RIP Otis the Hippo, b. 3.10,1976 (Taken 10.4.21) |
I was devastated to learn today that Otis the Hippo from the San Diego Zoo was euthanized over the weekend after suffering from a degenerative joint and spinal disease. He had been so cute lately, swimming all the way over to the far side of the pool to say hi to onlookers, or just taking up residence in the sleeping corner while the cleaner fish did their work. He was six months older than me, so I guess I felt a bond with the fact that we are both bicentennial babies. As far as I know, he sired something like 7 or 8 calves, and I think he killed one of them when he was trying to mate, which I've heard is why the San Diego Zoo moved to having alternating days in the pool, sometimes Otis by himself, and sometimes Funani and baby Amahle.
I mentioned I was at the Zoo on Sunday afternoon and went again today, but only for about an hour because work is a little hectic at the moment. Apparently every concert in 2022 that has been booked but not announced wants to make sure they do so immediately so you spend your money on tickets instead of wasteful junk for Christmas.
Today I was asked when I think places should stop having to ask for proof of vaccines or negative tests or what the offramp would be to get there. As I wrote last week, our cases are actually higher now than a year ago. Our case rate among the vaccinated is almost the same as the case rate was last year when nobody was vaccinated, and about three times as much for the unvaccinated. And we were moving into the purple tier. So maybe we can talk about benchmarks for rolling back policies, but to be honest, I don't know why we aren't doing MORE: requiring vaccination with no opportunity for testing as an alternative, mandating masks indoors for unvaccinated, pushing for a third shot of the mRNA vaccines as normal course for vaccines instead of calling them "boosters" at all, having businesses post their safety plans, including any ventilation or lack thereof. It's not gonna happen but I wish it would. Instead, the news gives the anti-vax and anti-maskers massive segments, perpetuating this insanity. In the meantime, Nova is about to fly out to St. Louis for a week which I am NOT pleased about at all, and now she has this gross cough that as far as we know is not COVID but she'll be tested again at school tomorrow. Sometimes being really careful still isn't careful enough. COVID isn't the only gross illness going around this time of year.
- COVID-19:
- COVID-19 makes spotty resurgence in the US before Thanksgiving - Becker's Hospital Review (11.15.21)
- California: 81.5 percent increase
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Updates Test Policies to Help to Ensure Accuracy and Reliability of Tests and Increase Access to At-Home Tests. Agency Details Test Priorities and Takes Steps Regarding the Appropriate Oversight of Tests - FDA (11.15.21)
- Pfizer’s new COVID-19 protease inhibitor drug is not just “repackaged ivermectin” - Science Based Medicine (11.15.21)
- Politics:
- Biden signs $1T infrastructure deal with bipartisan crowd - AP News (11.15.21)
- News:
- A message from San Diego Zoo: It's with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Otis the 45-year-old male river hippo. Otis will be greatly missed by wildlife care staff, veterinarians, volunteers, and guests. Please take a moment to offer your condolences to all those who are feeling this loss. Otis had been under medical care for degenerative joint and spinal disease. His condition dramatically declined over the weekend. Following an examination, wildlife care staff made the difficult decision to compassionately euthanize him.
- California Police Aren’t Tracking Crime Guns, Ignoring Thousands of Potential Leads. For more than a decade, agencies have flouted a state law requiring them to use a tool that policing experts say can help reduce gun violence. - The Trace (11.12.21)
- The Great Resignation - Statista (11.15.21)
- County Awarded Grant for Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Program - County News Center (11.15.21)
- Homeless Outreach Teams to Serve North County Region - County News Center (11.15.21)
- New Study States Regional Collaboration Key to Decarbonization - County News Center (11.15.21)
- County Receives Grant for Child Safety Seat Education Program - County News Center (11.15.21)
- Other Reading:
- I Don’t Care if Your Toddler Climbs a Mountain. Stories about kids who break hiking or climbing records feel like the continuation of an outdated and unhealthy attitude toward outdoor recreation. - Outside (11.11.21)
- Government:
- White House
- Remarks by President Biden at Signing of H.R. 3684, The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
- Executive Order on Implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
- FACT SHEET: President Biden’s Executive Order Establishing Priorities and Task Force for Implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
- President Biden Announces Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu as Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Coordinator
- Bill Signed: H.R. 3684
- Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, November 15, 2021
- Readout of President Biden’s Virtual Meeting with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China
- Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on President Biden’s Virtual Meeting with President Xi of the People’s Republic of China
- Remarks by President Biden and President Xi of the People’s Republic of China Before Virtual Meeting
- Fact Sheet: Building A New Era of Nation-to-Nation Engagement
- Remarks by President Biden at the Tribal Nations Summit
- Executive Order on Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People
- Statement by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Cuba’s November 15 Protests
- President Biden Announces Additional Nominees
- State Dept
- Department Press Briefing – November 15, 2021
- New Sanctions Following Sham Elections in Nicaragua
- Release of Daniel Fenster
- Russia Conducts Destructive Anti-Satellite Missile Test
- Dept of Justice
- Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks at the 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit
- DHS
- Global COVID-19 Stats (JHU11.15.21 11:21pm):
- 253,882,518 Known Cases/12,681,827 28-Day New Cases
- 5,107,258 Known Deaths/199,998 28-Day New Deaths
- US COVID-19 Stats
- CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Data Tracker
- American Academy of Pediatrics Children and COVID-19 Dashboard
- JHU
- 47,221,647 Cases/764,365 28 Day New Cases
- 2,125,744 Deaths/36,429 28-Day New Deaths
- CDC Data Tracker (Underreporting After The Weekend):
- +25,919 New Cases/46,993,724 Known Cases
- +133 New Deaths/760,266 Known Deaths
- 553,705,305 Doses Delivered
- 442,005,260 Doses Administered
- 227,133,617 Partially Vaccinated
- 195,275,904 Fully Vaccinated
- 58.8% of Total Population
- 68.8% of Population ≥ 12 Years of Age
- 86.1% of Population ≥ 18 Years of Age
- Boosters
- California COVID-19 Stats:
- State of California Safe Schools For All Hub
- Vaccination progress dashboard
- Coronavirus: Resources for Californians
- R-effective: 0.92
- 66,423,885 Doses Delivered/55,686,401 Doses Administered
- 2,952,281 Partially Vaccinated/25,140,037 Fully Vaccinated
- 8,410 New Cases/4,740,002 Total Cases (12.3 new cases/100k)
- 134 New Deaths/72,570 Total Deaths (0.1 new deaths/100k)
- 2.0% 7-day test positivity rate
- 3,752 COVID-19 Hospitalizations (-31 patients, -0.8% from prior day)
- 988 COVID-19 ICU hospitalized in CA (-14 patients, -1.4% from prior day)
- 1,947 ICU beds available (+93 from prior day)
- San Diego County
- Free Testing Sites and Schedule in San Diego
- Vaccination Locations San Diego
- Vaccination Dashboard
- COVID ActNow Daily Updates for San Diego Metro
- San Diego Unified School District COVID Dashboard
- State Data:
- R-effective: 0.92
- County Data:
- Friday= 445, Saturday= 317, Sunday= 433 New Cases
- 378,327 Total Cases
- 4 New Daily Deaths/4,284 Total Deaths
- 3.8% Daily Test Positivity/3.2% 7-day average
- +19 Day Over Day COVID-19 Hospitalizations
- +5 Day Over Day COVID-19 ICU Patients
- Universities:
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