san diego: dialed in: Additional Booster Approved For 50+, Immunocompromised | Grocery Workers Fight For Fair Pay | Ukraine & Russia Hold Talks For Ceasefire |

Eye Contact with An Orca, Possibly Orkid (Taken 3.28.22)

I told you my posts would be infrequent this week as Nova's on Spring Break and life in general just feels a little bit busier. This week, Sea World San Diego is open until 7pm daily, so we took advantage of the rain on Monday and took our chances at the park and it was pretty incredible because it was so empty. Nova went on Emperor like five times just walking on, then on Manta a bunch, too. Some of the other coasters were "down for maintenance" but it's pretty obvious the park is struggling to hire enough people while also trying to skimp on working staff. On a day with no people, four Coke machines in one single kiosk shouldn't be out of order, but this seems to be happening more and more.

No matter, we only went for a couple hours and I watched the Orca Experience and then spent some time with the dolphins, with several of them coming to the glass to say hi even with a more permanent rope creating about an 8 foot distance from the glass. Because anything they can charge extra for, they will. They also replaced a fence by the orcas with plexiglass which I'm not super stoked about, but I'm sure people behaving badly were throwing things into the pool or something to necessitate the changes. Our passes expire in June and I don't know if we'll reup, but we'll take advantage while we have them .

The week ahead is full of stuff: on Wednesday we're going to the Van Gogh Experience for a Van Gogh birthday celebration at the Wyland Center at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, on Thursday I'll be selling merch for Good Morning (go see them!!) while Darren works security at Casbah for Nebula Drag, and then I'll be doing merch again on Saturday for Bob Mould at the Casbah. Hoping to get some Zoo time in, too, and don't forget to stock up on groceries at your local store before they go on strike, or just plan on hitting Costco, Grocery Outlet, Pancho Villa and other stores not affected by the union talks.

Be safe out there.

COVID-19:

CDC Recommends Additional Boosters for Certain Individuals - CDC (3.29.22)

Covid-19 pandemic isn’t over for Black Americans, report warns - STAT News (3.29.22)

Last week, CDC shared the Quarantine and Isolation Calculator so you know if/when you need to quarantine or isolate after exposure to COVID-19. - CDC (Updated 3.24.22)
Omicron subvariant now dominant in US: 3 COVID-19 updates - Becker's Hospital Review (3.29.22)
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Authorizes Second Booster Dose of Two COVID-19 Vaccines for Older and Immunocompromised Individuals - FDA (3.29.22)
WHO examining potential hearing problems linked to Covid vaccines. A small number of cases of tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, have been reported by people who received Covid vaccines internationally and in the U.S. - NBC News (3.28.22)

CDC MMWR:

Effectiveness of Homologous and Heterologous COVID-19 Booster Doses Following 1 Ad.26.COV2.S (Janssen [Johnson & Johnson]) Vaccine Dose Against COVID-19–Associated Emergency Department and Urgent Care Encounters and Hospitalizations Among Adults — VISION Network, 10 States, December 2021–March 2022