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: Still Airborne | GETVAX Launches | Trouble Hiring? PAY MORE MONEY! | EDD Updates | Facebook Ban of Tweedle-Dum Upheld | US Supports Vaccine IP Waiver |

I did something I had successfully avoided for years. I had to shop at Walmart. Or at least online. Apparently Kotex is discontinuing the tampons I use or there is a shortage because I couldn't find them anywhere else in person or online. So when I found them online at Walmart, I figured it was worth it to chuck my conscience out the window. We threw in cat food, too, which apparently is also seeing shortages. It took one day to arrive and had free shipping, but it still made me cringe. But to the larger point, online shopping has never been easier. It's hard because I'd like to support local businesses, but ordering from Costco and Old Navy and Hanes and Amazon has been a harsh necessity of this pandemic, and I don't know that I'll go back to general retail if I don't have to. 

I was feeling guilty last night after trying to not feel guilty about vaccines. I certainly don't think people should die for risky behaviors, especially if accurate and adequate information may not necessarily be provided to the populous, but I still go crazy about under the nose bros or people choosing to flout recommendations, guidance, and health orders. By some articles, I should chill that out, but how about we hit that 70% or even more of us vaccinated before we start uncorking the champers and declare victory, yeah?

We had a really good day today. My furlough may be coming to an end soon though I don't really mind collecting the Biden Bucks for as long as I need to. In my effort to get us out of the house at least once a day, we took Ficus to Fiesta Island where the slender sunflowers are blooming. Growing up I never thought it was okay to swim in the bay, but after a whole year of not swimming, it felt good to be in the water and soak up a little bit of sun while an endless parade of cute dogs passed us by. Then of course we had to get Tacos El Panson to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. I'm still watching some of today's media briefings but the CDC has a new thing where you can text your zip code to GETVAX and it will send you three vaccination spots close to you. Pretty sweet. I tried it out but will really put it to test the second they announce approval for 12-15 year olds. Stay safe out there.

CoViD 19: Biden Sets 70% Vax Goal | Global Cases Highest Peak Than Any Other Time During Pandemic | Oxygen Crisis | Mexico Train Derails |

Last night I was up all night reading Twitter. It was actually fascinating watching people fight over everything. Seems to be there are two major debates happening there at the moment. There was an Atlantic article on the "liberals who can't quit lockdown" vs the-pandemic-isn't-over,-you fucking-idiot people (Guess where I land.) The other debate is whether the US should continue vaccinating our population and likely expanding vaccination to 12-15 year olds next week vs giving vaccines around the world to older more vulnerable populations, specifically India.  

To me the answer to both debates has to do with the world we actually live in and the one we wished we lived in. In the one we actually live in, capitalism rules (no sharing IP), our US health care sucks, our last president politicized a virus, and our country still had the most COVID deaths in the whole world. In the one we wished we lived in, people would do the right thing, get vaccinated when they can, not price gouge during crises, and not have allowed psychotic leaders like Trump, Modi, and Bolsonaro in office. It sucks and people are dying and there are more worldwide cases now than at any other point in the pandemic, but I and many people like me weren't the ones refusing mask wearing, denying the virus, flouting guidance, going to massive events, rushing back to school or 'normal life'. We locked down like we were supposed to. We minimized our risks. We avoided 'normal life' in ways acceptable and detrimental. So sorry, not sorry. I will be getting the kid vaccinated as soon as she's eligible and let the government do what it needs to do to help the rest of the country and the world, and regardless of what #medtwitter has to say about it, I won't be made to feel guilty about that privilege, though I will appreciate it as such. 

And about getting back to normal life...I'm trying to force myself to do something, anything every day. Today we went to San Diego Zoo Safari Park for a couple hours and it was hot but beautiful and empty and Southern White Rhinos Holly and Mwezi came from way down by the stream all the way up to the lookout and waiting for them was totally worth the trip. Darren is waiting for me in the speakeasy so I'm going to call it a night. Maybe I'll post some pictures later. Stay safe out there.  

CoViD-19: John Oliver Dives Into Vax Hesitancy | County To Open Extended Hour Vax Sites | FDA Expected To Approve Pfizer For Adolescents | Biden Admin Raises Cap On Refugees | CV To Open City Services | Photos: La Jolla Cove |

Today was a really great day, mostly. Nova had yet another traumatic call with her mom, so after dealing with the emotional wreckage of that, she had a piano lesson that seemed to uplift her mood. We were going to the San Diego Zoo, but decided to finally bust to La Jolla Cove for my first time since we pulled her from soccer last fall. 

That sea lion and guano smell hits right as you park your car, but it was so welcome because it has been so long. There is all kinds of construction on Cave St. to Coast Blvd, so my favorite little spot was closed, but it kinda made me feel better in that it's probably been closed for weeks if not months, I haven't been paying attention. It wasn't crowded though as sunset approached, more people kinda lined up to watch the sea lions, but I was able to carve out my little spaces to take some photos while Nova and Darren splashed around in the Cove. 

After we grabbed hot wings from one of the vendors in H Mart and now everyone is asleep so I can go back to watching my dumb show. I guess what made this a really great day is that there was late afternoon breaking news that someone from the FDA let out of the bag that they expect to approve the EUA for Pfizer for kids 12-15 sometime next week. After that, it sounds like the ACIP will meet and then make a recommendation to the CDC. So we're on track for my April 8th prediction that teens will start getting jabs by end of May, though it seems like it will come even faster than that. That is very exciting news, though it may bring up the possibility of Nova traveling this summer after all, which could be trauma the kid just doesn't need before high school. Still, fingers crossed on vaccination approval sooner rather than later. Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Global Peak Of Cases Driven By India & South America | San Diego Music Awards Announces 2021 Nominees | SDPL Replenishes Seed Library |

Friday was #NationalShelterPetDay (Taken 5.1.21)

 It was kinda nice to feel a little bit of winter for a day, though I was optimistic it would help extinguish the fire on the edge of Anza-Borrego, which I guess they're calling the 
Southern Fire, though it's still only 25% contained at the moment. 

I didn't really do jack shit today because I ended up bingeing a show on Hulu all night. It's not really worth mentioning unless you love Gen Z dramas, in which case "Good Trouble" may be the show for you. I'm gonna keep it short today because there's literally nothing going on around here. San Diego Music Awards announced nominees, so I've included the full list at the end of this post. This year they changed up categories since their weren't any live performances, so I'm not sure which ones will be open to public voting and which will be open only to San Diego Music Academy members, but I'm sure we'll know soon enough. 

Perhaps there will be more excitement over the next couple weeks as our vaccination numbers are looking great and your favorite music venues continue to roll out show dates. There are definitely some exciting ones to come. Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: CA Surpasses 30M Doses Administered | US Surpasses 100M Fully Vaccinated | Transportation Mask Requirement Extended | Science Behind The Guidance | US-India Travel Restricted | Nova's Birthday |

It's been such a nice weekend. After our little family shindig last night, Darren and I hung out in the speakeasy until the wee hours. Today he went and got a new-to-him bike while Nova and I picked up a birthday cake from Baskin-Robbins. We have been ordering fish from KnowSeafood so we had a delightful lobster and scallop dinner (use my referral link for $20 off). And then we discovered that Ross is open until 11pm so we took the kid shopping since she's growing so fast that none of her clothes fit anymore. My Saturday nights have gone from raging at shows to getting excited about shopping in an empty Ross. Who even am I anymore? Send help. 

Be safe out there. 

 

CoViD-19 Daily Data | Nova's Birthday |

We're all at my mom's house right now celebrating the night before Nova's 14th birthday. Crazy. We ordered a feast from 777 Noodle House, had a great strawberry filled cake from Pancho Villa, and now we're all in the backyard using my sister's Apple TV to watch the Billie Eilish movie on a projection screen. I haven't gone through email today at all, haven't looked at the news, though I did watch a little bit of the Padres game with my dad. I'll probably be up all night, because I'm always up all night, and I'll throw another post up if there's anything worth sharing. In the meantime, stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Global Cases Surpass 150M | Biden & Harris 100 Days In | Danny Trejo Denounces California Recall | Photos: San Diego Zoo + New Elephants!! | Reopenings: Disneyland, Living Coast Discover Center |

Inhlonipho, a new bull at the San Diego Zoo to form a bachelor herd (Taken 4.29.21)

Last night I was looking at the press page for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and learned that there were two new elephants, with the goal of starting a bachelor herd. This explains why we saw the keepers "practicing" with the transport cage a few days after that dude went into Shaba's enclosure. One came from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and one came from Tucson. We skipped the elephants the last few trips, so I guess this news was from last week and I had to see them today. We also spend some time with the Bairds Tapir who was taking a nice swim with some ducklings. 

As you leave the Zoo, to add to the annoyance of the lady's collecting money for "charity", there's now an anti-vax COVID-is-a-hoax guy with an 8 foot vinyl sign that looks like the kind unions use when they're boycotting a developer. While he has the right to free speech, I wouldn't be sad if someone kicks his ass. I was watching the news and there are maskholes harassing workers at the Trader Joe's in Carmel Mountain and I will probably be going to jail for assault before this whole thing is over because I have no tolerance for these maskholes. At all. 

It was a pretty good day overall though my email took me forever today, so I'm sorry this post is so late tonight. Stay safe out there. 

CoVid-19: CDC Verifies Effectiveness of mRNA Vaccinations On Seniors | Biden "America Is On The Move Again" | SD City Council: With Dems Like These... | A Travel Warning |

This was my first of many pandemic banana breads. (Taken 4.27.20)

It should've been obvious that when the CDC, and subsequently the State and the County updated their mask guidelines, that everyone was going to get it wrong. By emphasizing the "crowd" and focusing on trying to define what exactly is a "small or medium" gathering is, they once again completely blew it. KISS. Keep it simple, stupid. If you're outdoors and may engage or be around non-household people, just wear the goddamn mask. And if you've got kids, set an example and wear a goddamn mask. If you're walking down your block at 10pm and nobody is on the street, you're definitely fine not to wear a mask (vaccinated or not, really). They really blew if for places like the San Diego Zoo or other private spaces that will continue to require masks even though you now think you're exempt because you're not necessarily ever in what anyone would call a "crowd" at a Zoo or Aquarium. 

I said I would watch and comment on Biden's speech, but it was pretty much as expected, especially if you watch the daily media briefings. Hopefully he can push through his major infrastructure, jobs, and families plans through reconciliation because Mitch is a fucking dick and his party will do everything they can to stall shit until midterms. 2022 elections are going to be a really big deal. Maybe some of those old farts will just cease to exist by then. I kinda started taking notes, but instead I'm just putting through the links because it gets a little too nerdy for anyone who doesn't really care or who doesn't think he can get anything done with all these roadblock assholes around. 

CoViD-19: Your Vax Is Working | Workers Memorial Day | People Don't Wanna Return To Shitty Service Jobs | Cop Violence = Crime Against Humanity |

  

Baby Golden Takin (Taken 4.28.21)

There is so much news today. I'll have more to say after I get a chance to watch President Biden's speech to Joint Session of Congress and after I get through my email but even beside that, there's a lot of stuff. We went to the San Diego Zoo this afternoon and now Nova is at Derby United, but I feel like I've been online for hours today already and my brain might explode. I'm not going to share my pictures today because our trip was so brief and I spent most of the time waiting to see the baby Tapir but she didn't really make much of an appearance. 

Some things of note today is that the murderers in the Ahmaud Arbery were indicted for hate crimes, Rudy Guiliani's apartment was searched because of the investigation with his involvement with Ukraine, and today is Workers Memorial Day which should highlight all of the frontline and essential workers who died due to the pandemic who had inadequate safeguards, PPE, and lack of protocol. In other things I read today, there's some anecdotal evidence that vaccines may fuck with your period slightly (which I can definitely vouch,) but it is no reason not to get vaccinated or raise concerns. The County of San Diego opened a new bike pump track by my mom's house and a new campground in the Tijuana River Basin and The Handmaid's Tale returns this week (finally). Also, in Nathan Fletcher's media briefing he said that they're looking into 24-hour vaccination sites, so it's good to know he's reading my tweets. But the biggest news we barely heard about this week was that the the International Commission of Inquiry on Systemic Racist Police Violence Against People of African Descent in the United States issued their 188 page report and called cop on black violence a crime against humanity. I'm gonna dive into it, but the Guardian did a good piece on it and PBS Newshour had important reporting on police conflict here.
We have a very, very long way to go. Stay safe out there. 

CoVid-19: Outdoor Mask Guidance Updated | San Diego County Offers Walk-Up Vaccinations | Fauci Deep-Dive on Variants | Sea World Offers Free 4-Pack To Military/Veterans |

  

Today is Marine Mammal Rescue Day (Taken 3.9.2020)

I was thinking today how it's funny/not funny that 8% of people who get their first shot of Moderna or Pfizer vaccines aren't getting their second shots. There's a lot of speculation why, could be partially due to accessibility and to work/family obligations, but mostly people are attributing fear of side effects as the reason. I am pretty much knocked on my ass for two harsh days during my monthly cycle and I've had some really fun nights that resulted in some harsh pandemic hangovers. A couple years ago I had pneumonia. With my 2nd Pfizer I was sleepy. We were camping so that didn't help things, but I'm just saying there are way worse things, like actually getting COVID-19, than feeling shitty after a second dose of an mRNA vaccine. 

Today, as expected, the president and CDC announced updated mask guidance which really didn't feel like anything we didn't already know. Wear a mask when you're around people you don't know whether you're inside or out. They didn't really talk about kids but I imagine they don't want the backlash that would ensue if they basically said all non-parents can go party, while all parents should wait until their kids get vaccinated. I saw an estimate that they're not expecting the tween EUA until summer and little kids under 12 until next spring. That blows, to be honest, but I hope the estimate was just playing it safe. 

I didn't catch any real Psaki bombs today, but there was this one funny moment where she almost lost her cool with a reporter, like don't tell me how to do my job. Also there's a reporter from some Catholic paper that only ever asks about pro-lifers having to fund abortions so she shuts him down pretty handily every couple days when she even gives the chance for him to ask a question. Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: CDC Updates Camp Guidance; Expected To Update Outdoor Mask Guidance | Vaccines Must Meet People Where They Are | Census Changes Congress |

Masked Up at Bowlegged BBQ (Taken 4.22.21)

President Biden is expected to announce an update to CDC guidance for outdoor mask wearing so of course journalists have been non-stop reporting on this, questioning why it hasn't happened already and why it took so long so I'll say the answer Jen Psaki an Dr. Walensky and Dr. Fauci can't say: because Americans are stupid. Vast swaths of our population can't understand nuance. You can go outside without a mask on, but if you come within range of other people, the courteous thing to do is to mask up whether you're vaccinated or not. If you're vaccinated and around other vaccinated people, you can drop the masks. If you have kids around, everyone should still mask up because those little vectors can't yet be vaccinated and you're a grown up and need to set a goddamn example. This shouldn't be this hard. 

CoViD-19: US/CA To Share Resources With India, Sends 02 | City To Settle Excessive Force Case for $1.35M; Establishes Police Oversight Commission | Super Pink Moon |

I'm still working through today's email, so I'll probably bust out another post before the morning, but wanted to get this one out for the night. Me and Darren has a fun night in the speakeasy and then a lazy day of tacos and sitting in the sun in the yard and taking the kid and the dog out to a playground to run around and so they could play catch with their lacrosse sticks. Right now I'm watching this footage from a wildlife cam on a game trail and it is super cute. Also, the San Diego City Council votes on Tuesday about the new project for the California Theatre downtown. On top of demolishing a historical resource, the planning commission allowed them to get 8 construction regulation deviations and are getting away with too little low-income housing. I urge you to comment that the council should reverse the planning commission's approval. Fucking developer bastards get away with so much in this town. Oh, and I forgot to mention that today our property manager called to ask about the break-in at the construction site, so I got to explain why I wasn't going to call the cops on a trespassing black man at 4 in the morning. I told her about the other police incidents where the cops had guns drawn and I wasn't about to be a part of that or have it on my consciences. "Stuff can be replaced," she said. "I totally get why you didn't call." So there's that. Also, Darren says I should include the daily Psaki Bomb up here, so watch her elegantly castrate this reporter and hand his balls right back to him. His voice even peaks like he was sent right back to puberty. Stay safe out there.  

CoViD-19: Get The Jab | Oscar Night | AZ Audit Chaos | Another Horrific AAPI Hate Crime | US To Support India's COVID Crisis |

 

I watched the Oscars tonight and then watched as people raged on Twitter about who should've won, the attendees being maskless. I don't know the specific procedures, but Jon Batiste said that he had to fly out early and quarantine for over a week to be able to attend in-person. It's fair to assume everyone was vaccinated and tested, too, so maybe we can quell the rage just a tiny bit. 

Last night while doom scrolling, I also followed a ton of threads about the US failure to aid India, which to me seems blatantly and patently false. Just like allocating extra vaccine to Michigan wouldn't get them out of their surge, the same seems true for India. People gathered by the tens of thousands for political rallies, dropped all common sense mitigations, and gathered by the millions for religious ceremonies after their leadership, just two months ago, declared their COVID battle won. Yes, people are suffering and yes they deserve compassion and aid, but it needs to come from all corners of the planet, and with a trumpish leader like Modi, this was certain to happen. While California can temporarily celebrate going from worst to first, it might serve us well to remember that seemingly small spread can explode within weeks, and the former mayor of San Diego would have us believe that we should just get back to pre-pandemic normal. It's disgusting, really. Follow this thing through, do your part, and let's really get into a safe place before we call it a W.
 

Last night I was playing around with math, something I do at night when I can't sleep. San Diego's population of 16+ residents is 2,689,348, of whom 904,478 are fully vaccinated. Over the past 3 weeks, we've averaged 232,063 doses administered per week, or 33,152 a day. At this rate, and my math isn't perfect because it's hard to say what the single dose J&J does to the mix, but at the current rate, and taking into account the 1,367,175 who have received a first dose and the 417,695 who have received no doses, all 16+ population could be fully vaccinated within the next 67 days. There was also a lot of talk about why the FDA hasn't approved the 12-15 year olds yet, and I still maintain that they're making sure the eligible adults get another week or two in to get first crack before opening one more age level which may ONLY receive the Pfizer dose if that EUA gets extended. Still, this doesn't account for increases/decreases in supply, but definitely gets us right in the sweet spot of the County's goal of 75% vaccinated in time to drop the tier system on June 15. My math isn't perfect, but that's all super good news, supposing we can fight hesitancy and get our friends and neighbors on board to get the jab. It's on all of us to encourage them to do so. Stay safe out there.   

CoViD-19: It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over | Dire Circumstances In India | US Acknowledges Armenian Genocide |

The last time we did a San Diego River Cleanup (Taken 1.11.2020)

I found this article about how India was beating COVID from February 17th and it makes me incredibly sad and also really mad. "'India suffered through a lot and because it suffered through a lot, it's reached the other shore now,' said Ramanan Laxminarayan, an epidemiologist at the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, a research firm based in Washington, D.C. and New Delhi. 'I don't see the prospect of a second wave in India. If it does happen, it will likely be a modest one.'"

There've been a lot of really bad takes on the pandemic, including my own, but so many have been really, really bad. Like deadly bad. I cannot imagine where we would be if things had gone differently in November, and India is paying a heavy toll because of their leader's negligence and irresponsibility.  

All this to wrap back around because a friend of mine asked me when I thought San Diego would get to the Yellow Tier. Obviously I'm not a scientist, doctor, epidemiologist or whatever, but my answer was that I think we're more likely to get out of the tier system when it is set to sunsets on June 15 because I don't envision, as more things open, that we can get below 2% positivity. I think that's okay because as we get vaccinated, we won't necessarily see high symptomatic infection, but I don't think COVID is going away. And hearing our shithead former mayor grandstanding and now that other awful, horrible person, who let's not forget, was responsible for killing a woman due to a car collision, launching a campaign for governor and I just can't even imagine where our state would be if we had been under their leadership over the past year and a half. Newsom certainly made mistakes along the way, but even so, I think we can acknowledge where he got it right. We can't let down now, even those of us who are fully vaccinated. Now if we can just open up to 12-15 year olds and get the County to expand vaccinations to a few 24 hour or nighttime locations, we may be able to get it done faster. Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: You Don't Want It; Long-Term Risks intense | San Diego Events For Saturday: Creek To Bay Cleanup, San Diego Book Crawl | Newsom Pledges To End Fracking | Gaslamp Shooting |

I said I'd throw in another post as I worked through my inbox, so here it is, and you get another San Diego Zoo selfie of me and D. Mostly I wanted to post because there's fun stuff happening on Saturday. Admittedly, I'll sleep through all of it, but there's a book crawl, a general environmental cleanup, and I think there's a free succulent swap at the church on Mansfield in Normal Heights, by Adams Avenue. There is still newsie stuff I wanna talk about, but maybe I'll save it for drunkie Twitter posts that will be deleted anyway. Sometimes I need to write, post, and delete for my own sanity. So it goes. More email and news to work through but I'm having fun with my dude in the speakeasy, so gotta run. Have a great weekend and stay safe out there.  

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: UC/CSU Will Require Vax When Formally Approved By FDA | CA Blueprint | Earth Day | Senate Did Something! Passes Anti-AAPI Hate Crimes Bill | HTH Unionizes | When To Call The Cops? |

Rhinos at San Diego Zoo Safari Park Feel Appropriate For Earth Day (Taken 3.24.21)

I have had a heavy conscience all day. While I was watching TV around 4 in the morning, my cat, who had been sleeping next to me on the couch suddenly alerted. She peeked through the window out to the construction site. Then she jumped to the floor, but stood on her hindquarters, like a meerkat, scoping things out. She only does that when she's on her catio and someone walks by, so it was unusual. 

About 15 minutes later, I heard some clinking around, so I turned off my lights and peered out my windows and saw a man in the construction site. He must've been alerted that my lights shut down or by the motion-sensor light in the alley, because he quickly exited the site, closed the gate behind him and left. I could have a super generic description: black man, 5'10, thin build, dark pants, long-sleeved light crewneck shirt, a black beanie, with a small afro sticking out like Dave Winfield style. But I didn't see anything in his hands, and he took off down the alley. All I could imagine was calling the cops, now approaching 4:30 in the morning and giving that description. It felt like a death sentence. Remember we've had four different incidents during the pandemic alone that had lengthy incidences of black men held with multiple cops' guns pointed at them within view of my windows. So I didn't. If he stole tools or property, I justified that the construction crew should've locked their gate. They didn't even secure their site with a fence until I complained to the development liaison at the City. 

But then I started thinking, what if he had stolen tools? And then used them to vandalize or break into cars or use in an assault? It's really too much to think about. This afternoon I told one of the construction guys that they needed to remember to lock up, that my dog heard someone last night (the easiest explanation I could say with his limited English.) He conveyed that someone broke in and drilled into their security tool boxes. That was the end of the conversation. Unclear if there was anything in them at the time.  I definitely didn't hear anyone with a drill, nor did I see anyone with tools. Today they left no tools on site besides some caulk guns.

I can't say I did the right thing. I'm definitely a "see something, say something" person. But with this volatile week, heck, year of policing madness, I just couldn't be the one to make the call over what, as far as I'm concerned, was just a simple trespass. Maybe another day, another time, I would feel otherwise. But this week, definitely no. 

This afternoon, we went to get walk-up tests at the Tubman-Chavez Center, a condition we agreed to for Nova to go back to school. Afterward, we picked up amazing BBQ at Bowlegged BBQ in Mt. Hope. I feel like I'm gonna be on high alert all night, but hopefully I'll get some sleep. Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Global 'Cases Surge To Pandemic High' Despite US Vax Progress | Employers Will Be Reimbursed For Vaccination PTO To Staff | Clout Chasing | Earth Day Activities |

Tikka Enjoying Her Catio (Taken 4.19.21)

I couldn't figure out the feeling I had yesterday when I saw certain responses to the verdict, but I'm grateful to Paste for talking it out and identifying it as "clout chasing." There were subdued responses and then enough carnival barking that walking away from social media was probably the most sane thing to do. Everyone is entitled to weigh in and have an opinion on things, but we have to remember not to center ourselves and sometimes stepping back and listening for a beat is the most appropriate response. 

Thursday is Earth Day, so I've linked some things--online and off--happening Thursday and through the weekend. The easiest thing you can do is grab a bucket and a picker and clean up your own street. It's actually amazing how much trash flies out of the bins when the automated trucks come for collection and my busy street gets all kinds of fly-in trash from El Cajon Boulevard's lack of bus stop trash cans or from the nearby convenience and grocery stores. 

We had good news from the County during today's media briefing. The region got 100,000 more vaccines than last week and that is expected to stay consistent or go up in the coming weeks. Dr. McDonald also said that only 203 individuals considered fully vaccinated have tested positive for Sars-CoV-2, and 57% of those were asymptomatic. (These could be teachers, health care workers, or others who get regular testing, or someone who had a known contact of someone positive.) Bear in mind, the County is counting over 846,000 residents fully vaccinated. Of all of those there were zero hospitalizations and zero deaths. The bad news is globally, mostly because of the surge in India, the virus saw it's highest peak of the pandemic. It is unconscionable that we remain more beholden to corporations than to people and refuse to share vaccine 'recipes' with the world, especially when big pharma got billions in taxpayer money to develop vaccines in the first place. 

Besides all that, it was a good day and I'm gonna go have some cocktails with Darren in the speakeasy. Stay safe out there. Get your vaccine.