Hurricane/Cyclone Hilary : San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, SeaWorld To Close Sunday | California State Parks Urges Public to Limit Outdoor Activities During Hurricane Hilary (Press Release) | Humane Society | Other Storm Stuff.

 So I'm sitting at Music Box while I sell merch and I'm checking email and watching socials roll in about the storm. It's like the two worlds. Half of downtown is raging like a regular Saturday night, and half of downtown has sand bags and boarded up windows and the City placed lines of sand bags and hay rolls around storm drains. It's super weird. I'm inside and have no idea what's actually happening outside, but I'm glad that we decided to fix the roof of our van and repaint it last year because otherwise it wouldn't be able to have handled the winter and spring storms, let alone what is expected from this one. Hopefully our studio can handle big rains and winds? Fingers crossed. I'm posting a lot on Instagram, kinda like I did with updates back in the day on this little site called Twitter before that sociopath took it over, but you should know that lots of events, particularly outdoor ones are being canceled or postponed. The San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and SeaWorld are all going to be closed. Weirdly, as of 9pm Saturday, America's Finest City Half Marathon & 5K are still happening. I guess I'll be cracking open a freshie of Bulleit and sleeping in on Sunday. So far, San Diego Unified is still preparing to be open on Monday for the 2023-2024 school year, but if you're a parent, you should make sure you're opted into their texts by sending "YES" to 67587. Hopefully you have water in case ours gets tainted...that's kinda my biggest fear about all of this is our aged infrastructure causing the damage: backed up storm drains, downed power lines, water main breaks, backed up sewage mixing with potable water. Gross. Hopefully the warnings are all overblown, but I'm glad I'm a prepper nonetheless. I mean, I'll find any excuse to already be wearing my Chooka rainboots, because, hey, that storm could hit by the time I'm getting out of this show around midnight. And if the roads are undrivable, I have enough shit in my van to sleep a few days. (Joking, not joking.)  At the very least, charge your phones in case power is interrupted. I don't trust SDG&E for shit. And let's all pray our wi-fi doesn't go down. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: California Dials Back Openings | SD & LA: Schools Not Returning In The Fall | Global Testing Shortage | Navy Ship Fire Continues

Momma & Baby Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Taken 6.28.2020)

What a day of news. There was a lot of it so there's quite a bit of detail after the jump, specifically that indoor activities related to gyms, salons, malls, personal care, non-essential offices, and worship services have to reclose, SDUSD & LAUSD issued a joint statement that in-person classes will not resume in the fall, and there's a global testing shortage. I'm actually so relieved about schools because it was a decision we didn't want to have to make. It's bad enough that Nova's soccer league is trying to join some statewide petition for guidance on youth sports, a move I can't support. Distance practicing is just fine, thank you very much. I kind of base everything on my parents...if I can't visit and hug my parents, why would I want Nova making contact with some teammate, breathing in their breath, exchanging sweat? If I can't sit inside my parents house for an hour, why would I want Nova in six different classes for an hour everyday or even one or two days a week? I'm reading The Down Days right now (as recommendation by Wired) and it's about a deadly outbreak and it made me realize that not only should we continue to emphasize the deaths by COVID-19, but they should be talking every night about the sickness, how basically your lungs fill with pus that hardens and makes it impossible to breathe while all of your organs shut down. Or that your blood gets choked of oxygen and gets thick and clots and is spiking strokes, even after the patient is considered "recovered". Or read any online support group for COVID-19 patients where they're sharing stories of being sick for months, not weeks. But sure, go to Disneyworld. 

Let's get our shit together. Info after the jump. 

CoViD-19: No Testing Saturday | Beluga Whale Sighting In San Diego | Weekend Watching | The US Hasn't Failed- We're Not Even Trying |

Let's Hope This June Gloom Acts As Beach Control (Taken 6.29.2020)

We're heading out to take Nova to soccer, so we'll probably actually do two trips to La Jolla Cove, one without her and one with her. Unless it's crazy, then we'll find something else to do, I suppose. I thought this might be my last post for the weekend, but if I'm going to be sitting around the house all weekend, maybe it won't be. Lots of links and info and stuff after the jump. Hope everyone has a great Independence Day weekend. 

LA County Closes All Beaches For Fourth Of July Holiday Weekend: Will San Diego Follow? (Fireworks are done, too)

Will It All Come Crashing Back Down? (La Jolla Cove, 10.23.2019)

On Sunday, Governor Newsom sent a tweet. 

Due to the rising spread of #COVID19, CA is ordering bars to close in Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, San Joaquin, and Tulare, while recommending they close in Contra Costa, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, & Ventura.

On Monday, San Diego proactively decided to close bars, too, effective July 1st at 12am, so like, in the middle of Tuesday night bar hours. Many questions were asked of other closings and it was left open...the County would discuss with local cities and see if additional moves were needed. 

But now LA is closing all of their beaches for 4th of July weekend. That will certainly reverberate to all other nearby counties, including San Diego. Our County and all the coastal cities within should close the beaches for the weekend with tight enforcement. The LA press release is after the jump. Sounds like Tuesday is going to be another busy day of news and briefings and fighting over whose statistics matter, what they mean. Put on your masks, shit is about to get SUPER FUCKING UGLY. I'ma go drown myself in rye. 

*updated to add their press release about cancellation of all fireworks. PLEASE DO THIS IN SAN DIEGO 

CoViD-19: Reopening Risk Assessment | NIVA Pushes For Longterm Assistance for Venues | Governor Newsom's Briefing: Don't Open If You're Not Ready

Ficus enjoying the backyard

I try really hard not to spend too much time writing about the Covitiot-in-chief and his racist minions, but I had to laugh this weekend when there was a MAGAt boat rally. Whether there were dozens or hundreds of boats doesn't really matter, as I saw people arguing about the 'facts' in online comments. The arrogance is the point. The waste, the luxury, the extravagance, the in-your-faceness of it all is the point. That anyone thought this was okay in any way, in the middle of a global pandemic when millions of people lost jobs and many are still waiting for any kind of assistance while also in the middle of worldwide protests to eliminate systemic racism in our legislation, law enforcement, and in all aspects of civil society, is so demonstrative of this administration and the despicable people who support it. It's obvious those people exist around us every day, but seeing it put on such display makes me sad for my City. Meanwhile, I feel like everyone is on my jock today and I don't like it, so I might try and escape for a bit to celebrate #NationalPhotographyDay. This is just the first post today since the Governor finally gave another media briefing. Today's morning stuff after the jump. 

Wonderfront 2020 Is Postponed To 2021

Wonderfront has bravely posteponed to 2021. Read the full press release below.

CoVid-19: San Diego Bungles Enforcement Clarification | Pandemic Partisanship | Wi-Fi For Students

Under Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach- Taken September 2017

I guess I've been preparing for all of these closures to last through June or July at the very least. Even longer for the return of shows and concerts. So I feel like the arbitrary pressure of a calendar month ending is no reason for things to be opening up, even if our weather is telling us all it's summer. And the messaging hasn't been clear. Annoyingly, a friend of mine showed video of his dog (not allowed) off-leash (definitely not allowed) at a local beach (not allowed even when it's not a pandemic.) And I keep seeing the same thing on the news...people not wearing their masks correctly if at all, not distancing, these protesting assholes not getting tickets for unlawful assembly or for violating a state health order. It's infuriating. Believe me--I want to go back to the beach. I want to go hiking again. I want to take my dog to Fiesta Island. I want to break out my camera and go to La Jolla Cove and hang out in the sun all day long. But until all those things are actually open and it's safe to hit them again, I just can't trust that my fellow human is considerate enough to follow the rules. I guess I had a lot to say today. After the jump.

CoViD-19: SoundDiego | Tim Mays Speaks on Future of Casbah | Clarification For Beach Reopenings | Repubs Reveal "Blame China" Strategy

La Jolla Cove Sea Lion 2.17.2020

I imagine that the second I publish this, I'll have to update because we haven't yet heard from Mayor Faulconer, but this seems to be where we're at as of today. Apparently Governor Newsom will be rolling out a plan and timeline on Tuesday to either extend or modify the state stay-at-home order. Like everyone, I want to get out of the house and do stuff, but the reality is I don't trust anyone. I know what I've been doing, how much hand washing I've done, that we haven't had any coughs or sneezes beyond some allergies, which are quickly handled with my Costco Allerfex. But 51% of current County cases right now are 21-49 years old. So we'll be staying home. For now. Lots of information after the jump.

Behind The Scenes at Wonderfront

Wonderfront is just a few days away and I'm certain that this water falling from the sky will be gone in time for the whole thing to go down beautifully. I haven't quite decided if I'm gonna be on the fast-track and try to see a little bit of everything or if I'll just be super casual and see what I see, but either way, I'll have my camera in tow and will be posting as much as my batteries will allow. Anyway, they posted this behind the scenes video and I have to admit, they got me pretty excited. If you still need info or tickets, get it all here.

Wonderfront Adds Bands & Releases Lineup By Day

I worked through the night, and then when I was finally ready to go to bed, of course what I'd been waiting for finally came through and I'm glad I check my email one last time before getting some sleep. Today, Wonderfront added the final artists to the lineup as well as publishing the breakout of bands by day.

The new acts are: Guitar Legends 3 (featuring an all-star band of surprise guests) | Migos | J.I.D. | Jhay Cortez | Khea | Wild Belle | Gioli & Assia | Grandma | Jesse Baez | Banda Tierra Brava | Los Crecidos | Seis en Linea | Cydeways | Glades |  Brewfish |

Wonderfront Festival will take place November 22-24, 2019 at various locations along and around the waterfront area. Tickets and details are available here.

For your information, full press release after the jump.

Seaport Sessions Kick Off This Thursday!

Growing up in Chula Vista, my mom cultivated a love for music in me from a very young age. I was never personally musically inclined, but we always went to free street fairs and concerts, whether or not we knew the bands playing. My earliest recollection of such events were the free Seaport Village concerts. They were by the (now defunct) Jolly Roger, and we'd go upstairs to their bar where they always had a free spread of hors d'oeuvres and on special days, my parents would order us virgin strawberry daiquiris (basically milkshakes, tbh) and then we'd go watch the band and the funny "old" (everyone is OLD when you're 5) people who would come to dance to the music. Well, now I'm OLD, and I'm glad to hear someone is activating the space again before the temporary renovations get underway and down the line when Seaport Village becomes unrecognizable. From what I've heard, these will at least run through December, so we'll keep you posted as more bands and talks get added to the calendar.

San Diego Harbor Gets Artsy: Nuestros Silencios (Our Silences)

Last week I saw a post by Steve Poltz about this art installation at Ruocco Park (the big grass park just north of Seaport Village at 585 Harbor Lane) and I had to drop by and see it for myself. The art is by Mexican sculptor Jose Rivelino and  will remain on display until March 15. It features 10 bronze statues and a giant box with miniature versions of the statues inside. It is definitely a sight to behold on our beautiful bayfront. Read more about it from The Port, The U-T or just go see it for yourself.