Corona 20200324

It is really weird to follow what is happening in United States at the moment. In Finland biggest thing seems to be how to close bars and nightclubs because not all of them wanted to do it until they are forced to do so. Most of the customers stay home but not everyone. Otherwise situation is waiting for what will happen. Numbers are going up all the time but we are still quite good here. Politicians listen experts and are mostly on same page on what should be done. Watching United States situation from here is like watching unrealistic movie.

In United States they are seriously talking about letting millions of people die because stocks are too cheap. Like that won’t affect markets any way. And completely crashing your healthcare system won’t have any bad consequences. Politicians say they rather die than let economy crash. All this on top of not getting ready for what is to come. They wasted moths because The Great Leader didn’t want to look bad and not doing what needs to be done because The Great Leader doesn’t believe experts and scientists.

The Great Leader gives his medical advises which cause hoarding of medicine which does nothing for corona but is lifesaving for other conditions. Potentially killing people who need the medicine. One man has already died because he followed The Great Leader’s advises. The Great Leader said he got 400 ventilators for New York like he has fixed something. New York need 30 000 ventilators. The Great Leader has power to help but he doesn’t want to use that power. The Great Leader rather have millions of people die for stock exchange.

It is weird to see this happen in western country. United States is not the only country where politicians do stupid things. It just happens to be one I get most information even if I am not looking for it. I don’t know United States’ system well enough to know if President can cancel lockdowns in individual states. But some states will do what he wants and let corona virus spread in their states because they think it is good for markets. They will probably have shorter epidemic but it will be a hell they have not expected.

It will be interesting next few months. Almost forgot. Akira is no longer historically accurate because Tokyo’s Olympic games were postponed to next year.

Corona post

Don’t expect this to tell scientific facts about Corona virus from this post. Finland went to partial lock down mode last Thursday. Big events are cancelled until end of May. There is recommendation not to travel abroad. Social distancing is encouraged. Gyms have been closed. This was done while situation was still in control. I think it still is but experts don’t think it can be contained so we went delaying epidemic mode. You probably have seen flattening the curve graph. This is what we are doing in Finland. I think it will work here because Finnish people have trained social distancing since forever.

It is interesting to see how different countries have reacted to the pandemic. Finnish government has listened scientists and experts and done sensible things when they needed to be done. It is nice to live in country with competent leadership. Besides one party our political parties are practical and listen experts. There is this thing called “winter war spirit”. Name could be better but it means Finnish people can work together when needed. There aren’t too many people who try to distract us from achieving our common goal. We just shut up and do what needs to be done. Might sound strange outside Finland but that is how small country can survive in big bad world.

In Finland some businesses started to react even before Thursday when Finland went to partial lock down. It is because we are from one to few weeks behind rest of the Europe in this and international businesses have reacted based on what has happened where they operate. It is weird to watch situation in United States where the guy who should be in charge tries to downplay pandemic as hoax and businesses and local officials had to do what needs to be done. What is even weirder some see actions to limit pandemic as attack against the guy who should be in charge. United States’ situation looks better than it is currently because they haven’t done tests anywhere close to what is done elsewhere. That will change in near future when the who should be in charge finally had to let others do what needs to be done.

I hope when this is all over people around the world realize it does matter who they elect to lead them and scientific consensus is more reliable than guy who is good at talking. Pandemic has show so far most people start to trust science when lives are on the line. Not everyone though but most even if they are anti-science normal times.

About hoarding. I can’t justify people buying as much toilet paper as they have done. It has gone beyond what makes any sense. But hoarding canned food makes more sense when you start to think about it. In Finland recommendation is to have reserve food and water for three days. That went to two weeks in one day. So people started to collect new recommendation reserve same time. Shops were prepared for it. Some people want to have moral high ground for not getting reserves to new recommendation. Not everyone had two weeks reserve before this. Before Corona there wasn’t realistic need for two weeks reserve. We don’t have crisis or natural disasters lasting several days.

The Green Lantern (2018-) Vol 2

I said Green Lantern was best thing at the moment after reading first six issues aka Vol 1. I can’t say the same after reading the second volume aka issues 7 to 12 and annual. This has mild spoilers. I need to spoil a bit to explain why I didn’t like second volume as much as first one.

I liked the first volume because it was so much like old time science fiction comics. These issues are not like that. Issue 7 is fantasy. Issue 8 is weird in lets not talk about this again way. It has some of good ideas but it gets too weird. Not good kind of weird. Ninth is another fantasy issue in place where Hal’s ring doesn’t work. Issues from 10 to 12 are event with characters I have no idea of who they are with all the problems of big event comics.

I don’t care if there are characters fighting some big bad guy if I don’t know what is going on. There is multiverse with multiverse superhero group and alternative universe green lanterns. There is stoner lantern and batman lantern. There are tons of different characters and worlds are ending. It is like someone told Grant Morrison to make this as epic as possible. Then Controller Mu, the bad guy from first volume, comes to save Hal from this mess and last pages of issue 12 get back to story of first volume. It becomes interesting again.

Events in last three issues were set by Controller Mu to get Hal where he wants him. The plan could have been simpler and have less chances of Hal actually dying or get lost somewhere in other universe. Epic event level action didn’t suit the tone set in first volume.

I read comics from trades. This is where reading Green Lantern gets complicated. Second volume ends The Green Lantern (2018-) series. Story continues in three issue Green Lantern: Blackstars miniseries and from that onward in The Green Lantern Season Two (2020-). It was clear Blackstars era wouldn’t last long because it was three issue miniseries from get go. It is unclear will Blackstars miniseries be included in next Green Lantern trade. DC has released weird trades which doesn’t contain everything you need to get the mains story. Justice League Dark (2011-2015) has two trades which only has Justice League Dark issues and you need to buy other comics to get whole story. You need to buy those other comics to get the story which was in Justice League Dark and continued in other comics.

Sari - Mawaru

Sari left Necronomidol early last year. She had been with them since the start or at least from when they released their first videos. Last autumn she released first demo of her music. It was followed by fifteen minute live video. Five months later she releases her first music video and single.

Her music is quite a departure from Necronomidol’s music. It is more dream like and not metal at all. Was going to say experimental but Necronomidol’s first singles had quite experimental music in them. Now they are closer to traditional heavy metal. I am looking forward Sari’s next releases. This was really good start.

Best thing at the moment: The Heana Cat

The Heana Cat (ザ・ヒーナキャット) seems to be making video for every song of their latest album お楽しみ箱 ~モノクロの虹~. They have released new video each week during last three weeks. I wanted to share this video where they are having fun. They are so serious on their newer videos. Bassist tries to so cool in them it is almost funny. Here she looks like she is having fun. They have many music videos on Youtube. Some are simple fun videos like this one. Others have more effort put into them. Their videos are fun intentionally or unintentionally when they are so dark and gothic.

I will put serious music video of same song below. Their other songs are as good as this one. Latest album would probably have been on my favorite albums of 2019 list if I found them earlier. I will probably share something from it later after I have listened it more. There might be post of favorite albums of 2019 I found 2019 coming later.

Myrkur - Leaves of Yggdrasil

Another video for Myrkur’s next album Folkesange. I like this video much more than first one. I liked first song but video wasn’t that good. This time video is as good as the song. This made my expectations go sky high.