Covid-19: SaveOurStages | Fuck Guilty Gilead |Day Cares Opening | Free Mental Health Apps Exist

The last day we could experience San Diego Zoo Safari Park Before Covid Shut It Down

I woke up feeling great and then spent the afternoon sitting out in the backyard and letting the sun wash over me. Our butterfly is back today, but we've seen two more come and go and the three flutter around in a tussle, so while the little one I think is the repeat visitor briefly landed on my phone, my forehead, and my shoulder before I could snap another picture, I believe it's either mating time or defending territory time before its life cycle comes to an end. I watched a super great movie last night on HULU called Hector and the Search For Happiness (2014) starring Simon Pegg and Toni Collette and it had me laughing and crying and feeling all the feels. It has a very Walter Mitty vibe if you're into that self-deprecating middle-aged-white-dude-trying-to-find-himself vibe. Apparently it only has a 37% on Rotten Tomatoes but I really enjoyed it. I slept well and am just getting on with my day, staying isolated with my household in our backyard. For my own sanity, I'm gonna do the jump here.



But I have to tell you, today's news feels super grim. As many people have been pointing out, a lot of the push to opening has nothing to do with science and health and entirely to do with the economy and states not wanting to pay unemployment or benefits or businesses wanting to take proper precautions to keep people healthy and the covidiots just going along with whatever their dear leader convinces them is true. You can read Heather Cox Richardson's post from last night for a thorough summary about all that. But it isn't just that. Yesterday the news reported that the $600 bonus from the CARES act attached to Unemployment Insurance isn't expected to be extended. In contrast, when the recession hit in 2008, unemployment insurance was extended to 99 weeks (though there wasn't an added benefit besides the stimulus checks.) The cost of meat is gonna go up drastically.

• NIVA- National Independent Venue Association is asking for you to help #SAVEOURSTAGES by sending a letter to your representatives. You can join the efforts here.
• Historic Troubadour nightclub launches GoFundMe page, calls survival ‘a big if’ - LA Times (5.5.2020)
• For San Diego Venues, No Rock Is a Hard Place - Voice of San Diego (5.4.2020)
• Coronavirus: bars, gyms, beauty parlours and other venues to reopen as Hong Kong eases Covid-19 shutdown - South China Morning Post (5.5.2020)
• "Tuesday marked the 10th time over 16 days without a new case, and there have been no locally transmitted infections during that period. The city’s total stands at 1,040 cases, with four related deaths. Eight types of establishments allowed to reopen their doors on Friday include fitness centres, gaming arcades, mahjong parlours, amusement and massage centres, beauty salons and cinemas. But they will have to take precautions such as checking people’s temperatures before allowing them in. Cinemas cannot be fully seated and beauty practitioners will need to wear face shields.
  Bars will be able to reopen for business as long as they operate at half-capacity, host no live music performances and close dance floors, while seating no more than four people at each table." (Our future?)
• San Diego County Supervisors met and voted unanimously to adopt the safe open framework for businesses. Social-distancing has substantially reduced the spread of the disease. As of end of April, we have prevented 6-18k (specifically 12,660 as of today) lives, according to a UCSD researcher
• FUCK GILEAD. Gilead Covid-19 Drug May Exceed $2 Billion Sales, Piper Says:  ICER estimates remdesivir could be priced as high as $4,500; Consumer advocacy group says drug should be sold for $1/day - Bloomberg Prognosis (5.5.2020)
• This Mental Health App Is Tailor-Made for Your Pandemic Woes - WIRED (5.4.2020)
  There's a new way to get mental health treatment: The National Center for PTSD just released an app called Covid Coach, a tool to help people manage their corona-induced stress. It offers breathing exercises and guidance for tackling loneliness and irritability, and it’s loaded with resources for getting help with problems like substance abuse or domestic violence. It's available for free in the Apple and Android app stores.