Updates on various issues.

NOTE.  This was written throughout the three day weekend.  The days should be read as, “the other day”, or “recently”.  Too much trouble to correct them and it would probably delay this another day or two, given the constant distractions.

Nothing new of consequence to report on the ongoing battle over who leads my classes.  Heavy cannonading MAY have led to the SD erasing emails that had been sent.  Not sure that is even technically possible, yet I could have sworn there a few in my inbox waiting for me to open them.

I found emails from other schools, redacted and sent them to provide as examples of the lead time other schools give us to respond to important issues; not the 12 working hours she gave us at the start of the semester.  One asked for the syllabus in January the other in February and each allowed almost month to turn them in.  And that is all on that front.

Masks.  As with a year or two ago, there was one woman wearing a mask in the water at the beach we go to each summer.  However, besides this fool, I saw no other mad maskers at the beach nor at the campground.  The staff were all unmasked too.

However, masks remain prevalent at the med school, though less so than before.   Just before class commenced last week, 5 out of the 6 in the class were unmasked but as soon as the bell rang, one put a mask on.  The rule is that students must attend class masked.  However, the second class had 7 out of 11 masked with another putting their mask on later, so 8 out of 11 medical students masked on Sept 4, 2024.  This past week had 4/9 masked in one class and 9/12 in the other masked.  Double masking is still common around the roughly 20-25% of those on the street still masking.  I am seeing more unmasked customer service staff again, though.  We had to mask when we took the then 10 year old to a clinic around 3 weeks ago.

Heard on the radio today, Sept. 13, 2024 that the movie theater/s on a military base or perhaps all bases in Japan will be moving to 100% cashless soon.  It’s coming folks, unless we find a way to stop it.

The summer heat refuses to retreat.  By far the hottest summer I have ever experienced in Japan.  Not even close.  Of course, the papers and I’d bet other media are blaming global warming.  Though, when I brought up that massive undersea volcano an acquaintance immediately recalled hearing about it.  Everyone here believes it is global warming to blame.

In some news feed in Japanese, my wife found that 63% Americans believe that Harris won the debate.   

At the monthly matsuri group meeting I learned that the member who wore a mask the most and the longest caught covid 3 times and that another caught it at least once.  I was drunk at this time but still had enough sense to not ask who else got it, how many times they got it and how many clot shots while in that state.

Last night I had to pick up the newly turned 11 year old early from cram school.  The persistent cough and a newly added sore throat prompted the mask wearing teacher to have my kid mask.  Kid doesn’t have enough sense to remove even once out of the school.

Then we have this.  If authentic, this is terrifying.  It comes from a WEF website.  https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/09/my-carbon-an-approach-for-inclusive-and-sustainable-cities/

From the linked to web site.

“Our world is transforming – big community trends for sustainable cities

There have been significant developments in last five to seven years on social, environment and technology fronts that could help realise “My Carbon” initiatives for shaping the future towards smart and sustainable cities.

Specifically, to mention three developments in this context:

1. COVID-19 was the test of social responsibility – A huge number of unimaginable restrictions for public health were adopted by billions of citizens across the world. There were numerous examples globally of maintaining social distancing, wearing masks, mass vaccinations and acceptance of contact-tracing applications for public health, which demonstrated the core of individual social responsibility.”

Though awareness at younger ages was barely more than surface deep, I have been aware of the slide towards complete loss of individual freedoms since my days in high school.  Since that time, I am not aware of a single meaningful victory against it.  The best I have observed has been shown to be nothing but a speed bump.  Too few care enough to put what they have at risk to stand against it.  I graduated in 88.

Oh, just learned that a second attempt against T’s life was just made.