CoVId-19: CA, UK, Brazil, South Africa Variants All Confirmed In California | "Rapid Testing Will Be The Way To Reopen The Economy" | Fight Over California Schools Escalates; Stagnates |

Rhinos at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 8/23/2021)

Lately I've been thinking about antigen (rapid) testing. It's believed that they're less accurate than PCR tests, but "you can't wait for the perfect" as Newsom always likes to say. They need to be massively produced and everyone should have access to them that wants them, and employers should be supplying them for their employees, especially in cases of grocery and drugstores with built in pharmacies. And while vaccinations ramp up, there shouldn't be any decline in testing and they need to make sure tests continue to be available to everyone free of charge. Then I watched Governor Cuomo today and he said the same thing; that reopening the economy will depend on the continuation of testing among workers, events, health care environments, schools, churches and more. 

Meanwhile there's massive back and forth about school reopenings in California, with the Governor trying to accelerate negotiations with teacher unions and the unions pushing back that they should get vaccine priority before returning to classrooms. Again, are we just all assuming that kids are going to walk into safe, distanced classrooms with powerful HEPA air filters and circulation, while also wearing masks and keeping distanced all day? It just seems crazy. Underneath all of that is whether or not COVID vaccines can even be mandated because they're currently only approved under Emergency Use Authorization. In the DOD press briefing on Thursday, they were very careful to repeat numerous times that vaccination among service people is completely voluntary. They also emphasized that while the DOD had established a plan for vaccination distribution among their military bases around the world, there was in fact, no federal plan for vaccine distribution to the general population, confirming the Biden administration's claims about 'non-existent' plans.

Besides all that, it was a beautiful cozy, rainy day in San Diego. It hailed briefly and it was cool to see some accumulation on our 'catio'. Unfortunately it leaves us in limbo on the trees and construction...not that I want them gone any sooner than they need to be, but because we've made arrangements for Nova to stay with my mom on Sunday so she doesn't have to try to do school when there's an excavator working next door. Other than that, we're doing family movie night with The Dig on Netflix and enjoying it. 

Continue to stay safe out there! If you get really bored, you should watch the San Diego Zoo Safari Park giraffe cams which often have the rhino babies running around and splashing in the mud. Can't wait to be there next week!! 

COVID-19: Cases Decline But Deaths Still High | SD Resumes Parking Enforcement | County Attempts To Improve Vaccine Distribution | Stop Saying Schools Can Reopen |

Monkey Puzzle Tree (Taken 1.28.2021)

It is safe to assume that everyone wants kids back in school. The differences of opinions have been about how and when it is safe to do so. So the other day, the CDC shared a study saying that schools can reopen with specific safety precautions. The problem is that this was not a guidance or recommendation or even an endorsement, but every single media outlet took it as such. That's why it was so refreshing today to hear Press Secretary Jen Psaki emphasized this point and also the fact that the study was based on one school in rural Wisconsin. What they also aren't talking about is that the actual age of a school matters. If ventilation is one of the highest determinants of spread, newer modern buildings have a clear advantage. Are my nieces safe to go back to High Tech High sooner than students who go to my alma mater Hilltop High which was build decades ago? Probably. But even then, the time isn't here yet. Especially since teachers aren't getting vaccinated until the next tier (after the 1.2 million health care workers and 65+) and students under 16 can't even get vaccinated until the studies are done and vaccines approved for kids. The news channels love to get people riled up and make them think opening is in the near future and then show the outrage when they are reality checked and told that it is not. It is incredibly frustrating. 

I've been thinking of questions I would ask at media briefings and would hope that I would come off better than some of the idiots who get the privilege of calling in. I would ask Dr. Ghaly if the 4 week ICU projections include hospital rooms at normal function or are they including the surge beds, where non-traditional spaces have been converted to hospital beds and ERs turned into additional ICU capacity. Does it also include the waivers so that staff can be more thinly ratioed from 1 nurse to 2 patients to 1 nurse to 3 patients. 

I would ask Nathan Fletcher if there is a plan for homebound seniors like my dad, or the people receiving the 92,000 daily meal deliveries through the Great Plates program to be vaccinated and if so, how they can sign up for such a program. 

I would ask Governor Newsom to speak about the issues with EDD and when the "reopen claim" glitch will be fixed on all accounts, and I would also ask him to speak about filing for Covered California when people have been on unemployment for nearly a year and their income is likely to have dramatically changed from prior years. 

Today's briefings were pretty interesting so there are a lot of notes if you're interested what is coming from the president's office and San Diego County Board with regard to vaccines and variants and all that stuff, check the notes below. 

Nothing really new around here. Apparently my trees will be coming down this weekend or by Monday and we'll have a new fence by the end of next week. I'll believe it when I see it. It was a really beautiful day today, so we did spend a lot of time in the backyard enjoying the trees while we still have them and I took dozens of photos so I could have them forever. We talked to my parents and Nova will be staying with them on Sunday so she doesn't have to do distance school with all the construction noise while they break up the asphalt currently covering the lot. We continue to stay home, but I am getting more and more excited about our San Diego Zoo and Safari Park reservations next week. 

Quote of the Day: "In terms of executive actions, he also ran with a commitment to take steps immediately to address the pain and suffering that the American people were feeling, and that includes overturning some of the detrimental, harmful, and at times immoral policies and actions of the prior administration." - Jen Psaki (when the 5th or 6th reporter asked about Biden's executive orders being contrary to his claims of 'unity')

CoViD-19: Use Your Judgment, US Records Another 4000+ Daily Deaths | Getting Tested Could Be Worse: China Introduces Anal Swabs | Biden Introduces Climate Policies; Leaves Fracking Alone |

 

A Backyard Shot To Remember Our Trees (Taken 5.2.2020)

I posted today's picture because things couldn't be more different. This is from last summer when we were always in the backyard playing games and trying to entertain the kid. On Tuesday, the fence was ripped out by the new project developers next door, and we've officially learned that by Monday, all of these trees will be slaughtered and removed.

Needless to say, I am not happy about it at all. But as renters, we have no say, and no right to object. There may be nests in the trees, but that isn't enough to stop it from happening. 

So, we will carry on. I have been in constant contact with our property managers and am at least fighting for priority to be put on reinstalling a fence, wall, or whatever they have planned, partially because we have pets that need an enclosed yard and partially because in the last month alone there have been three different police interactions involving the property. I'm working through the stages of grief about the whole thing but that process isn't linear, and the anger just makes me miserable and doesn't change anything so I'll have to learn to deal with it and plan a bigger, badder garden come spring and once we have an idea how things are moving on the project. 

In news today, I watched a little of the County Board Meeting about cannibis and it was a hoot, and we watched the Psaki briefing with John Kerry and Gina McCarthy. Things seem to be moving and also standing still so I'm gonna quit while my pendulum leans to optimistic and go join Darren in the speakeasy tonight. Stay safe, my loves. 

CoViD-19: As Worldwide Cases Surpass 100M, "Things Are (Still) Going To Continue To Get Worse Before They Get Better" | One Year In, Still Mixed Advice For COVID-19 Treatment, Vaccination Intervals | Dr. Ghaly Reveals Formulas For Projections |

Can't wait to see grumpy Winston now that he's recovering from C-19 (Taken 11.10.2020)

I think I got the mommish award of the year today. In the year that we've been home because of the pandemic, the kid is going through puberty. We've only had a couple opportunities to go shopping over the past year, and dressing rooms are out of the question, so I've been ordering stuff online, but she's gone from children's sizes to women's size. So I've mostly had to guess on loungewear like leggings and sweats and t-shirts. But I took a chance on some Old Navy jeans in women's size and today she graced me with her 'new clothes happy dance' because they were actually the right size. What a relief. 

Other than that, I've been watching as many briefings as I can. Today Dr. Ghaly went into more detail as to why the stay-at-home order was lifted, and I have a lady crush on Biden's Press Secretary Psaki who gave another long one today. Biden did a little briefing, too. Then I watch PBS News Hour, NBC Nightly News, and then local news, but apparently the reporters only seek out restaurants who violate health orders, people who can't get vaccinations, people complaining that the new administration isn't doing enough (six days in), and people who complain about the weather. And then the obligatory shot of people not wearing a mask properly, like the salon owner who was wearing a plastic face shield over the bottom half of her face while breathing over her client to paint in highlights. 

I mean, I've got complaints of my own. My EDD is still not fixed. The people developing the property next door ripped out our fence today and are apparently going to rip out our trees before any kind of replacement fence or wall is reinstalled. Then at some point they'll actually start construction which I'm sure will take at least a year to complete. So, yeah, we all have our shit, but I don't need to keep hearing every goddamn whiner on my television. 

There was so much news today, and like I said, I watched multiple briefings so all those notes are below. But the biggest takeaways are that Biden rolled out more of their vaccination plan including increasing the US order for vaccines, Biden is considering equity across all legislation, departments, programs, rules, etc, and Susan Rice had some nice zingers for the Republicans. 

"Until everyone in the world is safe, no one is safe." - Dr. Larry Brilliant

CoVID-19 California Lifts Stay-At-Home Order; County Maintains Curfew | San Diego Zoo & Safari Park Reopen Reservation System; Winston Recovering | Sign Up For MyTurn | More Variant News |

Looking forward to San Diego Zoo Reopening (Taken 11.23.2020)

Last night felt like Christmas Eve all over again. Watching the local news at 11, NBC San Diego announced that Governor Newsom was expected to lift the stay-at-home order. I can't stand not knowing stuff, so I was trying to get sleuthy and decided to check the San Diego Zoo website, and voila! The reservation system was up and running starting on February 2nd. Naturally I made multiple reservations for multiple days and the thought of walking around and taking photos again and seeing new babies just makes my heart explode. 

As for why the state is lifting the stay-at-home order I was being sleuthy, too. Certainly there's a combination of the ICU forecasts, the R-effective dropping, and vaccinations ramping up, and faith in the Biden administration to get some shit under control, but I imagine behind the scenes there's also huge pressure from restaurants and school districts and also from counties who just couldn't enforce 'peaceful protest' restaurants anymore and if lawsuits go to the Supreme Court, we can predict how that turns out. Still, in the Monday briefing, when asked if the change has anything to do with recall efforts or lawsuits and suggesting it is arbitrary, Newsom responded that is "complete utter nonsense." For those that think it's still too soon, just keep doing you. Don't make unnecessary trips, stay home when you can, mask up, social distance, don't mix households, keep away from activities that involve contact with non-household members exceeding 15 minutes. I still feel safe at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, but you won't catch me eating at any restaurant or going to outdoor performances until I get those shots in my arm. 

Anyway, of course today the stay-at-home order was, in fact, lifted. The San Diego Zoo and Safari Park are reopening on Saturday and I've got my reservations for a few dates in February. San Diego Zoo Global also gave an update on the gorillas, and particularly Winston. The press conferences were all over the place today. We watched Governor Cuomo, San Diego County, Press Secretary Psaki, and news (until I passed out on the couch.) But main takeaways: we're back in purple tier, but they've added outdoor entertainment (12 ft from patrons and other performers, patron tables must have 6 feet between them) and some limited youth sports. Additionally, they're kinda tweaking the vaccination rollout just to make sure counties aren't being so rigid that they're not vaccinating enough. But San Diego is still only doing health care workers and seniors 65+, which combined is over 1,120,000 people. (Tier 1A Health Care Workers in San Diego County 620,000, Approximately 500k San Diegans are 65+ according to Nathan Fletcher, Media Briefing, 1.13.2021) Nathan also says there are a couple programs to vaccinate homebound seniors, so I'll be following up with details on that when I can find them so I can make sure my daddy gets the jabs. 

Hope everyone is staying safe and warm out there.

CoViD-19: Sleepy Sunday | Rostam Adds Music To "The Hill We Climb" | Variants of Concern May Be More Deadly, 'Compromise Immunity' | Newsom Expected To Lift Stay-Home Order |

A Photo of our rescue, Ficus, for Change a Pet's Life Day (Taken 12.6.2020)

Remember how that asshole who caused an insurrection in the Capitol used to call President Joe Biden "Sleepy Joe"? Maybe he was actually right about this one thing. There's news, of course, but the news cycle is so much more manageable. On average, I receive about 500 emails a day between my two inboxes, and a significant daily portion were political actions: sign this petition, demand that Congress do XYZ, ask your reps to roll back whatever. I'm still getting them, but they're just not quite so dismal or ragey and it feels so good. 

One thing I was thinking about last night as Darren and I were having drinks in the speakeasy was about the vaccination rollout. (I know, I'm so fun to hang out with.) I was thinking how I am so happy for my friends who have been able to get vaccinated or been able to get their parents vaccinated. But for those who haven't, I think everyone needs to slow their roll. The County just announced 65+ yesterday. They still have 75+ and health care workers to vaccinate. There are SO MANY. People aren't necessarily going to get an appointment right away with no complications. The last administration had NO PLAN except to reward "red states" and punish "blue states". There is going to be some time before the kinks work out. This is an undertaking that has never been done before. Factories are coming online to make enough syringes and vials and PPE available. People are being trained to provide support and vaccinate which might otherwise be outside their normal job descriptions. This isn't a switch turned on overnight, as much as we wish it so. And we all still need to mask up and socially distance and keep out of indoor settings for a long time. Wuhan locked down with tracing, testing, facial recognition, and apps. Here we still have plenty of assholes dining out against health orders. Everyone needs to continue to do their part, wait their turn, be an advocate for their own health and register for an appointment, and get a vaccination when they can. 

Update: The news is reporting that the California Restaurant Association sent an email to member businesses that the Governor is expected to lift the stay-at-home order based on the ICU forecasts. It probably also has to do with his incentivization of reopening schools in February. But note that his blueprint requires cases to be below 28 per 100,000. San Diego firmly remains in the purple most-restrictive tier, so if the order is lifted, it will still mean only outdoor operations. We're still seeing incredibly high numbers in the region and I wouldn't recommend eating or drinking in public, though I'll probably go straight to the San Diego Zoo or Safari Park the day it reopens. 

Anyway, I know I'm a barrel of fun times. Be safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Vaccines Prevent Infection, Don't Necessarily Stop The Spread | San DIego Expands Vaccines to 65+, Still Appointment Only | Biden Admin Tackles White Supremacy |

I remember laughing at how many people lined up nightly for a Crystal Pier Sunset (Taken 1.29.2020)

It's Saturday night and I forgot I promised Darren and Nova that I would run out shopping because we're low on fresh fruit and veggies and need some milk. I may postpone due to the rain. But we've been doing exactly what I wanted to do...absolutely nothing. Nova baked sugar cookies all afternoon and I caught up on all my news. 

Last night I made Darren watch "Totally Under Control" because I needed him to be outraged with me, and then I dreamt that I was tasked with unraveling the nightmare national vaccine distribution left from the past administration. When I woke up, I was actually optimistic looking at our regional forecasts, and I was thinking that maybe we'd be out of stay-at-home orders by Valentine's day, but to be honest, I have no idea. It seems like our R-effective is slowly dropping, but our daily death rates are still really high. In news stories I've seen, health care people are claiming not to be at "crisis of care" yet, but then they're also reportedly being selective about who they admit, meaning people who go from slight to bad quickly just aren't getting care and, yeah, they're dying. Over 225,000 San Diegans have tested positive for the virus since March, and that doesn't include early asymptomatic and non-hospitalized patients back from the early days when testing was limited and/or non-existent. Vaccines are continuing to roll out with San Diego adding more centers and pods and expanding eligibility to 65+, but it still feels like it is going to take a couple weeks of patience while we wait for the new administration to be able to look at the mess they've inherited: how many vaccines have been contracted and procured, how they're being distributed, who is receiving them, and why all of the "blue cities" and states were getting intentionally cut out of allotments. (Locally, it will need to be investigated why Alpine teachers got vaccinated ahead of everyone else from a direct federal shipment.)

  

Meanwhile, the US will surpass 25,000,000 cases by Sunday, and global cases could reach 100,000,000 by Tuesday. So we are still very much in this. I found some interesting reading, including an interview with a virologist from Germany which is enlightening. Also, if you don't want to read any news, I watched The Intouchables on Netflix last night. It stars Omar Sy, who is in the trending limited series, Lupin, and he's so good. It's based on a true story about a man with a checkered past who becomes the aide to an aristocrat with quadriplegia and their bond and I loved it, but you have to get past the fast that it is a Weinstein movie.  

Anyway, me and the kid are bingeing seasons 2 and 3 of A Girl Name Jo on Prime, so I'm gonna cut. Stay safe, stay cozy out there. 

CoViD-19: State, County Set New Daily Death Records | After Stay, Strip Club Injunction Overturned | "COVID Can't Kill The Casbah" |

 

Lioness at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 6.28.2020)

I am so looking forward to a snuggly cold and rainy weekend in San Diego. We need water from the sky so badly, I just wish that we had better ways to capture the runoff instead of the inevitability of having flooded streets and backed up storm drains. I hope my neighbors below don't learn that their apartment still floods. It would be nice to head up to the mountains but I don't think our van, even with chains, is up for it after mostly sitting unused for the past year. 

COVID-19 has been busy the past couple days but it's flabbergasting that people are making so many demands when the administration has only been in office for like 48 hours. It is no question that vaccination distribution has been a total nightmare, but people trying to jump the line is just as much a problem as order and supply shortages. We know that the last administration chose not to order additional dosages when they had the chance, and it should certainly be investigated if they were intentionally sabotaging the next administration, and we also know that the two vaccines with EUA in the USA are limited in their ability to supply doses, especially when they have other contracts with other countries to honor, too. 

Anyway, I'm looking forward to a quiet weekend and hope you're all staying safe out there. Our case numbers seem to be moving in the right direction, but today both the county and the state had the highest reported deaths of the pandemic, which shouldn't come as a surprise exactly 3 weeks out from New Year's Eve and 4 weeks out from Christmas. Keep wearing your masks (consider doubling up), stay out of indoor spaces like stores and other people's homes, and stay home when you can. Everyone keeps talking about the light at the end of the tunnel, but right now, we're still not even close. 

CoViD-19 San Diego: All Vaccinations Are Still Appointment Only | Biden's Busy Day of Executive Orders | No Duh: Turns Out Prop 22 Was Bad |

January 21 Was Squirrel Appreciation Day (Taken 5.17.2019)

I'm not gonna lie, last night was a pretty great one. Darren and I celebrated in the speakeasy until the wee hours and I slept the most solid sleep I've slept in ages, so I didn't get around to checking email and my daily reading and news and media briefings until late in the afternoon. It's a good day to be an American, that's for sure. Biden's Executive Order spree makes me feel like I live in the progressive country that takes care of the people living within it's borders. It's far from perfect, and there's so much to come, but it feels good. 

Today's San Diego County media briefing had a lot of information, but one thing you should definitely take away is that all vaccinations are appointment only. It sounds like the appointment system allows people to get appointments who are not supposed to, since they can't age screen because of health care workers, so unless you are 75 or older OR a health care professional, you will be turned away from testing sites even if you got an appointment. Don't be an asshole, stop creating traffic, and stop saying you didn't know. The information is out there and available to anyone. Additionally, the county finally set up a vaccine dashboard that shows the current status of vaccines received and shots in arms. 

I know I recommended these already, but everyone should watch Public Trust Feature Film | The Fight for America’s Public Lands (Free on YouTube) and Totally Under Control (Hulu) see why it was so urgent for Biden to sign so many executive orders. I think tonight I'm going to watch Stacey Abrams documentary, All In: The Fight For Democracy on Amazon. Stay safe out there! 

Inauguration Day!!! President Joe Biden & Vice-President Kamala Harris Take Their Oaths and Immediately Get To Work: Prez Signs 15 EOs, Senate In Session | CoViD-19: Variants, Vax, County Sets Single Day Local Death Record |

African Penguin at San Diego Zoo (Taken 6.28.2020)
Today is International Penguin Awareness Day

I don't have any fancy pictures of the Capitol and I prefer not using other people's photos, so instead of an Inauguration Day photo, you get a penguin in honor of Penguin Awareness Day. This is not in any way to diminish this historic day. It gave me chills watching the ceremonies and I'm looking forward to seeing what other EOs and legislation comes out in the coming days to attempt to reverse some of the damage done over the last four years, but I have to say the 17 actions today are a pretty great start, and it looks like Bears Ears and ANWR are going to be restored in the upcoming days, too. But if 'bold' is the word being tossed around, we certainly saw some of that today. And I unintentionally caught Marco Rubio on the floor and he is such a complete hypocrite. Nearly everything that comes out of his mouth can be factually refuted and his hyperbole of suggesting what 'most Americans want' just shows how clueless he really is. He's up for election in 2022 and it would be amazing if we could get him booted out for good. 

But I don't want that to ruin the day. I don't think this administration is going to be some miracle savior, but it already feels so good not to be thinking about what was left behind from that other guy. Me and Darren are gonna celebrate in the speakeasy tonight, but don't forget the rest of the week will be busy...our COVID numbers are still gnarly, reporting the most single day deaths reported in San Diego yet, and people are so confused about vaccinations it's sad. San Diego county's media briefing will be on Thursday because of the Inauguration, but I'm sure we'll be hearing more about variants, our incredibly high case rate per 100k, and hands up in the air about enforcement because all of the lawsuits are still pending (which they never mention). Meanwhile, it would be nice to see a rollout of a place to register for people who don't have health coverage so we can know when our turns are up and where we can go. If they can notify me of a missing person, they should be able to reach out when I can get my shots, no??

So besides watching all the Inaugural stuff all day, we did a Target pick-up order, and then we ended up swinging by Ross, because while I'd love to not go shopping at all, the 13 year old around here keeps growing and I can't expect her to go barefoot until she can go back to school (ha!). So we were less than 15 minutes in and out, did a quick dip to Big Lots and now we're settled back in and hopefully can stay home for the next few days at least. Testing numbers are really dropping in San Diego, perhaps because people were testing more around the holidays 'to be safe' but now are only doing so when more noticeably symptomatic, but you shouldn't hold back from getting a free test, especially if you're regularly interfacing with the public or have a known exposure. It's the only way we're gonna get control of this monster. Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: "Totally Under Control" | 400,000 US Deaths On COVID-19 Memorial Day | More About L452R Variant | Warp Speed Chaos | Biden Inauguration in 12 Hours! |

Rhino Momma and Babe at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 11.26.2020)

Darren and I watched a kinda funny but mostly dumb movie called Save Yourselves! last night but then after he went to sleep I watched the documentary Totally Under Control (Hulu) about how the exiting administration has handled the pandemic and it is so unbelievable. Even as someone who has tried to follow it closely since shutdowns first started happening my jaw was to the floor. What's more infuriating is how much was known long before the American public was becoming aware, and how the corruption of this administration is even deeper than you can even imagine. Today the US has surpassed 400,000 deaths (50,000 more than I estimated by Inauguration Day) and all of those deaths lie squarely on this administration's hands. They all need to go to jail and never be allowed any positions in government ever again. The only reason I could even watch was knowing that they'll all be gone on Wednesday and hopefully we can get on track to get our broken 'new normal' lives on track to some forward progress.

Other than lots of news and email, nothing really going on around here. I was up late last night so I slept late and just spent the day getting through all the daily emails. Nothing super exciting. I did watch a lot of news including today's briefing with Secretary Ghaly. It's so funny because he has a tell when he doesn't really want to say what he's thinking, like when people are asking about youth sports while San Diego's cases per 100k hit an astonishing 97.4 unadjusted. Remember that we have to get below 28 for schools to open and below 7 to move back to the red tier, and that's only once our regions projected ICU capacity gets back above 15%. Anyway, we have a lot to look forward to on Wednesday barring any psycho surprises. I'm not the praying type, but let's send positive vibes in the universe and hope the crazies stay at bay and the inauguration and transfer of power is the most low-key boring thing we've ever witnessed in our lives. Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: L452R Variant Rampant In California | Starbucks To The Rescue | We Shall Overcome | One More Chaotic Day To Go |

Momma and calf rhino at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 9.25.2020)

I never thought I had any heart or lung problems until I've recently realized how much lighter my heart feels, how much deeper I can breathe seeing the inauguration so close on the horizon. Me and Darren celebrated in the speakeasy last night and finished watching Lupin on Netflix. I'm looking forward to the next few days of San Diego winter, vegging around the house, and rejoicing, though there is still a day and a half to get through and let's just know that it is still scary and anything can happen. 

I've been trying to find more animal stories, because why not, but also have all the usual dreary links. Stay safe out there...we're so close to vaccinations it would feel so dumb to catch this virus now. 

• COVID-19:
• California becomes first state to top 3 million virus cases - AP News (1.18.2021)
  The state health department announced Sunday that an L452R variant of the virus is increasingly showing up in genetic sequencing of COVID-19 test samples from several counties.
  The variant was first identified last year in California and in other states and countries but has been identified more frequently since November and in several large outbreaks in Northern California’s Santa Clara County, the department said.
• The curse of the incidental illness: Seen as side effects to Covid vaccinations, ailments may have little to do with them - STAT News (12.28.2020) 
• Amid surge in COVID-19 deaths, officials temporarily lift limits on number of bodies cremated in L.A. County - KTLA (1.17.2021)
• Read the full Executive Order
• There is no COVID vaccine reserve. Trump admin already shipped it. "This is a deception on a national scale." - ARS Technica (1.15.2021)
• Washington state taps Starbucks for help with Covid vaccine rollout. The coffee giant has committed a team to work full time on expediting its home state's vaccine distribution. - NBC News (1.18.2021)
• Politics:
• Thank you, California - Kamala Harris (1.18.2021)
• News: 
• Lamont Jackson Chosen Interim SD Unified Superintendent When Marten Leaves - Times of San Diego (1.18.2021)
• Other Reading/Watching:
• Original Footage of the March On Washington with Martin Luther King Jr. - Internet Archive
• Pregnant Bobcat Likely Hit by Car in Rancho Bernardo Released Back to Wild After Treatment. The San Diego Humane Society Ramona Wildlife Center said this was a special case for them since they helped rescue three lives -- the feline and her unborn kittens - NBC San Diego (1.18.2021)
• African Rhino Left for Dead by Poachers Now Thriving (VIDEO) - NBC San Diego (1.18.2021)
• Global COVID-19 Stats (JHU 1.18.2021 8:22pm):
• 95,555,533 Known Cases
• 2,039,947 Known Deaths
• US COVID-19 Stats 
• (JHU)
• 24,074,658 Cases
• 398,980 Deaths
• (COVID Tracking Project):
• 150,385 New Cases/23,778,275 Known Cases (6.5%+ Change over 7 Days)
• 1,393 New Deaths/390,262 Known Deaths
• 123,848 Current COVID-19 Hospitalizations
• 23,226 Currently COVID-19 patients in ICU
• 7,772 COVID-19 patients currently on ventilator
• California COVID-19 Stats:
• Aggregate California ICU Bed Availability: 0
• 30,699 New Cases/2,973,174 Total Cases (1% increase)
• 201 New Deaths/33,593 Total Deaths (0.6% increase)
• 12.2% 14-day test positivity rate
• 20,968 COVID-19 Hospitalizations (-175 patients, -0.8% from prior day)
• 4,826 COVID-19 ICU hospitalized in CA (+6 patients, +0.1% from prior day)
• 1,113 ICU beds available (+43 from prior day)
• San Diego County 
• Free Testing Sites and Schedule in San Diego
• County Expands COVID-19 Vaccination Availability To Ages 75 And Up - County News Center
• Effective 01/18/21, healthcare workers, others in Phase 1A (all Tiers), and those aged 75 and older may visit County vaccination sites, including the Petco Park Super Station. For those 65 and older, the County intends to begin vaccinations for this population before the end of the month, pending vaccine supply. Doctors, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers may administer vaccinations to those 65 and older, if they have doses available.
• State Data:
• Southern California ICU Bed Availability: 0%
• 1,890 New Cases/211,785 Total Cases
• 38 Deaths/2,103 Total Deaths
• 89.8 cases/100k population (Assessed on 1/12. Unadjusted Case Rate)
• 16.4% Test Positivity (Assessed on 1/12)
• 22.8% Health Equity Positivity (Assessed on 1/12)
• 1,733 COVID-19 hospitalized patients (-28 patients, -1.6% from prior day)
• 502 COVID-19 ICU hospitalized patients (+8 patients, +1.6% from prior day)
• 150 ICU beds available (+3 from prior day)
• County Data (Data Limited due to holiday):
• 2,550 New Cases/214,337 Total Cases 
• 0 New Daily Deaths/2,103 Total Deaths
• 69.7 cases/100k population (Assessed on 1/12. Adjusted case rate per 100,000 excluding prisons.) 
• Universities:
• SDSU COVID-19, UCSD COVID-19, USD COVID-19, CSU San Marcos, PLNU

CoViD-19: "Invisible Deaths" | Aussie Open Players Quarantined | Animal News: Andean Bears, Cocaine Hippos, Northern White Rhinos |

 

Agapito the Andean Bear Cub at San Diego Zoo (Taken 9.28.2020)

It's really hard to have this beautiful California weather and wish that people would stay home, but after looking at a graph from LA cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, and reading this horrible WaPo article on "Invisible Deaths," I was thinking that maybe to get to get the point across, they start breaking down hospitalizations and ICU numbers even more. Like in LA County there were X amounts of new admittance and Y amount of people released, making a net of + or - so many beds, but specifying that so many beds became available of the new people because those people died. It's implicit in the information: like hospitalizations in California dropped 436 patients but 432 died, so how many were released home, how many died, and how many new patients took their places? Maybe if people saw that tracking more specifically, they might give a shit? But probably not. I'm definitely interested to see what happens in court this week with the strip-club case (Superior Court 37-2020-00038194-CU-CR-CTL) though now looking at it, may be further postponed until June. 

In other news, we continued to stick around the house beside our (mostly) nightly dogwalk. We watched a lot of football, caught up on news and reading, and Darren has been tearing up the kitchen with his cooking lately so that has been amazing. This week is going to be historic and crazy so keep in mind that King is the reason for the weekend, continue the fight for social justice, and stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Vaccines Dumped | China's Lockdown Is No Joke | California COVID Compliance Is Not Enough | Reporting Insurrectionists |

San Diego Zoo Safari Park Gorilla (Taken 6.28.2020)

It was such an amazing day. The weather was perfect. Last night while Darren and I were in the speakeasy, I suggested a Saturday BBQ, so he made it happen with a spread of grilled vegetables, chicken, and hot links. My sister dropped by so it's nice we got the patio table last summer from my Buy Nothing group that is like 9 feet long so we can distance. Our friends also gave us their spare TV so we set it up in the studio window so we could watch the game. 

Once the sun was down and my sister was long gone, I was glad we stayed home because the beaches looked crazy crowded and dangerous surf conditions. We'll get outta the house one of these days, but this weekend is likely not it. The COVID numbers in California seem to be plateauing, but they're still exceptionally high. People in LA are not only being told to stay home and avoid grocery stores, but people who work outside of their home and live in mixed households are being urged to wear masks at home, too. It is definitely not a good time to be raging in public or dining at these asshole 'protest' restaurants. Stay safe out there.   

CoViD-19: Labor Groups Welcome Biden Admin | Recreate Responsibly | Race To Vaccinate VS Variant Transmission | COVID Claims 2+Million Lives Globally |

 

Another Gorilla Pic From San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 11.10.2021)

I know people were out enjoying the weather and all today but personally I'm not a fan of 80+ degrees in January and we're still steering clear of the public as best we can, so have fun out there if you so choose. Maybe we'll sit in the sprinkler or something on Saturday. 

If you do go out to the ocean, be super careful. There have been numerous drownings in Northern California and they're horrifying if you read any of the reports. I guess I don't feel compelled to share those stories here, too, just know that riptides are going to be a danger throughout the weekend. 

Other than all that, it was a low-key day around here. The Casbah added a new screening of Fanboy on February 11 at South Bay Drive In and it's already about half sold out, so don't wait to get tickets. And we did do a quick final half hour Costco-run in hopes that we'll not have to go anywhere next week, especially if things get crazy around the inauguration. Next week will also be big for San Diego, because the strip club case has their hearing again which could determine how enforcement proceeds on restaurants and businesses defying the current Stay-At-Home order. In good news, Cohn Restaurants have suspended their request for the stupid Ferris Wheel at Balboa Park according to David Lundin of Balboa Park Heritage Association (email/post copied below.) Have a nice weekend and stay safe out there.  

CoViD-19: County Surpasses 200,000 Cases, 2,000 Deaths | Dereliction of Duty | Disney Sunsets Annual Passes |

 

Gorilla Troop at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 9.28.2019)

I was really hoping to publish before midnight but I'm still working through my inbox. It appears that it was another crazy news and opinion day, so I gotta say it was nice to help out at the world premiere of Fanboy at the South Bay Drive-In. I saw so many friends and everyone was so cooperative with check-in and everyone was super sweet to Nova and Darren, too. It kinda makes me cry a little how much I miss everyone, but also how bad I am at conversation after being siloed off from everyone for so long. And then there was the movie itself...SO GOOD!! It was a great film, but it was also so cool to see all of our local haunts on the big screen.

I'm gonna cut because I don't want to drag on about all the bad news but there is a lot. 

CoViD-19 Vaccine Rollout. 65+? Cool Your Jets | Impeached! (Again) | Capitol Chaos Clues Continue | California Hospital Crisis | Fletch Drops Another Sick Burn - This Time About High School Football |

San Diego Zoo Safari Park Gorilla Troop (Taken 9.28.2019)

I really doubt that news is really gonna slow down anytime soon. While the occupant of the white house was getting impeached for the second time, we found out that he's leaving a wake of international destruction with environmental laws, foreign relations, and general regulations that will prove to be challenging to overturn. But another stupid fucking thing his administration did was to announce that vaccines can be opened up to 65+, completely fucking over current vaccine efforts which are still working through Phase 1A which is supposed to be just healthcare workers and nursing homes, which already exceed available stock. This is another convenient way to make it look like state's and counties' faults when people can't get vaccinated. 

Meanwhile, locally and around the world, movements to reopen economies when we're at peak-COVID continue. My latest beef is with this idiot football coach from Torrey Pines HS who is bitching that the County and State won't listen to their data on how they can safely restart sports. Fletch had a sick burn on that during the press conference, which I've linked below. But it isn't just here. The WHO addressed it a lot today, I linked that below, too. 

Today's County briefing was kinda long but there are a lot of vaccination details that are worth noting and skimming through. I've pretty much been online all day so I'm gonna cut now, but if you're looking for something more entertaining to pay attention to, my pal and frontman for The Bronx and Mariachi El Bronx, Matt Caughthran, is hosting a new podcast for Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum. The launch "coincide(s) with the birthday of brand namesake, iconic tattoo artist and a man that truly defined himself by his own terms, the late Norman ‘Sailor Jerry’ Collins (1911 - 1973.)" It'll air bi-weekly, so subscribe through your favorite app. It will "include conversations around topics the brand loves most like music, tattoos, food and travel and feature chats with engaging artists, chefs, athletes and more."

Hope to see a lot of you at Fanboy on Thursday!!

CoViD-19 SD County New Board of Supes, Who Dis? | DOJ & FBI Break Silence on Capitol Insurrection | Concerts In The Fall? Fauci Thinks So | EDD Info | Ramping Up Vaccinations |

Another Gorilla Shot From San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 3.6.2020)

Today was a super busy day of news. To avoid a repeat of Sunday, last night I popped a couple melatonin, put my phone away, and let myself sleep. Which means I was up by the time Nova got up for school, which almost never happens. It was kinda fun though, I had a morning coffee (which isn't a usual habit for me) sat outside while the sun came up, and then spent the morning watching the County Board of Supervisors meeting. I took a lot of notes and it was fun to watch because there's never been a democratic majority on the Board and so the victory was a rare feeling. I know the City has a dem majority, too, but some of them are for sure DINOs and I can't remember a mayor I've ever liked. It was just a nice feeling to hear Fletch rebuff Desmond, especially on his COVID nonsense (see quotes below). 

After that, I watched the Department of Justice/FBI briefing, went back to the Supes meeting, then caught a little bit of a UK briefing, which I took a quick note on just because their enforcement is so.much.better. than ours, already issuing 45,000 "fixed penalty notices" to non compliant people and businesses. I know part of the reason enforcement sucks so bad here is because our courts have been all over the place from lawsuit to lawsuit and the jurisdictions have to protect their asses but it is really frustrating to see pics of Gaslamp or Little Italy or Carlsbad night after night just raging on.

After all that, we sat outside for 'orange ball in the sky' time, then there's my afternoon news block and now I'm ready to call it a day. I'm obsessed, I know, but it keeps me busy and makes me feel useful. 

I posted more information on the Safari Park gorillas, notices and news from the FDA, CDC, WHO, DOJ, EDD, and even snuck in some music news including the clip of Al Howard on the Kelly Clarkson show. 

I hope everyone is having a good week so far, enjoying the weather in the best and safest way you can, and I guess we'll see where this impeachment goes tomorrow. 

CoViD-19: San Diego Zoo Safari Park Gorilla Troop Test Positive for Coronavirus | Capitol Insurrection Timelines Crystallize | LA Warns of 10 Diagnosed Cases Per Minute |

San Diego Zoo Safari Park Gorilla (Taken 7.18.2020)

I was so sad this morning to hear that at least two gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have tested positive for Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Humans are having a hard enough time dealing with the related symptoms, I can't imagine how hard it is to see animals suffering or care for them when they aren't able to communicate the way we are. They didn't identify which gorillas, so forgive the photo, it doesn't necessarily mean this is one of the sick. 

As for me, it was a day. A Monday that definitely felt like a Monday. Lots of news, didn't get my usual outside time, didn't sleep super great. There's a lot of reading to get through and I need to sort out my EDD which a couple weeks ago told me I needed to verify my identity and now is telling me that I need to reopen my claim. I know I'm not the only one getting this message who doesn't think they were supposed to, so I'm going to try to be patient and not freak out. Darren got his notification of extensions today, so I'm hoping I just have to wait it out. Anyway, that's my super exciting fun life today. I'll try to make it more interesting tomorrow. At least this week we've got Fanboy as a distraction. 

CoViD-19: SD Has 31 Staffed ICU Beds Available | This Is America | More Details Trickling In From Capitol Insurrection |

Black Footed Cat at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (taken 3.20.2020)

My days have pretty much consisted of a whole lot of reading, couching, sleeping, sitting outside at sunset, watching news clips on YouTube, and running interference between Ficus and Strawberry, and Strawberry and Kiwi. Tonight we took the dog for a walk through the neighborhood, but we are really doing our best to limit our interactions with the world, so I'm sorry I don't really have anything exciting to report. Besides hanging out in the speakeasy last night, things are pretty chill around here. COVID-19 is really no joke. There are only 31 staffed ICU beds available in our entire county and the stories of people dying are heartbreaking. I can't get the imagery out of my head of a nurse who said her whole ward is COVID patients who all look like they're drowning because they can't breathe. That's why it continues to be so infuriating to see businesses flouting the rules and fighting closures. We have to get these numbers down. Stay safe out there. Tomorrow should be more insanity as Congress attempts to move forward with impeachment. Can't hardly wait.  

CoViD-19: Restriction Adherence Depends On Support | Variants Spreading Exponentially Could Hinder Recoveries | Global Vax Underway |

Somali Wild Ass (Taken 1.20.2020 at San Diego Zoo Safari Park)

This is gonna be another long one because there's just so much to take in right now. I try to keep up with non-news entertainment, I'm almost done with reading Becoming and Nova and I are heavily sucked into a Netflix series at the moment, but I also make sure that I don't post any articles here that I don't read (though admittedly I often only read the summary or abstract of the scientific papers,) so I had some catching up to do. But it's also the weekend and I owe Darren some music time in the speakeasy, so I'm gonna cut out for the night. I've included some well written and strong opinion links as well as some more newsy articles and continued fallout from Wednesday's insurrection at the Capitol. And there's some stuff about Oceano Dunes if you've been following along with the controversy there. But if congress gets to take the weekend off, so too shall I. Be safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Cases Rising In Children While Push/Pushback For School Reopenings Spikes | Governor Newsom Budget Asks For Emergency Legislative Action For Relief | Protests Spill To San Diego | ANWR Protected, For Now |

Today is International Eagle Day (Taken 10.20.2020 at San Diego Zoo)

I told you yesterday that I had so much to share, so all of this post was mostly put together last night and I'll do another one today with the rest of the reading and today's COVID-19 data. 

There's so much happening in these chaotic final days of this administration. While we're all focused on the Capitol attempted coup, there are still things slipping through and that still deserve attention. The other day, I was watching a NatHub, and the presenter recommended a film by Patagonia called Public Trust about how the exiting administration did everything in their power to sell off and privatize public lands. It mainly focused on Bears Ears National Park and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I've embedded the full movie at the end of this post because everyone should see it. (It was released in September 2020, but sometimes I, too, miss these kinds of things.) It was funny that is was the same day that a person in my extended family was posting about how horrible the next administration is going to be for the country, and it made me want to scream. We can only hope some of the damage is reversible. All this because on the same day of the insurrection, the US Government covertly auctioned off energy leases in ANWR. The energy giants didn't bite, probably because they know they will be in litigation and don't want the bad press while they're casually raising gas prices (my gas station went up 6 cents/gallon overnight, up 25 cents in the past month. 

I also kinda watched some stuff about the California budget, so those notes and links are below, and there's a lot of push and pushback on school reopenings, while there's still some fantasy that kids will get back to school this school year. As it stands, CA schools may not reopen until cases are under 28/100k residents. San Diego sits at 53.4 cases per 100k. Additionally, research out of the UK on the B.1.1.7. variant is not looking good, suggesting that it is 43% more transmissible amongst children (0-9), while the Pfizer vaccine is only recommended for people 16+. And let's not forget that locally, we have barely tested kids at all since March, only picking it up in the more recent months when reopenings were on the table and cases were still under 10 per 100k, so the "kids don't get it" theory just doesn't hold a lot of water. Anyway, I'm fired up today but we loaded up on produce so despite my Santa Ana allergies kicking up into high gear, I feel really good and clean from loading up on fruits and salads. Stay safe out there. I'll be back later with all of today's data and reading.

COVID-19: 4,550 - County Breaks Daily Case Record, Again. Only 44 Available ICU Beds | Capitol Reports Poor Security Due To "Bad Optics" | Learning From History |

North Park Water Tower From Our Balcony (Taken 1.7.2021)

Today I read on social media that a local brewery has now reopened under the pretense of 'peaceful protest' and they've declared themselves essential. It's so infuriating. I'm trying not to rage-watch the news and socials and emails, but it makes me insane when people are just blatantly and willfully ignoring that the country is now hovering around 4,000 daily deaths and a couple dozen are dying every day right here in San Diego. I don't want to see compliance teams "educating" anymore. I want shutdowns, fines, losing of licenses, and pulling of permits. I'm sick of being home. This pandemic wasn't supposed to get this bad. But this patchwork of compliance and enforcement and regional lockdowns while some regions still aren't even doing the bare minimum of mask mandates is just not going to fucking cut it while we're waiting for vaccinations and 1 in 5 tests is coming back positive and the state is ordering backup storage freezers for all of the dead corpses that were someone's mom or dad, brother or sister, son or daughter. I have no problem reporting businesses and I have completely lost sympathy if they lose their licenses and permits. We really don't need businesses in our community that flout the rules that are meant to keep customers and the community safe. I've included the text of a notice that went out to restaurant operators from the Dept. of Environmental Health Food and Housing Division.

We've been doing our best to stay home. We needed some groceries today, so me and Darren went to Grocery Outlet and loaded up on stuff, but it's funny to think we're shopping at 8:30pm on a Friday night and that is us living on the edge. But when all is said and done, we still forgot the damn eggs. I hate when that happens. 

It was a long day, there's a ton of news, and I try to get through all of my inbox everyday but it's 11:20pm and still have 74 to go, so I'll have some delayed news and stuff worth sharing on Saturday. (To continue our raging Friday, we're watching Scott Lewis from Voice of San Diego's Friday Five.) Be safe out there. I'll just be here being a keyboard warrior.

January 14: Fanboy Premieres at South Bay Drive In

 

FANBOY at South Bay Drive-In
Thursday, January 14
6:15 pm showings - SOLD OUT
8:20 pm showings - BUY TICKETS HERE

South Bay Drive-In
(2170 Coronado Ave. San Diego, CA 92154)

CoViD-19: US Records Record 4,033 Deaths | Congress Confirms Biden Will Be President | Fallout of Insurrection On The Capitol | Self-Quarantine 101 | Variant & Asymptomatic Spread Prevalent |

As if the current president isn't bad enough, he hates birds, too. (
A La Jolla Cormorant Taken 3.9.2020)

After seeing all the madness on Wednesday, it's easy to forget we're in the middle of a pandemic. Every day around 3 or 4, we try to sit in the backyard for Darren's "orange ball in the sky" time. (He calls blue purple, yellow is orange, and pink is red...as he says, "who's to say?") So we're sitting in the backyard and the streets are busy like any 'before times' day, people are walking up and down the sidewalk, cars fill the gas station as gas prices creep up daily. 

Meanwhile, I live near a busy intersection. Ambulances and fire trucks blaze by multiple times all day long, the police chopper flies overhead every night, last night as female cop yelled into her speaker for a car to pull over in a low-speed pursuit on El Cajon Blvd., I could hear the woman, nearly as loud with no amplification, screaming back, "why don't you just stop fucking following me?!" She did pull over eventually. Guessing that was a DUI, multiple cruisers showed up but it seemed under control as backup quickly got called elsewhere. 

The world seems so crazy right now, but also on the brink of some sort of newness. I really don't want to hear more 'reach across the aisle' bullshit, I want the new administration and the congressional and senate majorities to come in with a vengeance...reversing policies they can, pushing a progressive agenda, ending or rewriting the rules of the filibuster, approving judges, and launching investigations into the post office, the EPA, the FDA, the CDC, ICE and all the other damage done by this administration that made the world a darker place over the course of the last 4 years (and let's face it, since McConnell has been majority leader and kept Obama's hands tied for 8 years.) I'd say I want them to come out guns blazing, but I hope to see a major shift with sensible gun policies, too. I know that I'm in a fantasyland, but for right now, I'm okay with that. Wednesday was bonkers. No reason why we can't be bonkers in our own way, too. I really overdid it with links today, but history was made this week and there were a lot of hot takes and news worth posting. Oh yeah, and we're still setting COVID death and case records.  

CoViD-19 Spirals Out of Control | Democracy Will Prevail In Spite Of Rioting Fuckwits | Senators (So Far) Standdown On Objections | Twitter Locks 45 |

San Diego River Cleanup (Taken 1.11.2019)

I finally fell asleep at 5am this morning, feeling so hopeful after it was clear that Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff were winning the Georgia senate seats, splitting the Senate with a VP Kamala Harris 'deciding vote' for ties. Now we're glued to the TV watching mobs of insurrectionists raiding the Capitol and all I can think is that maybe now is when we can take all these fuckwits' guns for real. We've been bouncing between CNN, PBS Newshour, YouTube livestreams, watching Biden speak, the Mayor of DC's remarks, and watching my twitter feeds on Tweetdeck, and it is all so gross. We knew he wouldn't go out quietly, but the 70million fucking idiots who voted for him are still among us, and while it's true that these seditionist don't represent all of those voters, they sent the message that they're cool with whatever this fucking treasonist psychopath does. 
 

Today is what is known as Epiphany. I was raised in the Catholic church and quit when I was in elementary school after I was kicked out of CCD for asking too many questions, but some traditions are hard to quit, so I always keep the tree up until the 6th, so it will be coming down today, when the Pope encourages the world ‘to lift up our eyes,’ ‘to set out on a journey,’ and ‘to see.’ The irony is not lost on me. 

Like so many today, I'm heartbroken watching things unfold in D.C., though definitely not surprised. There is so much breaking news: the Capitol was stormed by Stop The Steal rioters; there was an armed standoff; police were nowhere to be found because of mixed jurisdiction (presumably Trump's justice department instructed them to stand down}; a woman was shot and killed inside the Capitol after it was raided by insurrectionists; Melania Trump's Chief of Staff just resigned; Twitter has locked the president's account for tweets inciting violence; Zuck issued an email that they're removing Trump's posts; Congress is still planning on proceeding with the electoral college count and certification process. There's a lot of media noise, but I'd recommend watching Heather Cox Richardson's Facebook watch post from today.  I'm sure I'll knock out another post before the night is through as I've barely been able to open a third of my email today with it coming in so fast, but right now all I can say is that I hope that in the next 24 hours, the president resigns or has been forcibly removed from office. This cannot go on. 

CoViD-19: San Diego Reaches 53.4 Cases Per 100k; Reports 32 B.1.1.7. Patients | New Dem-Majority Board Will Rescind All "Nonsense" | Dems Projected To Take GA Seats | |

Hummingbird Pollinator of Africa Rocks at San Diego Zoo (Taken 10.20.2019)

It was really hard to leave the house today. I had a headache from my indulgent wine consumption on Monday and I wear pajamas like they're a uniform, but I felt like we had to do a Costco run before Wednesday and the bonkers election certification that's going to go down, plus potential madness from the Georgia senate runoffs (which at the moment appear to be going to the democrats.) It almost feels like I can breathe again. But not before all the crazy shit goes down first. Somehow I'm on Roger Stone's email list (which goes straight to spam) but this time I read it and DC could be insane tomorrow and who knows if that will fan out across the country. So anyway, we've got ourselves some rations to get us through till inauguration day if necessary and that also explains why this post is going out so late tonight. I recently realized I could have the CNN streaming on our Roku so I've been obsessed with these election results, but there's a ton of other news today, too, so check it all after the jump.

CoViD-19: California Enlists O2 Strategy To Aid Overwhelmed Hospitals | Georgia Official Sterling Shuts Down Election Lies With Legendary ASL Interpreter | LA: If CPR Doesn't Save You In 10, You're Dead |

I miss the sea lions during pupping season. (Taken 1.27.2020)

I don't have press credentials and I've never tried to get them and I don't think I'd get them if I applied, but sometimes the media briefings are so infuriating. The media people seem to coattail each other, asking the same questions about the same things, even when the answer is already promised for some future announcement, like the California governor promising vaccine distribution updates coming out on Wednesday and his new promised budget on Friday. I want to know how the state scientific advisory group will handle vaccines if the FDA gives approval for half doses or mix and matching like the UK is doing. I want to know why the tests that can detect the S dropout aren't used on every COVID test. I want to know if the new science from the UK about the variant is concern enough to change the recently rolled out plans for safe reopening of schools. I want to know how he thinks things will look when the new administration comes in. 

Anyway, Mondays are always full on news junkie days for me. I watched Governor Newsom's briefing, then watched the Georgia election briefing, then NewsHour, and NBC local and national news, so there are lots of notes today. But you have to do yourself a favor and watch the Georgia briefing. I hope it isn't making fun of hearing impaired by saying that the ASL translator IS AMAZING. His expressions, his whole body usage, and at times what seems like mockery and incredulity is so, so good. You can see some of his highlights starting here. 

We officially made it a full quarantine, too. We hadn't left the house since Christmas, but Darren had to break to do our laundry today, but as I said, we were all negative tested as of 1/1. I plan on doing some shopping, but it was so cozy in the house today, I figured I could wait it out a couple more days, though I also kinda feel we should bunker up in case there's like crazy rioting on Wednesday. So maybe Tuesday is the day to do it. Before they start calling Georgia. I have certainly become quite the doomsday prepper and need to make sure the speakeasy is fully stocked through inauguration. Be good out there. 

CoViD-19: Sunday Media Madness | UK SAGE Report: Kids Causing Spread | Leave Bean Dad Alone |

Fi Enjoying The Sunshine (Taken 1.2.2021)

It's another low-key day around the house. I'm especially glad that we all got tested and were negative (Darren's result came back today) because Nova's slight fever is still hanging around though she says she feels totally fine. And to be clear, she's only been about one degree hot, but enough that the little no-touch thermometer gives us a warning beep. According to WebMD, 100.4 or more is considered a fever. Although I still feel like a mean mom because they tried to ask if we can go visit with family since we all tested negative. I know they know that My sister's family's tests were now over two weeks ago, so we don't all have some imaginary free pass now, and until Nova is normal, we're not going anywhere. 

It also appears our new neighbors are in the process of moving in. I can't imagine 3 adults living in that space, but I guess they're going to try to make it work. Darren met one of them briefly yesterday, but we don't know their story or how they're connected, just that so far they've been very quiet. 

Other than that, we're watching football, following the convict-in-chief story about the Georgia election tapes, and the story of "Bean Dad" who is John Roderick, singer of the amazing Seattle band, The Long Winters, and a former Seattle City Council candidate who is getting characterized on Twitter for being an abusive, misogynist, horrible father because he dared make his 9-year-old daughter figure out how to use a can opener. We've been teaching Nova how to feed herself for years, with many stumbles and fails along the way, and now know she can reliably feed herself. But of course the concern trolls have to inject themselves into the story and make it about their own abuse and shitty relationships with food and somehow accuse John of being a terrible person unworthy of meeting his potential future grandchildren. The internet is just full of stupid today. (more after the jump)

2021 CoViD-19: US Surpasses 20 Million Cases | Funeral Homes Out of Space | Torrey Pines Bluff Collapse On Video |

Kitty loves the tree (taken 12.31.2020)

Tonight on the news, Dr Anish Majadan from LA being interviewed said, "the risk that you take will kill someone else in your community," but apparently that message doesn't matter when you see people out just living their lives like normal. We hadn't left our house since Christmas but Nova had a low-level fever all week and then complained about 'itchy toes' and I kinda freaked out and frantically read everything I could about COVID-toes and so we finally went in for tests yesterday. Nova and I both tested negative and it was nice we got our result less than 24 hours later, but it's also kinda traumatizing that Darren didn't get his back yet. We figure his will come back on Sunday, but it's nice to feel we're in the clear--until we go back into the world and risk exposures. We got grocery delivery today and I kinda hate the thought of making someone go do my shopping so it will be nice to hit Costco again sometime soon. I also took advantage of an Uber Eats promo for $30 off and to use up $25 I had in my Uber wallet and we got a deep dish, calzone, and salad from DiMille's. I also hate the thought of making someone pick up my food and the cut Uber takes from the restaurant, but we were feeling in an isolation rut until the tests came back and wanted to use up my money instead of letting Uber have it. 

We're watching The Midnight Sky on Netflix tonight, so I'm gonna cut out and get to it.

2021 Begins: CoViD-19: UK Releases Preprint on B.1.1.7. Variant | 585 Reported Deaths in CA; 58 In San Diego | County Reports Record 4,478 Cases |

Fiesta Island Dog Park in the Before Times (Taken 1.11.2020)

We had a quiet New Year's Eve at home. Earlier in the day, my friend Angie dropped by a bottle of mezcal for my help with the virtual North Park Festival of Arts, and later in the evening Jeff came by so we could share a bottle of bubbly distanced in the backyard, but other than that, we watched Death To 2020 on Netflix, and as the night went on we jumped around on East Coast feeds of NYE programming, watched Schizophonics on the Casbah's Twitch, and then went outside to see all of our idiot neighbors shooting off fireworks and freaking out the dog. And being who we are, we watched news clips and then closed the night with the ultra-fascinating programming of NatHab and everything you ever wanted to know about North American moose. Low-key good times. 

But then while doomscrolling before I went to sleep, I found a thread about the COVID UK Varian and it freaked me out and I had awful, terrible, no good dreams and I couldn't shake off the horrible feelings left from the dreams. So, of course, here I am to purge the feelings,  share the bad news, because that's what I do. California reported a record 585 deaths in the last 24 hours, with San Diego reporting 58 on top of yesterday's 62. The thread that freaked me out was about the Imperial report released on the "UK Variant" so I'm still trying to wrap my non-science brain around what it all means, considering we now know it is considered widespread in San Diego based on the four unconnected cases sequenced here. 

We tried to distract and ended up watching Kamau Bell on the CNN Roku app and that's depressing, and then we went outside to sit in the sun for awhile and Nova told us that her toes were bothering her which raised alarm bells. Combined with her low-grade fever this week and her barfing the other day, I completely freaked out and insisted we go get tested. The experience is not a big deal, but it felt like we were in closer proximity with strangers for longer than we've been with anyone in a month, but all in all it took about an hour and now I guess we'll know when we know. I'm calmer now and not freaking out, but I'm gonna have to suck it up and pay the extra for grocery delivery because we can't really wait until test results come in before reloading on groceries. Doing the right thing is definitely not ever the easy thing. Happy New Year anyway. 
Today's reading and data after the jump.