Panda Preview: The Giant Pandas Are (Maybe) Ready For Their Public Debut at San Diego Zoo

 

Thursday is the big day that the San Diego Zoo finally opens Panda Ridge to the public. While the pandas arrived in San Diego on June 27, they've been off habitat as they quarantined and adjusted to their new San Diego lifestyle. The zoo made extraordinary measures to make sure nobody was getting sneak peeks or disturbing them in that time...putting windscreens across the entire Bashor Bridge, adding railings to prevent looking over, staffed the area with two guest ambassadors from open to close, erected walls around the habitats, closed off half the overflow seating for Treetops Bistro, closed the stairs at Bashor Bridge into the Canyon. They would even go so far as closing the Skyfari for "regular maintenance" whenever the pandas were exploring their yards. 

So naturally starting last week, dignitaries, media, researchers, volunteers and employees began run-throughs for the viewing. On Monday, I got the chance to see them with a friend who is a donor. We had a 4pm viewing time but got wind that they were letting people in ahead of their time, so here I'm going to divulge my recommendations for seeing the pandas. 

First of all, I do not know how they're running the time-ticketing vs the paid-viewing. But let's assume you get a ticket and a time slot. Before you even go to the zoo, plan ahead!!! The pandas are behind 8-10' high glass that is about 4 feet in front of the walking path. Any given time of day there will be reflection. I am intentionally posting my photos with heavy reflection so you can see how it looks. I wear ALL BLACK and brought a black long sleeve light jacket I use, as well as a cut up black shower curtain that I usually use for sitting. The people wearing flashy, bright and printed clothes couldn't see jack shit except everyone else's reflection. This was a late afternoon viewing, so I knew what to expect in this area after months of spending hours shooting the baby red panda, Pavitra. 

Second, I did not get one single worthy phone photo, even with my fancy new camera. If you're only bringing your phone, snap a pic or two and then just enjoy the viewing. I shoot with a pretty entry level camera, a Canon 90D and a 75-300mm lens. There are zoo regulars shooting with cameras and lenses worth $5k, $10k, $25k dollars and more. Don't try to compare your photos to their photos. Let them hobby and you enjoy your time. 

Last thing I'll say is that for this special donor preview, we had a 30 minute window, plus the extra 15 minutes we went in early. The public timed viewings will only be 15 minutes. Still, I heard a statistic that the average person spends 90 SECONDS at each animal at a zoo. They want to see, snap a selfie, maybe record a video they'll never watch, and move on. This is why the entitled maniacs get all pissed off when people don't get out of their way...their kids are cuter than you and deserve to get the best view the second they walk up to the habitat even if you've been waiting minutes or hours for that one special moment...All this to say...don't be rushed along. There will be lots of people saying "Share The Bear" but you have a window of time for the entire habitat. When Xin Bao went up to her hill, I checked out Yun Chuan (4 yo male), but he was fast asleep, so I went back to Xin Bao (3yo female) and got to see her basically rolling in her bamboo with joy, which was pretty special to watch.  But note the glare. It is harsh and everywhere, even when I blocked the yellow posts with my jacket and plastic and sat on the ground to get under the bamboo reflecting off higher on the glass. I was able to hold my black plastic up so my friend in a fully mechanized wheelchair could see the pandas when most other people couldn't see at all. I don't know what the policy will be like for the public, but I would HOPE that strollers are not allowed, as people bring WONDERFOLDS the size of my childhood day bed and think everyone else has to yield to them. The pathway was not expanded in any parts, but there is a lot more room for the first habitat with Xin Bao, who got the space of the former Takins, versus Yun Chuan who got the space of the red pandas. And speaking of red pandas, KOLA is back. Make sure to look for him snoozing high up in his tree on the right as you first enter the habitat. 

Obviously I'm so glad the pandas are back, but the zoo is going to be BONKERS and there are going to be a lot of disappointed people who only catch Xin Bao on her hill or Yun Chuan in one of his 4 hour naps. Be patient. Be a member. Don't put all your expectations into amazing views in one 15 minute visit. San Diego Zoo is posting a ton of PROFESSIONALLY shot photos and videos on their social media, where they can get behind-the-scenes and BEHIND-THE-GLASS footage. Just enjoy watching these super cute creatures. And if you're disappointed, just head next door and see much rarer animals, the Amur Leopards, or go up and visit the Guam Kingfisher who is COMPLETELY EXTINCT in the wild, and realize that conservation goes a lot further than just this hot panda summer. Photos after the jump. 

Rosey's Diary And Newsy Things: 2024 Is Here | Respiratory Viruses On The Rise | Election Year Nightmare |

I always imagine that I'll write some big end of the year recap and beginning of the year 'fresh start' post, but to be honest, after finding out today that our friend and sound guy extraordinaire, Otto, has passed away, it just brings back all the real shit parts of 2023 all over again. Losing my dad, losing my sister-in-law, losing O, losing so many others, human and animals alike. It was a steady parade of grief and loss. 

And not to say it wasn't also a good year, because that is life, right? Shitty things and good things and all the things in between, until it's our turn to fade out and everyone is remembering us. But let's hope that is many, many years away and we continue to grow as people with each moment we have. My "zoo year" has been incredible, I've been getting in better habits - getting up earlier, staying on top of my work, setting and hitting daily step targets, making lots of new friends from all walks of life, getting daily sunshine, getting my ass off the couch. Admittedly, that means I write and post less and I haven't been going to shows as much as I once did, which I expect to find better balance for both in 2024. 

Of course there are always goals to set...like cleaning out our studio and apartment and 'cleaning out the old', or taking better advantage when Darren actually has time off, but let's just marvel that we made it out of 2023. And while we have the shit elections to deal with this year, let's do our best to make 2024 a good one. 

I love you all. Stay safe out there. 

 

COVID-19: At Least 26% Of Parents Are Assholes | Spring Break Plans | Murdaugh Murders Fallout | SDG&E Wants More Of Your Money | My Daddy Update |

It's been a busy work week but I finished listings and did all the things I needed to and wanted to get this post up because my week could get a little tricky. Some weeks ago I mentioned that my dad's condition had been upgraded and he was no longer considered to be on hospice care. I said then that it felt like it was more of an insurance thing than a health thing and so we all had to step up and help my parents because he wasn't getting the same in-home care as before. But last week his health took a turn and they reclassified him back to hospice or palliative care and he hasn't been doing great, and yesterday I was supposed to go help in the day but instead, a couple doctors or nurses went to the house and decided he needed to be hospitalized immediately. Already low on sleep because my dog had been sick all night and needed to be let out repeatedly all night long, I was just having a day. I went to the zoo to clear my head and then came home and have been working ever since. At this moment, I don't know my dad's status; they took him to Sharp and then were going to move him to Kaiser but then I was working and my mom is with him wherever he may be and I guess I'll find more out in the morning. 

So yeah, I had been putting this post together for the week and had thoughts that I wanted to expunge from my system. Everything in this post was collected and written before this change of circumstances, and it all seems dumb now, but here it is anyway. I hope to get some zoo time in on Thursday because I have to say, walking around with my earbuds in and lost in my own thoughts for a couple hours in the sun felt nice, but I'll be at my parents' service as needed. Hopefully this is something he'll get some care for and be back home, but we've been living on this edge for a long time so I don't really know what to think or feel at the moment. I do know I'm pissed that California is removing mask requirements in health care environments because both of my parents have dodged COVID through the entire pandemic and hospitals are such a disaster that either of them could easily pick it up among the sick, but maybe the hospitals will individually maintain the requirement. I guess I'll find out. 

Stay safe out there. I'm going to try to finally get some sleep. 

xxoo

 

Rosey's COVID-19 Diary: Final 48 Hours of Isolation (Hopefully)

Aisha the Orangutan (Taken 6.7.21)

I'm still in my COVID isolation. If Tuesday, my testing day, was day zero by CDC standards, my day zero, one and two were the worst. Achy, dead-to-the-world sleep for hours and hours, and wheezing so loud I'd wake myself up from my whistling lungs. Those days I was taking steady meds alternating between advil and tylenol, then alka seltzer plus nighttime to sleep. By Thursday night I was feeling mostly fine, besides messed up sleep patterns, and I tried to catch up on a lot of work and email and such, though still some loose ends to clean up before the weekend ends. If I didn't have COVID, by Friday I would've been okay to pack a backpack and go to the Zoo. I won't because I understand I'm in isolation until Sunday, but just demonstrating that I feel strong and well enough to be in the world. 

During this time I binged The Bear on Hulu (which I highly recommend) and I'm watching Maggie (only recommend if you like soft-serve cotton candy and lollipop rom-com series). I've caught up on all my missed Murdaugh Murder podcasts. I'm listening to a lot of new-to-me music that I haven't really sat with this year. The Widowspeak album is amazing. But also all my favorites like Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers and Japanese Breakfast and Big Thief and then nostalgic dives back into Frightened Rabbit and Joshua James and Rocky Votolato -- whose new single Evergreen will crush your heart. I'm also back to reading a lot. I'm reading The Plot on the CloudLibrary app but will finish up today and have some good books in the queue already checked out and ready to read.  

Last night I was feeling pretty good and Darren​ and Nova both came back home so I went back to the studio for isolation and ended up ordering a pizza from Sicilian Thing's no-contact delivery and if you don't think about the fact that after tax + tip + delivery you just bought pizza for $5 a slice, it was delicious. Today Darren works so I may move back upstairs while he's gone but doing my best not to share air...they've remained COVID negative and we'd like to keep it that way, especially since Nova moves into her UCSD residential program for the first week of two on Sunday. 

I'm in my final 48 of isolation and just trying to convince myself I can do this. It would certainly be worse if I was feeling ill. Besides lingering congestion, which is pretty much what I'm used to with allergies this time of year anyway, I feel pretty good, if not a little stir crazy in this confined space. And nobody really talks about this, but if you're prone to anxiety or depression, COVID only adds to that in that when you're in the worst of your symptoms, you can very much catastrophize the situation, What if I get worse? What if I have to be hospitalized? What if I die of some related thing like blood clots or heart attack or stroke? What if I end up with long COVID and I'm just this tired forever? How do I know when I'm bad enough for medical attention? This is where the oximeter and thermometer are crucial items. And having lots of distractions to get away from all the stinkin' thinkin' while also paying attention to what your body is actually telling you with this illness that you're likely navigating for the first time, with lots of noise but little information about what to expect.

This week, the San Diego Zoo debuted baby Kaja, a baby orangutan sired by Satu before his passing. I believe Kaju was born on January 4th, but there were complications and his mom Indah had issues and they weren't bonding and so for the past 6 months, they've been nurturing that bond and closely watched. Everyone's IG photos are incredible but it makes me think the habitat has something like a COMIC-CON Hall H press line of photographers. Luckily they have this sweet Ape Cam and I can watch them move around their enclosure as baby explores and protective momma gets reacquainted with her habitat, and as curious Aisha looks on to her mom and baby bro. 

Sorry for all you fellow COVID sufferers. This totally sucks. But thanks for being responsible humans and doing your best not to pass this on. 

Mask up. This shit is no joke, even if you're vaxxed and boosted. And not a bad idea to make sure you're prepared: home tests, blood oximeter, digital thermometer, Advil, Tylenol, easy to heat and eat food and snacks, lots of fluids, supplements if you're into that kinda thing, like Zinc, C, D, B-12, and you're comfiest home clothes and pajamas. 

I'll be watching Kaja. Be well.  

CoViD-19: Vaccination Mandates Work; Media Still Both-Sidesing For The Resistant | Judge Shuts Down Mask Lawsuit (For Now) | Newsom Signs Policing Reform Legislation |

It's Fat Bear Week Grizzly at San Diego Zoo (Taken 9.30.21)

I'm so tired today. I went to the San Diego Zoo for a couple hours, feeling like walking around might give me a burst of energy, but in reality, it did no such thing. As expected, the news was exhausting, watching these bonehead senators trying to defend their positions or lack thereof. There was good news, however, when a judge refused to issue a pause on the state mask mandates in schools. The moron mouth-breathers took it as a win that the judge didn't grant the State's request to move the hearing until the spring, but it at least remains in effect through the next hearing on November 8. The media just can't stop both-sidesing these issues... a simple search will find dozens of cases against masks and vaccines and nurses, cops, and military personnel -- all in jobs that are supposed to protect the public -- refusing to get vaccinated, and dozens of news channels giving these people extensive coverage in their newscasts. But likewise, another simple search will show that masks are working, vaccines are working, and vaccine mandates are working. And considering the Venn diagram overlap of anti-vaxxers and psychotic supporters of the last guy, maybe this was all we really needed to clean out our military and law enforcement agencies of this trash anyway. And NICU nurses refusing to get vaccinated is, frankly, disgusting.

I have some work to do tonight and am going to try to actually sleep, so I'm gonna step off the soapbox for now. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Nobody Seems To Care About The Pandemic Anymore | A Math Explainer On Breakthrough Cases | Snow Leopard With COVID |

 

Ramil's The Snow Leopard's Female Mate (Taken 6.20.21)

I woke up from a weird dream super early this morning and was just never able to fall back asleep, so my day has consisted of a whole lot of couching. I caught up on my Bravo shows then watched some Olympics highlights. I spent some time on my balcony, played with the kittens, and tried to coax Kiwi back to living amongst us instead of hiding out in my room. By afternoon, Nova and I started watching the second season of Never Have I Ever and we're about to go to my parents' house. One bright spot: my sister finally took my niece fore her first vaccination shot. 

There weren't a lot of things to share except that many states and jurisdictions, as I mentioned earlier this week, have stopped daily data updates. California and the County of San Diego have stopped on weekends. I also couldn't get into the Johns Hopkins Dashboard, which is weird, but maybe they're giving up, too. It's not good, as we're learning that a vast majority of the country is just post-pandemic and back to living life as it was before while the experts are sounding the alarms and nobody listens.   

So nothing else I can really say about all that, so instead, I'll show you a video I took of the snow leopards at the San Diego Zoo banging it out a couple months ago. I was thinking a lot about Ramil and how, like a lot of humans, he was about to get his COVID vaccine but hadn't gotten it yet and now he's sick and will maybe have to wait before he can get it. The other thing I was thinking about is that they can't really trace where or how he got it, but the enclosures that give us humans such an up-close personal view of them also makes them susceptible to our cooties, especially when they're sleeping on the catwalks the are above your head as you walk through. I hope the amur leopards aren't sick, too. I would be stoked if the San Diego Zoo reconsidered their mask policy being that probably 60% of the visitors are kids under 12, that even though you're outside should be considered being "in a large crowd," especially in summer when it's almost impossible to socially distance. 

Someone needs to show some goddamn leadership on the issue.    

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: San Diego Approaches Goal Of Partially Vaccinated | San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Announces Relaxed Regulations Beyond June 15 | Biden Does Europe | Keystone XL Is Dead |

A Hummingbird in the Wild at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 6.9.21)

We spent the afternoon at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, partially because I wanted to get it in before restrictions drop next week, but also because our forecasters are saying we'll have record heat next week and that's not exactly a good time to head up to Valley Center. It's always fun to see which animals are active on any given day, so I got the Okapi to come over, got the Turaco to sing, got the Bighorn Sheep to come by the fence to say hi, and rhinos Holly and Mwezi hung around for a long time as we closed the day. 

I am kinda in this weird in-between, where my volume of music-related email is back to pre-pandemic levels on top of the COVID-related stuff and news briefings I get daily, so I'm gonna have to trim the offerings here a little bit. I caught up with some of yesterday's COVID update that was presented to the County Board of Supervisors, and on top of a detailed explanation of why San Diego County and the State of California will likely stay in a State of Emergency through the end of the year (detailed below and not as bad as it sounds) they also went through some info on variants, vaccinations, and that they're going to stop daily updates! So I guess I'll transition as they do. Not sure if the State will keep with daily data or not, but I'll just follow their leads. 

On our way home from the Safari Park, I got an email about the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance plans for what happens after June 15 as I was anticipating all week, and so it's kinda what you would expect-- trams and busses coming back, no health screenings or reservations, masks are merely recommended for unvaccinated, though I'll keep mine around in consideration of how many children and tourists will be swarming San Diego as a summer destination. I would imagine the same will be forthcoming from Sea World, Aquatica, and other hot spots. 

In good news, the Keystone XL is officially dead, Biden is in Europe on a "please like us again" tour, and San Diego is doing really well with vaccinations, though I wish our young influencers were doing a better job influencing the young. The Delta Variant (India) is however, causing real problems in other places, particularly the UK, so this whole thing isn't over. But I'm not gonna dive too much deeper into news because I have a night in the speakeasy calling my name. But if you need comedy/tragedy, you should watch some of the speakers from yesterday's County Supervisors Board Meeting.  

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: US Lays Out Plan For Vax Surplus | CAL/OSHA: Vax Up or Mask Up | Newsom Extends Restaurant Regulatory Relief | Friday: Wear Orange For Gun Violence Awareness | Photos: San Diego Zoo |

Sometimes I don't know if I should lean positive or negative. Like, I'm in a great mood, we went back to the San Diego Zoo today and got to walk through the Hummingbird Habitat with no line this time, and it was just nice and sunny out and then I got home to a stack of packages which make it sometimes feel like Christmas when I forget what I've ordered. Today I got new waterproof/sand proof beach mats, some clothes for the kid who will not stop growing, and these cool little solar water fountains.

But I still feel like I have to go a little negative. While watching Jen Psaki today, there's this question of the 'pay-fors' for Biden's American Jobs Plan, and it keeps being suggested that  if only the government would enforce existing tax law they'd have the revenue needed. 

Then there was that report I posted last week, that we do actually have some pretty strong gun laws in certain places, but the ATF just looks away and doesn't enforce it's own rules.

We've seen the maskholes and businesses defying pandemic rules for over a year now. We've seeing all the Karen fights, the airplane incidents, the road rage, the shootings happening more frequently at workplaces and with specific targets for revenge. We've seen the nastiness in all levels of government and the Insurrection and the former guy continuously perpetuating the big lie and every talking head obsessing over whatever heinous thing that side is doing. 

And you start to see this pattern everywhere in places it really matters and places it doesn't at all...while driving it seems everyone is speeding and driving like fucking maniacs. Nobody is following rules and there's no enforcement. Today while watching the Mandrill brothers at the Zoo, someone was throwing popcorn into the habitat from the upstairs while we were downstairs, while another family kept crashing the bushes to intentionally rile them up. Do they really need to explicitly have signs NOT to feed the animals, not to tap the glass, not to scream like buffoons, especially around the shy animals? The answer is obviously YES because they had to put signs between the walkway railing and the enclosure fencing of the elephants after that dipshit jumped in for a selfie a couple months back. "Please Protect The Wildlife By Staying On The Designated Path." And then on our way out, I couldn't help but laugh that this sign was necessary, because obviously some idiot parent didn't control their monster child:

We've reentered the world (still masking up when around people). But it's hard. I would say that people have forgotten how to live in a civilized society around other people but maybe we never did? People were always getting too close to the sea lions, people were always violating personal space at concerts, people have always blasted their music as if everyone else around them wants to hear their horrible taste, people have always driven like assholes and now have bigger and faster and more dangerous vehicles with which to be so. Our American mentality is that rules apply to everyone else except me. I'm not immune. I've got my things, my rules I break or bend, too. But because of it, I applaud tonight's CAL/OSHA decision that employees must maintain mask wearing unless every employee is vaccinated and I hope it sticks. This will encourage vaccines, encourage business owners and corporations to not only encourage or supply vaccines but give the time off and pay necessary should someone experience side effects, and hopefully work as the best peer pressure for small businesses to vax up. There are no excuses anymore. Vaccines are free, widely available regardless of documentation, Uber and Lyft and Public Transportation all offer free rides, and pharmacies have committed to 24 hour vaccinations on Fridays on top of all the walk-in clinics, appointment based clinics, and workplace and school district offerings. We won't all be getting on the same team anytime soon, but at least I'm not on the team that needs a sign to not touch the fucking cactus. 

Friday we Wear Orange For Gun Violence Awareness Day. I hope you'll join me. 

Also, Friday is the last chance to comment on the Fiesta Island Dog Park (Thursday, June 10 Agenda) to the California Coastal Commission. Their popup is blocked on my computer, so if the same happens for you, email SanDiegoCoast@coastal.ca.gov and copy and paste this entire subject line and support Option B:

Public Comment on June 2021 Agenda Item Thursday 9f - City of San Diego LCP Amendment No. LCP-6-SAN-19-0142-2 (Fiesta Island)

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Unvaxxed Face Same Dangers As Always | Mass Shooting In San Jose; Echoes of Enough Is Enough While Nothing Continues To Get Done | Photos: San Diego Zoo |

Tapir Calf Loves Demonstrating Their Independence (Taken 5.26.21)

It's no secret that I love the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and San Diego Zoo, but they're not above criticism. (I'm still not happy about their drastic annual passholder increases.) Today we went to the Zoo and as with the Safari Park, there is no longer the health screening questions asked by a person, just a couple signs indicating you shouldn't enter if you've been exposed or had symptoms of COVID-19. That part is fine. Whatever. But we couldn't help but notice that all of the face covering signs are now gone throughout the Zoo. 

This is the updated mask policy

San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park continue to follow the State of California guidance. Guests who are outdoors and fully vaccinated may remove facial coverings when they are more than 6 feet from employees and other visitors. Guests ages 2 and older who are not fully vaccinated are required to wear a facial covering at all times except when actively eating or drinking.

Look, even if outdoor transmission is nearly impossible, the State Health Order and the County Health Order are still in effect: masks are required indoors and in outdoor crowds, regardless of vaccination status. This weekend is Memorial Day. Unlike the Safari Park yesterday which was nearly empty, today...a Wednesday before the holiday... was packed, and not with individuals, couples or small families, but with groups of multigenerational families, playdates, strollers, wheelchairs, spanning across walkways, hard to navigate around, moms tending to screaming kids who want more goldfish and more milk, everyone eating or drinking and yelling and laughing. And the screaming! So many kids screaming. 

I know, I know. I hate fun. 

I'm a funkiller. 

But that's why it's especially frustrating to see so many people maskless. They were all with kids who are not yet eligible for vaccines. There were a ton of tourists and while many may be regional, we can safely presume that plenty of these people flew into San Diego, unvaxxed, without quarantining, and now they're running around town in crowded spaces and it all makes my head explode. I know things are looking up but it isn't over. We can't just go back to normal, and be expected to trust fellow humans to do the right thing when they never have before. I mean, I barely ride my bike anymore because we've seen how much worse drivers are now than ever before. Has anyone made a master cut of all the maskholes berating service industry people throughout the pandemic, how many fights have broken out, how many airline passengers removed? And now we're back with road rage, mass shootings, more ammosexuals than ever. Our culture is absolutely bonkers. Seems like requiring masks for two and a half more weeks should've been an easy and obvious thing while we get closer to vaccination goals in that time. I still have a million emails to read, but maybe I'll do another post later. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: County Adds Extended Hour & Mobile Vaccination Sites | Biden's America The Beautiful Plan l Fletcher Disses LA | Photos: San Diego Zoo & Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden |

  

Malayan Tapir Calf at San Diego Zoo (Taken 5.6.21)

I've been trying to make sure I do something every day beyond just watching briefings and reading email and sitting in my backyard, so today the May Gray called for a quick visit to the San Diego Zoo. Darren was doing laundry and Nova just got a book of Billie Eilish sheet music in the mail that she proceeded to deep dive into on piano and guitar, so I went alone after seeing video of a new okapi baby on exhibit. Of course, by the time I motivated it was almost 5pm so I didn't see the okapi, but I did get a lot of time with the Malayan tapirs who, while I'm probably just projecting, seemed to be playing hide and seek with me, moving from the lower part of their enclosure to the upper part and back again several times. They make my heart flutter and they make the coolest noise that is somewhere between a shrieking high whistle and an elephant's trumpet. So yes, I talk to them. Because of course I do. I also got some fun time with hippos Funani and Amahle who were all over their pool today. 

After the Zoo, I went to the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden and everything is in bloom right now, and absolutely gorgeous. I'd highly suggest an early morning or late afternoon walk around. Plus, if you're vaccinated, there are a few people here and there, but it's open enough and empty enough that you can take the mask off and literally smell the roses. The colors are so vibrant and there's just so many of them. 

Today was the start of the later hours for three of the County's vaccination sites, so if you've had a hard time getting to the early daytime hours, perhaps the 1-8pm timeframe works better for you. Plus they've got a ton of mobile sites popping up to 'meet people where they are' all over the county, so if you haven't yet, it's time to get on the vaccination train. Psaki didn't have a press briefing today because the president was travelling, but apparently you can be sure that Nathan Fletcher won't ever be running for governor because he had a lot to say about LA, even if it was in a joking way how fans of a team egg on opponents. Clip at the end because it made me laugh out loud. Tomorrow the Casbah's newsletter will have a playlist from Mayor Todd Gloria and it's a pretty solid list that you might be interested in checking out. Be safe out there.  

• COVID-19:
• US COVID-19 cases hit 7-month low, but hotspots persist - Becker's Hospital Review (5.6.21)
• New Analysis Finds Global Covid Death Toll is Double Official Estimates - STAT News (5.6.21)
  In the United States, the analysis estimates, 905,000 people have died of Covid since the start of the pandemic. That is about 38% higher than the current death estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 561,594. The new figure also surpasses the estimated number of U.S. deaths in the 1918 flu pandemic, which was estimated to have killed approximately 675,000 Americans.
• The Countries Funding Covid-19 Vaccine R&D - Statista (5.6.21)
• Moderna says early data shows Covid vaccine is 96% effective in teens -CNBC (5.6.21)
  Moderna may apply for extended EUA for tweens by the end of the month. With the current timeline, that could make Moderna available to teens by end of June. 
• Anti-vaxxers aren’t the cause of America’s dropping vaccine rates. This fact is crucial to getting the US’s vaccination campaign back on track. - Vox (5.5.21)
• Politics: 
• Biden administration details plans to conserve 30% of US land and water by 2030 - CNN (5.6.21)
• Biden-Harris Administration Outlines “America the Beautiful” Initiative. Initial report details vision for 10-year, locally led and voluntary nationwide effort to restore and conserve America’s lands, waters, and wildlife   USDOI (5.6.21)
• Report: Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful 2021 
• White House: 
• White House Releases Fact Sheets to Highlight Nationwide Need and Impact of the American Families Plan
• Remarks by President Biden on the American Jobs Plan
• Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Stabilization of Iraq
• Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Actions of the Government of Syria
• Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Central African Republic
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Aboard Air Force One En Route Lake Charles, LA
• nearly 940,000 Americans have signed up for health insurance through Healthcare.gov as a result of the Biden administration’s special enrollment period (per HHS)
• 54 percent of K-through-8 schools were open for fulltime, in-person learning, and 88 percent were open for either fulltime, in-person, and/or hybrid learning (via National Center for Education Statistics)
• News:
• County Budget Reflects Residents’ Needs, Builds Framework for Future - County News Center (5.6.21)
• Other Reading:
• ‘We’re terrorized’: LA sheriffs frequently harass families of people they kill, says report. Los Angeles sheriff’s department has routinely retaliated against victims’ relatives who speak out, NLG and ACLU say in report. - The Guardian (5.4.21)
• Global COVID-19 Stats (JHU 5.6.21 10:20pm):
• 156,077,747 Known Cases
• 3,256,034 Known Deaths
• US COVID-19 Stats 
• CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Data Tracker
• JHU
• 32,604,704 Cases
• 580,061 Deaths
• CDC Data Tracker:
• +41,909 New Cases/32,356,034 Known Cases 
• +730 New Deaths/576,238 Known Deaths
• 324,610,185 Doses Delivered/251,973,752 Doses Administered
• 149,462,265 Partially Vaccinated/108,926,627 Fully Vaccinated
• California COVID-19 Stats:
• State of California Safe Schools For All Hub
• Vaccination progress dashboard
• Aggregate California ICU Bed Availability: 32.8%
• R-effective: 0.88
• 39,942,590 Doses Delivered/31,398,938 Doses Administered
• 5,909,645 Partially Vaccinated/13,457,141 Fully Vaccinated
• 1,547 New Cases/3,648,276 Total Cases (4.0 new cases/100k)
• 65 New Deaths/60,927 Total Deaths (0.06 new deaths/100k)
• 1.3% 7-day test positivity rate
• 1,870 COVID-19 Hospitalizations (-23 patients, -1.2% from prior day)
• 413 COVID-19 ICU hospitalized in CA (-32 patients, -7.2% from prior day)
• 2,247 ICU beds available (-32 from prior day)
• San Diego County 
• Free Testing Sites and Schedule in San Diego
• VaccinationSuperstationSD
• Vaccination Dashboard
• San Diego County Of Education School Reopening Dashboard
• Evening COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics Coming to North, East, South County

• State Data:
• Southern California ICU Bed Availability: 34.4%
• R-effective: 0.88
• 219 New Cases/277,098 Total Cases
• 3 Deaths/3,716 Total Deaths
• 5.5 cases/100k population (Assessed on 5/4. Unadjusted Case Rate)
• 2.2% Test Positivity (Assessed on 5/4)
• 2.7% Health Equity Positivity (Assessed on 5/4)
• 166 COVID-19 hospitalized patients (+3 patients, +1.8% from prior day)
• 41 COVID-19 ICU hospitalized patients (-2 patients, -4.7% from prior day)
• 207 ICU beds available (-7 from prior day)
• San Diego County Media Briefing:
• Vaccinations are going well
• 63% of eligible San Diegans have at least one shot, 44% have 2nd shots (Dashboard now ncludes DOD and VA numbers. Will update those numbers every 2 weeks)
• Vaccination supply has caught up with demand, allowing for appointments to be made a week out.
• Shifting sites to extend hours at 3 sites
• More pop-up drop-in vaccination centers. Identifying high visited areas with MTS, senior centers, faith-based orgs, Elks Lodge, American Council on Islamic Relations (to set up vaccinations after Ramadan concludes), more partnerships with employers
• County has multiple rotating vaccination events; most open every 3 weeks. For full list, check here. Mobile vax sites can be found here.
• 67.2% of South County residents are vaccinated. 
•  Media Questions:
• Can schools, public or private, make vaccinations mandatory? Dr. Wooten says it would be up to each individual district who would then have to vote on it, but as far as I've read, making vaccinations mandatory while still in EUA is a sticky situation and almost no entity has tried it. 
• County is encouraged by number of 16-19 year olds getting vaccinated as they've only been eligible since April 15.
• Daily testing numbers include countywide PCR tests. They do not count Antigen./Rapid Tests.
• LA and SF were able to descend to yellow tier because they had more cases (so reinfection now is low), high vaccinations, and higher numbers of people getting tested with negative results which dramatically drops case rate. (This is why I think everyone, especially people with kids in sports or school should continue to get tested regularly, even if parents are vaccinated)
• County now has more doses than demands for appointments
• Only one B.1617 (Indian Variant of Interest) detected in San Diego 
• County Data:
• San Diego County Update - County News Center 
• 226 New Cases/277,323 Total Cases 
• 0 New Daily Deaths/3,716 Total Deaths
• 3,445,425 Doses Received/3,071,489 Doses Administered
• 1,692,336 Partially Vaccinated/1,194,000 Fully Vaccinated
• 1% Daily Test Positivity/1.7% (7-day avg after 7-day lag)/1.4% Test Positivity (14-day average)
• 5.0 cases/100k population (Assessed on 5/4. Adjusted case rate per 100,000 excluding prisons.) 
• 96.8% Case Investigation 
• +2.6% Day Over Day COVID-19 Hospitalizations (137 patients. -16% over 30 days)
• 31% ICU Capacity (35 patients. -33% over 30 days)
• 51 Staffed ICU Beds Available
• 1 New/18 Community Outbreaks (7-day)
• Universities:
• SDSU COVID-19, UCSD COVID-19, USD COVID-19, CSU San Marcos, PLNU

Fletch burns LA:

San Diego Zoo/Rose Garden Photos (Taken 5.6.21)

CoViD-19: ACIP Recommends Use of J&J Vaccine | Deb Haaland Brings Hope To Indigenous Peoples as Secretary of the Interior | SDHC Wants To Pay Your Rent | Photos: San Diego Zoo |

Malayan Tapir Baby at San Diego Zoo (Taken 4.23.21)

We can walk and chew gum at the same time, so the expression goes. That's how I was feeling this morning. I'm angry about the shooting in the Gaslamp last night and I don't understand why or how FLUXX is opening tonight and I'm worried about my God- sister going to Alabama in these COVID times but also crazy racially tense times and I'm so horrified by the images of India and cardboard hospital beds in Thailand and I'm mad that Reality Winner is still locked up and I'm hopeful that things are getting so close to being good here in San Diego with our accelerated vaccination rollout and free testing widely available. Happy, hopeful, sad, angry. Feeling it all at once, ya know? 

But today was a good day. We all tested negative, which wasn't a surprise, but it's just going to be our protocol while Nova is in school and still can't get vaccinated. Darren and I went to the San Diego Zoo for a couple hours this afternoon and I finally got to see the baby Malayan Tapir. I was also surprised to see a baby Golden Takin. So it was a day of my heart pretty much exploding. After that, I had some of our BBQ leftovers from last night's Bowlegged BBQ, then did a Costco run. I watched all the briefings today but haven't read any email, so I will have more posts to come, but for now, here's what I've got. Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: B.1.1.7 Now Dominant in US; Youth Sports Driving Spread | Casbah In The News | SD City Council "Passes" Measure C for Convention Center Expansion | Can US Mandate Vax? |

Darren and I had a fun night in the speakeasy, and after Darren went to bed I caught up on yesterday's briefings. I'm still really behind in emails and I'm hoping to catch up tonight. We went back to the San Diego Zoo today --our third day in a row. The Skyfari had only been open on weekends, but during this "Spring Awakening" promotion, it's been open daily so we've taken full advantage. I guess they actually liked when we did the three back to back trips, because we did it again today. The leopards were super active, so we watched them for awhile, and we spent some time with Otis the hippo. I was thinking it would be fun to do a meetup at the seating area over by the elephants, but maybe I'll wait until summer hours and more widespread vaccinations. I still want to get to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park this week, but I just haven't motivated early enough to make the trip worthwhile.

I know I've said over and over that I haven't and won't eat out, but I guess I'm dipping my toe in the water for a private invite-only soft opening of the Casbah tomorrow. Tim Mays was on the news today and I've included the clip below.  

I'm gonna get back to my email now and I'll throw in another post with anything meaningful plus some Zoo photos. Stay safe out there.  

Mission: Spring Adventure at the San Diego Zoo Offers Entertainment, Extended Hours

In the onslaught of constant COVID news, I almost missed this email from San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, but it is kind of exciting. After being shut down for so many weeks in 2020 and almost entirely missing out on the entire Jungle Bells season, we're finally in a place where the San Diego Zoo can offer entertainment and extended hours for Mission: Spring Adventure, with extended park hours running from March 27th through April 11th. Check out all the info after the jump. 

CoViD-19: NIAID Calls Out Astra-Zeneca Data | Daddy Gets The Jab | Gun Reform Now | ACA Deadline Extended | Photos: San Diego Zoo |

Good Girl Shaba Plays Peek-A-Boo (Taken 3.23.21)

Sometime in February, San Diego County announced that they would accept names on a list for homebound seniors to be given vaccines at home. All you had to do, they said, was call 2-1-1 and they would take your information and reach out when they could come to your house. I three-way called the number with my mom, which resulted in her getting an appointment at the Chula Vista Superstation, but not really any information about how long it would take for my dad, a homebound senior. Since he doesn't get any of the Great Plates benefits, I feared he wouldn't be top priority. Recently it was announced that the organization that was supposed to handle the in-home shots gave up after 3 dozen shots because it was too challenging. 

Since then, the County came to a new agreement with Sharp and we tried calling again, reaching out to friends who may be in the know, and called a couple other numbers who were collecting the information. This morning, my parents got a call that the vaccine-mobile would be at their house at 1pm, and my dad got the 1-shot Janssen vaccine. My parents didn't get a celebration for their 50th anniversary in 2020, but this year it looks like we'll all be fully vaccinated so we can celebrate close to the actual anniversary date and I couldn't be more grateful. 

I didn't even know until after an already good day. I was up early, Darren and I had a nice home brunch, caught up on some news and such, and went to the San Diego Zoo for the last hour they were open. It's definitely more crowded right now, but when it's like that, we stick to our philosophy of "birds and stairs." The aviaries aren't a super popular feature for tourists who may just be coming for this one time and just want to see the big animals: cats, apes, and bears. Additionally, the mommy militia have to avoid a lot of the gardens with stairs and steep hills with their double wide strollers, so we're still able to see a lot and find quieter less traveled spaces. I also made sure I visited Shaba the elephant to tell her what a good girl she is. As we were driving home, we saw a brass band practicing in the parking lot which was a nice little surprise. Catch it on my Facebook. Stay safe out there! 

CoViD-19: San Diego Drops Below 10 Cases Per 100,000 | Democrats Appropriately Give Victory Dance | Governor Newsom Delivers State of the State |

Amur Leopard at San Diego Zoo (Taken 3.9.21)

It is astonishing how lifted I feel with this new administration. With the ARP about to pass on Wednesday, things are definitely looking up. Darren and I had a super fun Monday night in the speakeasy and we've been listening to the new Julien Baker record on repeat. Today we went to the San Diego Zoo for the last couple hours of the day and the hippos and bonobos and leopards were all super active. I think they were preparing for the coming rain because when we got home, our Bun Bun was in the yard preparing, too, and normally she hops off when we get home but just waited it out for us to leave her alone.  

I didn't watch all the things today, but I did catch Governor Newsom's State of the State and found it to be inspiring and it made me grateful to be a Californian and feel nothing but sympathy for people who live in legislatively red states. Today the news reported a poll that said 36% of republicans don't want to get vaccinated. We're never going to crush COVID and we're going to continue to lose a lot more lives, but we'll keep living in our bubble and hopefully be just fine. 

I also watched a movie called Hearts Beat Loud on Hulu that was excellent and a nod to indie rock and even has a little cameo with Jeff Tweedy. I definitely recommend if you are looking for something to watch. Has there ever been a movie based around a record store that wasn't good? 

Anyway, it's midnight so I'm gonna wrap it up. Be safe out there, and rock the shot as soon as you can. 

CoVID-19: California Updates Activity Tiers, Including Theme Parks and Stadiums | San Diego Surpasses 1 Million Vaccines | Pandemic Induced Agoraphobia | San Diego Zoo Inoculates Great Apes |

 

Bonobo at San Diego Zoo (Taken 10.27.2020)

I like to keep things up to date around here, I'm a little behind on email. My mom brought Nova home today, so we hung out in the backyard and catio for a while. After she left, Darren got tacos from El Panson and we spent the afternoon on the catio working and reading and whatnot. By late afternoon, Darren and I made our way to CVS so I could get my Pfizer vaccine. I certainly think the tier system is not really fair, but I also know that all the experts say to get one when you can, so I did. I feel fine, but I'm gonna log off so we ca have some family TV time. 
Since we spent most of the day outside, I only caught part of the White House briefing and part of the Governor's Zoom with state senators to sign AB/SB 86 to get kids in schools. I kept seeing the story about the San Diego Zoo's great apes getting COVID vaccines, so I shared that here, and there's other weekend reading, including an interview about post-COVID agoraphobia and anxiety. I also included the revised Activity and Business Tiers based on the new equity goals, including theme parks and stadium openings. I included those as jpegs at the end of this post. I'll work through the rest of my email this weekend and share if there's anything noteworthy that I missed. In the meantime, stay safe out there, and #rocktheshot as soon as you can. 

CoViD-19: Mask Up Even When You Jab Up | State Outlines Equity Distribution & Modified Blueprint For Safe Reopening | Youth Sports Returns To CA Via Settlement | Photos: San Diego Zoo |

    

Agapito is so big, I can't tell if this is him or his mom. At San Diego Zoo (Taken 3.4.21)

I got my sleep schedule somewhat back in order and so I actually woke up bright and shiny this morning. It was nice to have a chill day with Darren as we cycled through the White House media briefing, the Governor's media briefing, and the press conference about the youth/high school sports settlement. I'm gonna keep it tame because I had a good day and I don't need to point out that our numbers are already lowered enough such that outdoor sports can start, and frankly if you let your kids do indoor sports right now, I can't say anything that is going to change your mind. 

Today the governor had a lot of new information, confirming that the state will be allocating vaccines to the lowest quartile of "Healthy Place Index Identified Zip Codes" and once those specific zip codes have hit 2 million vaccines (it's around 1.6 million right now), the state will adjust the cases per 100k required to move tiers for counties, namely that counties can move from purple to red at 10 cases per 100k instead of 7. So I guess that timeline tracks for what we all expected anyway, meaning all of these stupid lawsuits have been a complete waste of time, money, and effort. So there's all that. 

Nova decided to stay at my parents' house another night because she gets time with my sister's puppy, despite there being no school tomorrow and construction is at a standstill from the rain. We wanted to take advantage and go shopping for a couch but I think we're just frustrated because of our weird doorway being so narrow, our options feel so limited. So instead, we had lunch at home then went to the San Diego Zoo for a few hours. It was a little crowded but not too bad, and I'm trying not to be mad at the membership hikes since I won't have to worry about it for awhile, but the rebranding is actually pretty cool and they already changed the sign out in front on Park Blvd. And the merch is really cool so if money isn't as tight for you, go spend all of your money there. After the Zoo, Darren made an amazing lobster dinner with spaghetti in bechamel and now I'm a happy camper so I'm gonna wrap this one up. Stay safe out there and get your vaccine when your time comes up.

COVID-19: Vaccines For All By May | Global Cases Rise After Weeks of Decline | It's About Time: Dr Seuss Enterprises Ceases Publishing Racist Books |

The last time the tram was open at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (3.13.2020)

Watching the news pisses me off so much. How is it that they have such a knack for finding the most idiotic people to interview? Today some wealthy white teachers who teach in wealthy white areas were bitching about not getting vaccine appointments because schools have their own prioritization. It's literally been three days that teachers were added to the list, maybe settle it down a minute? Meanwhile, the idiot governor of Texas is opening everything and ending mask mandates and President Biden is a better human than me because I would just stop sending vaccines and government support to any state that won't mandate masks. 

It was a late night Monday around here so today was kind of a wasted day, though we did do a substantial Costco trip. It had been awhile and the speakeasy was running low on booze so I wanted to get us all stocked up before the next insurrection on March 4th. We also got a pizza which definitely hit the spot. 

I don't have a whole lot else to say today but there's lots of news, including that the San Diego case rate is now 10.8, which is promising but not quite good enough, but if the rate keeps dropping, we could get to the red tier by the end of March. It sounds like things are getting ready to open up a little more, I noticed that the San Diego Zoo is hiring tram and bus drivers so hopefully those come back soon, and Nova's school announced they'll be back in person in a hybrid model starting April 12, which is far sooner than I ever predicted. Hopefully BIden is right and we can all get vaccinated by May and beat the variants from overcoming all of our efforts and sending us back to square one. Stay safe out there.