Covid: It Was a ‘Test’ of Our Obedience

How and why COVID-19 ravaged the world has been on people's minds from the beginning.

Whether it spread and infected the world's population by accident or intentionally may now be answered. It appears that it may have been an "intentional test".

The Gateway Pundit posted:

They wanted to know how many people would comply with a complete re-ordering of their lives based on no science at all, just random orders, some of which bordered on absurdity.

I have long said that Covid 19 was launched by design by a small number of people in the globalist predator class for one reason and one reason only — as a beta test for the coming technocratic new world order.

Now, we’ve got the World Economic Forum coming out and all but admitting that was exactly why the Covid-19 “pandemic” had to happen.

The WEF gleefully posted the following snippet to the “My Carbon” page of its website where they make a pitch for so-called smart cities, which is just another term for 15-minute cities.

To read more, go here. 

Foreign Visitation To Japan Reached Pre-Pandemic Level In January

Above, a photo/movie shoot in Asakusa. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The numbers of foreign visitors to Japan reached pre-pandemic levels in January.

According to Kyodo News:

TOKYO - The number of foreign visitors to Japan soared 79.5 percent in January from a year earlier to about 2.69 million, reaching the level seen in the same month in 2019 before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Wednesday.

The number of overseas visitors has been growing after Japan lifted border control measures related to COVID-19 in late April. A weak yen has also been fueling the return of inbound tourists.

The impact of a powerful earthquake that rattled central Japan on New Year's Day has been "limited," although some people in South Korea and China canceled their trips to Japan in the wake of the quake, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

To read more, go here. 

Lujan Grisham Tests Positive For COVID-19 For 3rd Time

The governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, who shut down the state and destroyed hundreds of businesses and jobs, has tested positive (again!) for COVID-19. Sometimes it is amazing how karma works (and how the so-called vaccine doesn't)!

According to Piñon Post:

In an unexpected turn of events, the Office of Democrat Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham confirmed Monday in a press release that the governor has tested positive for COVID-19. The statement noted that Governor Lujan Grisham is currently “experiencing some minimal symptoms.”

Lujan Grisham previously tested positive for the virus in August of 2022 and in November of 2022.

To read the full article, go here. 

Masks: "Will Not Reduce The Spread"

Above, lest we forget that Fauci admitted that masks are ineffective.

The media has been reporting upticks in the numbers of new COVID cases, hospitalizations along with deaths.

What people should be on guard about are opportunistic politicians taking advantage and imposing lockdowns and mandates. 

According to Fox News:

Dr. Anthony Fauci in an interview on Saturday spoke about the potential for a return to mask-wearing in America in light of a seasonal uptick in COVID cases and hospitalizations.

Now, doctors reached by Fox News Digital are sharing reaction to the comments by the former White House chief medical adviser. 

"I am concerned that people will not abide by [masking] recommendations," Fauci said in the interview.

Dr. Brett Osborn, a board-certified neurosurgeon in West Palm Beach, Florida, is also the founder of a preventative health care and anti-aging facility, Senolytix. 

In response to Fauci’s comments defending masking, Osborn pointed to "limited efficacy data" for masks — "particularly regarding the large-scale spread of the disease, as was the case during the pandemic," he told Fox News Digital. 

"Let’s face it, regardless of mask usage, the population en masse will be exposed to SARS-COV-2, and its variants, as is the case with influenza," Osborn went on. 

"This is inevitable and independent of quarantines, lockdowns and other measures that only cultivate a sense of false security," he also said. 

Dr. John W. Ayers, PhD, vice chief of innovation in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at the University of California San Diego, noted that pre-pandemic, masking was discouraged by experts because the evidence then was negative about the protective effects for the wearer.  

Said Ayers, "Fauci's claims about masking policies, which includes reusable cloth masks and surgical masks, will not reduce the spread of COVID-19."

To read more, go here.

30% of Japan's Prefectures Seeing Tourism Exceeding 2019 Numbers

Above, Fukuoka Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It took Japan longer than the rest of the world to reopen following the pandemic. But since Japan reopened, tourism is recovering.

Right now, 30% of Japan's prefectures are seeing tourism exceeding numbers prior to the pandemic.

According to Kyodo News:

TOKYO - Nearly 30 percent of prefectures across Japan experienced crowds surpassing pre-coronavirus pandemic levels in the first half of this year, with local areas outpacing Tokyo, according to private sector data.

Based on an analysis of major train stations in each of Japan's 47 prefectures, 13 locations, or 28 percent, recorded more people than during the same period in 2019. Conversely, 21 locations, or 45 percent, witnessed a decline in crowds, but this decrease was less than 10 percent. 

To read more, go here. 

Japan's Hotel Guest Numbers Exceed Pre-Pandemic Levels In June

Above, the front desk of the Atami Shinkado ryokan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It appears that the tourism industry in Japan is well on the road to a full recovery after the pandemic.

The number of hotel guests exceeded pre-pandemic levels of 2019.

Kyodo News reported:

TOKYO - The number of Japanese and foreign tourists staying at hotels and other accommodation facilities in June exceeded pre-pandemic monthly levels for the first time in more than three years, rising 1.0 percent from the same month in 2019, government data showed Monday.

There were around 46.3 million guests, according to preliminary data by the Japan Tourism Agency, with pandemic restrictions completely lifted and COVID-19's classification downgraded in May to a level equivalent to the seasonal flu.

The number of travelers had dropped drastically from February 2020 after initial cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Japan.

But with the country's abolishment of pandemic border controls in April, the number of foreign guests in June rose 15.6-fold from a year earlier to 9.43 million, reaching 98.4 percent of what it was in June 2019.

To read more, go here. 

RFK Jr. Defends Self Against Democrat Attacks At Hearing

Above, Robert Kennedy Jr. during yesterday's testimony.

It was astonishing seeing Democrats on the House subcommittee on weaponization of federal agencies hearing on censorship rake Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the coals yesterday.

Kennedy was accused of making anti-Semitic and racist statements (in relation to COVID virus). Kennedy, a Democrat himself, was treated as if he were Donald Trump or some other Republican. 

Kennedy, at least, fought back against the attacks. 

It was ironic that a hearing on censorship began with Democrats trying to censor him by moving to disinvite him from testifying before the hearing started.

From the Washington Times:

House Democrats attacked Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the chief party rival to President Biden in the 2024 race, Thursday by accusing him of trading in antisemitic tropes and spurring doubts about vaccines within the Black community even though he vaccinated his own children.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida Democrat, moved to shut down Mr. Kennedy’s testimony at a House Judiciary Committee hearing in which GOP lawmakers invited the presidential candidate and others to testify on censorship by Big Tech and government officials.

“Mr. Kennedy has repeatedly made antisemitic and anti-Asian comments as recently as last week,” Mr. Schultz said, referring to when Mr. Kennedy suggested the coronavirus might have been targeted at White and Black people while sparing Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.

"Mr. Schultz"? LOL!

Still, it was a mind-blowing spectacle. Who'd have thought a Kennedy would be subjected to vicious attacks by fellow Democrats? I made myself a bowl of popcorn and watched the whole hearing.  

To read more, go here.

Foreign Arrivals To Japan Top 10 Million

Above, Senso-ji temple in the Asakua section of Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Foreign arrivals to Japan is surging for the first time since before the pandemic in 2019.

Kyodo News reported:

TOKYO - Foreign arrivals to Japan from January to June topped 10 million for the first time since the same period in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic, as the country sees a continued recovery in inbound travelers, government data showed Wednesday.

Japan saw 10.71 million arrivals in the six months, equivalent to 64.4 percent of the level seen from January to June in 2019 and exponentially higher than the 507,630 logged in the same period in 2022, the Japan National Tourism Organization said.

By country or region, the most arrivals came from South Korea at 3.13 million, followed by 1.77 million from Taiwan, 972,200 from the United States and 909,700 from Hong Kong, it said.

To read more, go here. 

Tucker Carlson: Ep. 6, Robert Kennedy Is WINNING

Tucker Carlson On Twitter- episode 6!! Robert Kennedy is WINNING and more hated than TRUMP

Tokyo Nightlife Not Fully Recovered

Above, the Wako Department Store in Ginza in December 2010. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan fully reopened to foreign visitors last October. COVID has also been downgraded. Businesses in Tokyo have also reopened.

However, satellite images of Tokyo has shown that nightlife in Japan's capital city has not fully recovered from the pandemic.

According to Nikkei Asia:

TOKYO -- Tokyo is darker at night now than in 2019 before COVID-19 ravaged the city's entertainment districts. Nighttime satellite images show the city last year had luminosity only 90% that of 2019, while Paris and London had fully regained their glow.

Based on NASA satellite image data processed by Colorado School of Mines, a research university in the U.S., Nikkei has calculated nighttime brightness in various cities during the April-October period of 2022. Data showed that illumination levels increased 3.2% in Paris and 1.4% in London from 2019 averages, but fell 3.2% in New York and 11.6% in Tokyo.

The sharp drop in Tokyo is mostly attributed to a slow recovery in city centers frequented by business people for after-work socializing.

Nighttime luminosity fell much more in entertainment quarters than in residential areas, with light levels falling more than 15% in popular nightspots like Roppongi, Shinjuku and Ginza. People traffic downtown was about 20% less in February than three years earlier, according to mobile location data provided by Docomo InsightMarketing. 

To read more, go here. 

Japan Tourism Agency Urging Japanese People To Travel Abroad

Above, Narita Airport Arrival Lobby. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Foreign nationals are coming to Japan in higher numbers than Japanese traveling abroad.

The Japan Tourism Agency is trying to correct this. They, along with the Japan Association of Travel Agents, are urging people to travel abroad.

Kyodo News reported:

The Japan Tourism Agency and the Japan Association of Travel Agents on Wednesday urged people to take trips abroad in a bid to boost the airline and tourism industry, as demand for international travel struggles to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the number of visitors to Japan has grown steadily since border restrictions were eased last year, infection concerns and the weak yen are believed to be putting Japanese nationals off traveling abroad.

The number of Japanese people who left the country in March totaled 694,300, just 36.0 percent compared to March 2019 before the pandemic, according to government data.

Foreign arrivals to Japan, in contrast, have recovered to 65.8 percent of the level in March 2019.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Dropping COVID Border Measures Saturday

Above, a yakatabune (屋形船) party boat on the Sumida River in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan has moved up the dropping of COVID border measures from May 8 to this coming Saturday.

According to the Japan Times:

Starting on Saturday, passengers arriving in Japan will no longer be required to submit proof of vaccination or negative test results, according to media reports, as the country braces for an influx of travelers during the Golden Week holidays.

Currently, all incoming passengers — including Japanese nationals and foreign residents — are required to present proof that they have received at least three COVID-19 vaccine shots or have tested negative for the virus within 72 hours before departure.

The government had previously said it planned to end the border measures on May 8, when the category for COVID-19 under the Infectious Disease Law will be downgraded from one similar to Class 2 to Class 5, which is on par with seasonal influenza.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Ditching COVID Border Controls May 8

Above, the Ginza Mitsukoshi department store at Ginza Crossing. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan is finally ditching its covid travel requirements for inbound tourists. Things will be getting back to some normalcy beginning May 8

Kyodo News reported:

TOKYO - Japan will end the current border control measures on travelers from overseas on May 8 in line with its decision to categorize COVID-19 as a common disease the same day, the government said Monday, in a major shift toward normalizing social and economic activities.

The government will simultaneously start a new genomic surveillance program, under which entrants with symptoms such as fever are tested voluntarily, with the aim of detecting new infectious diseases.

Currently, all entrants are required to present certification of three COVID-19 doses or a negative coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of departure.

The end of the COVID-19 border controls, first introduced in February 2020 and considered by some the most stringent among the Group of Seven industrialized nations, is expected to help revive inbound tourism to Japan, where spending by foreign visitors in 2021 plunged to a fraction of the record 4.8 trillion yen ($36 billion) in 2019.

To read more, go here. 

Accurate Description of Fauci

Courtesy of Ted Nugent on Twitter:

Japan Travel: What To Expect

Above, the Godzilla statue at Toho Studios. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan reopened to foreign visitors last fall. There were some changes in procedures and what one has to do to enter the country.

The Thrifty Traveler recently visited Japan and has posted an article with some takeaways on what he found.

The article begins with:

Long after all of Europe, Singapore, and even Australia reopened for international travel, Japan remained closed for international travel for more than two and a half long years. At long last, that all changed in October.

Yes, trips to Japan are officially back on the docket. The country's long-awaited reopening last fall was a pivotal moment in international travel's recovery from the depths of pandemic. More travelers are flocking back to Japan each day or making plans to get there.

What awaits them? I headed for Japan earlier this month to find out firsthand. And while I spent just a few days in Tokyo, I think I can safely say this: Aside from a few relatively minor changes, all the reasons why you want to go (or return) to Japan are still waiting for you.

To read more, go here. 

No Coffee Gatherings This Week

Above, at Grandpa's Grill in November. Greg is the one with the big white beard to my left.

It looks like I'll have to stay isolated this week.

After getting back home last evening after we had Chinese food in Gallup, Russell Azbill fell and Greg Lucier called me for assistance to get him back on his feet.

After making a couple of calls to other friends for assistance, I got to Russell's and several neighbors were there already and he was back on his feet. Greg was there as well.

He had been under the weather this weekend due to a "cold", but as it turned out, he has COVID. He was white as a sheet. I don't think I've ever seen anyone so white. I didn't know this when I got there, but found out while there. I don't think I got any closer than a couple of feet of him. I was wearing my gloves, fortunately.

So, as a precaution, we are not going to have our coffees this week. I don't think I was exposed to the virus, but you never know. I think Russell and Greg made contact, but I am not certain. I asked Greg if he knew where he got it. He said he doesn't know.

At least I already had my vaccinations. Hopefully, they will be doing some good.

Greg's brother Larry has a greater chance of exposure to the virus since he lives at Greg's. He was already vaccinated as well.

Well, isn't this just ducky?

"Clotty", Pfizer's New Mascot

 

Read more about it by going here.

The Sudden Death "Mystery"

Above, Lionel Atwill and Basil Rathbone in Son of Frankenstein. Universal Pictures.

Recent sudden deaths of athletes of different ages, celebrities, politicians and others have become news fodder. This is beginning to bother people to an extent that news organizations are looking into it with some degree of hysteria.

Some people are trying to link these sudden deaths to COVID vaccines.

Recently, some physicians were asked recently on what they see in all of this.

From CNA Lifestyle:

Over the years, you might recall reading about active individuals – age notwithstanding – dying suddenly for seemingly no apparent reason.

The passing of Creative Technology founder and CEO Sim Wong Hoo at the age of 67 would be the most recent incident that comes to mind. While no cause of death has been revealed officially, friends who attended the tech pioneer’s wake said they were “shocked” as he ran marathons and had appeared to be in good health. The family has declined to speak to the media.

What is the likely cause (or causes) of a sudden death that afflict fitness-conscious individuals? Are there warning signs that could save lives if these had been heeded? CNA Lifestyle asked some doctors for their views.

To read more, go here. 

Navajo Nation Rescinds Mask Mandate

Above, the Hubbell Trading Post clerks (at left) wearing masks in October. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I took my little trip to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park within the Navajo Nation in October, I had to wear a mask whenever I was indoors in places like the Hubbell Trading Post. It was a good thing I had some in my motorhome.

That was understandable as the Navajo Nation was hit very hard with coronavirus.

All that has come to an end as the new Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren has rescinded their mask mandate.

From Breitbart:

The Navajo Nation has rescinded a mask mandate that’s been in effect since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, officials announced Friday, fulfilling a pledge that new tribal President Buu Nygren made while campaigning for the office.

The mandate was one of the longest-standing anywhere in the U.S. and applied broadly to businesses, government offices and tourist destinations on the vast reservation, which extends into New Mexico, Utah and Arizona. The tribe at one point had one of the highest coronavirus infection rates in the country and among the strictest measures to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Nygren and Navajo Nation Council Delegate Otto Tso, who temporarily is overseeing the tribe’s legislative branch, jointly announced the lifting of the mask mandate on social media Friday evening.

 To read more, go here.

Tim Robbins and the "New Religion" of COVID

Above, Tim Robbins in 2013 at the Berlin Film Festival. Wikipedia photo.

The Federalist blog posted something interesting this morning and it comes from a surprising source. 

But first...

From Wikipedia:

Intellectual honesty is an applied method of problem solving, characterised by an unbiased, honest attitude, which can be demonstrated in a number of different ways:

• One's personal beliefs or politics do not interfere with the pursuit of truth;
• Relevant facts and information are not purposefully omitted even when such things may contradict one's hypothesis;
• Facts are presented in an unbiased manner, and not twisted to give misleading impressions or to support one view over another;
• References, or earlier work, are acknowledged where possible, and plagiarism is avoided. 

This morning, I saw an example of intellectual honesty. It was from an interview with actor Tim Robbins by comedian and social commentator Russell Brand concerning how COVID-19 has become a "new religion" embracing forced conformity and censorship.

Robbins has always been a far-leftie in Hollywood, but what he has to say about the "new religion" in the article is a great example of intellectual honesty. There's nothing there that I disagree with. 

To read the article and view the video of the interview, go here.