san diego: dialed in: CoViD-19: Western States Drop Statewide School Masking Beginning March 12 | SDUSD Aligns With CDC; Keeps Masks As Long As County Is "High-Risk" | Ukraine Reports Snake Island Border Guards Alive |

Darren Being Patient As Always As I Photograph Animals at San Diego Zoo (Taken 2.2.22)

There's this teen movie sequel called Tall Girl 2 on Netflix. In the first movie, the main character had delivered a speech at homecoming about how hard it is to be tall and in this follow up, is asked in an audition, "what would you say to people who don't believe being tall is a real problem?" and then goes on to list child poverty, homelessness, etc. as "real problems." She has to defend herself by saying that yes, all those things are real, but it doesn't make her experiences and feelings any less real.

There is so much awful in the world, and Ukraine is top of mind. The images are horrifying. Reading first hand accounts from people leaving their homes are heartbreaking. But there's also a lot of 'if you care so much about X then you should care more about Y' tit-for-tatting going on. Some of that is valid. There are, in fact, conflicts happening right now all over the world. Of course we can still also be concerned with Yemen, Ethiopia, Myanmar. Of course we still can care about homelessness, and climate change, and poverty, and COVID. I think you're going to hear a lot of this during Tuesday's State of the Union Address, and even more from the talking heads after the speech. I think you're going to hear a lot of the administration retorting that they can walk and chew gum at the same time, that they have a lot of balls in the air, a lot on their plate. That they have to walk back four years of detrimental policy and actions from TFG while looking forward to what can legitimately be done to make things better moving forward.

And I can also be a lot more myopic and freak out that my toilet practically exploded today because the idiot plumber who did work in the front house failed to mention that he turned off the water, resulting in giant pockets of air shooting through and breaking off the hose in our tank. I can be angry that he totally gaslit me and told me our water isn't connected to the front when clearly it is. I can be mildly annoyed by my cats breaking my Talavera flower pot when I let them play on the balcony. I can be bummed that all we did for Darren's birthday on Sunday was 777 Noodle House. I can be irritated that I felt like shit all day because my allergies were in overdrive. All of it is relative. All of it is real. All I can do is try to make tomorrow a little bit better.

Stay safe out there.

COVID-19:

Governors Newsom, Brown and Inslee Announce Updated Health Guidance - Office of Governor Newsom (2.28.22)

I hate this stupid article but they got a quote from San Diego Unified. The author felt the need to both sides this issue, highlighting parents demanding an end to masking in the opening paragraphs, and waiting until the 6th paragraph to mention that 61% of parents with school-aged children support mask mandates. Also, Barrera is no longer the School Board President, but why would a writer who specifically covers K12 education care to note that? California mask mandate for schools to end after March 11 - CalMatters (2.28.22)

San Diego Unified, the second largest district in the state, will continue enforcing its indoor mask mandate, according to school board president Richard Barrera.
“San Diego County is still in the high-risk tier, even under the CDC’s new system,” Barrera said. “When we move into the moderate-risk tier, then we’ll reassess.”
CBS 8 also got a San Diego Unified District Response: "CDC recommends indoor masking for schools in areas where the COVID-19 community level is high. That’s why SDUSD will exercise its local control to maintain the indoor mask mandate at this time."
San Diego School Districts Keeping Indoor Mask Mandates Past State's Drop Date. The districts said they plan on keeping their indoor mask mandates while San Diego County has a high "community level" rating from the CDC. - NBC San Diego (2.28.22)