriel when she was one of the school's PE teachers. I was subbing for another PE teacher at the time.

I noticed in some of the other classrooms on that campus that there were pro-life (anti-abortion) flyers. 

But when one of the school's staff members chooses life for her unborn child, the school punishes that? 

It was reported that Gabriel had in vitro fertilization, but even if she did get pregnant from having sex outside of marriage .. so what? 

A person who had sex outside of marriage could've easily cover-up by having an abortion in a discreet location.

If the school was serious about "choose life", they would've accepted her pregnancy and her choice to raise that child, even if they did prefer people only have sex within marriage. 

Gabriel also happens to be a graduate of that school (hurts worse if you get fired by the school you graduated from), and her former classmates rallied in her support outside the campus last month.

“Rally Held for Unwed Catholic School Director Asked to Leave Because She’s Pregnant,” Hawaii News Now, February 12, 2020, 

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/02/13/rally-held-unwed-catholic-school-director-asked-leave-because-she-was-pregnant/

coming soon to a stereo near you

The wait is nearly over!

Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior has a new instrumental album coming out next month!

Previous instrumental albums had a different theme. 

• "Urban Honolulu Jams": a hip-hop/funk album with a sense of nostalgia for the 70s/80s/90s
• "Sounds Like a Video Game": electronic music that fits the album's title
• "Urban Honolulu Metal Industries":  heavy metal (mostly industrial, but also combined with other genres)

Now this one coming up is a total contrast to the metal album!

The new album has a more calm, relaxing vibe!  It is a perfect album for naptime!

In fact, the album is titled "Naptime Music: an instrumental album"

The songs use sounds from different genres (including but not limited to: easy listening, soul, trance, ambient, classical) all to make a perfect album for naptime.

I encourage preschool teachers to get this album to be used for naptime.

I encourage mindfulness instructors to get this album to be used for their classes.

I also encourage everyone else to get this album to provide themselves with a calming ambiance.



The release date  will be on March 16th! 


The album will be sold online on store.cdbaby.com (for both physical CDs and digital downloads) as well as iTunes, Google Play & more. 

You can buy the whole album or you may download individual tracks. 

The album will be a wonderful experience that will be coming soon to a stereo near you!   :)