CoViD-19: Hygiene Theater | San Diego R-eff at 0.99 While Approaching 65% of 12+ Fully Vaccinated |

Casbah: Home Sweet Home (Taken 5.8.21)

Let's talk about hygiene theatre, shall we? In the early days of the pandemic we kinda did some recommended things and flat-out skipped others. I've always run hot, but it was also an excuse to be psychotic about windows open, fans on, ventilating spaces as best as possible or running the air so there's some chance of filtration. 

When packages would come or we'd shop, sometimes we'd leave them in the studio for 2-3 days when we could, but we never got down with wiping groceries. We were always pump soap people but became bar soap people for all the hand-washing we were doing. I've always carried some variation of baby-wipes or sanitizer, so there was nothing really new there except having to buy more when it was hard to find, but there was definitely some stockpiling of masks- disposable ones and we even had a separate mini-laundry basket for putting our cotton reusable ones each day after we used them.   

But there were some things...still are some things that are a bit ridiculous. When I saw restaurants spending hundreds or thousands on plexi partitions when the science was already suggesting airborne transmission, it was definitely facepalm for me, even if it was being suggested or required by different entities. We just continued to avoid indoor spaces as best we could. When restaurants built elaborate tents that were enclosed on all sides, well, I think they completely missed the point. 

But now Nova is in a music ensemble class for three weeks through the Level Up program. Everyone in the program is 14-18, so theoretically they could've just mandated all of them get vaccinated, but I understand it is a little premature for that. SDUSD hopefully spent all that CARES money on HEPA or MERV 13 air systems but it looks like they also got suckered into buying partitions. They could've bought some serious shade structures and durable seating for classes to be outside. Nah. Our poor kid now has three weeks of playing flute WITH A MASK ON. It would be maddening if it wasn't so hilarious and pointless and if Nova hadn't just spent the last 15 months we me being a COVID-crazy person. She'll get through it and I'll get over it but it still totally made me laugh. 

Today I had a busy day. I am officially rehired at the Casbah. I'm trying to learn a brand new ticketing system. I had lunch at Bali Hai...my first time eating out besides the Casbah for taco nights. I visited Miggs at Fathom Bistro which just reopened this week. And then I went to Sea World alone since I was in the area and because Darren and Nova went to the waterslides at Aquatica after her ensemble class. I'll definitely get another post in tonight when I catch up with all the news. 

Stay safe out there. 

San Diego Music: Things To Do In San Diego: Tuesday, June 22-Monday, June 28, 2021

Balboa Park at Night (Taken 4.5.21)

I'm not exactly back in the routine of doing weekly listings. I'm happy to see a lot of venues are still holding off on live events, but it's also nice to see places that have the outdoor space using it for music. In fact, there are a ton of those little spots that would probably just explode these listings, so if you know'em, by all means enjoy'em. 

If you are a person who decides to go to shows or bars or any place with tight quarters, it is an act of decency to get vaccinated or at the very least, tested before you're out there superspreading some variant or whatever. Both are still free and super easy to get on a walk-in basis with no appointment necessary, and they keep dropping more and more incentives for vaccinations. Come July, I don't think it's gonna be as easy, so don't miss your chance while access is so simple. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Digital Vax Record | Young Need To Vax Up | US Land Borders Remain Closed For Non-Essential Travel | Mayor Signs San Diego Budget | Tortilla Terrorists | More Catholic Hypocrisy |

  

Today is World Giraffe Day (Taken at San Diego Zoo Safari Park 5.31.21)

I'm gonna keep it short today because we went to the San Diego Zoo earlier and the night has slipped away from me, and I'm trying to get listings done, too. I have a thing tomorrow so I can't be up all night per usual. 

Today Nova started a music ensemble camp through SDUSD's Level Up Program. I know a lot of people were having problems getting their kids registered, but I would recommend exploring the site and "expressing interest" in classes you want because I think a lot of people signed up for multiple classes that happen at the same time just to make sure they got into anything, and I think as this week shakes out, there could be openings, even if your kid didn't get to start on the first day. Just this morning I was able to sign up for Wildlife Conservation Camp at the Zoo which normally cost a few hundred bucks, so I'm really stoked about that. Hopefully when the time comes, Nova will share my enthusiasm. If not, we could just show up at the Zoo and embarrass her. 

Today's news includes the Tortilla Incident at Coronado High (I hope CIF nails down a DQ and Orange Glen gets to take the W, to be honest,) Catholic Church hypocrisy, and more stuff about the Delta Variant and how it is young people now driving infection, spread, hospitalizations, and deaths, at least in the UK, and many expect the US to follow suit. If you're in that 12-25 year old age group and haven't been vaccinated, GET YOUR DAMN SHOTS already. Us olds want to go to shows and we want to know that we're safe and protected and not gonna get some variant from some dumb kid who thought he was too healthy to get the shot. I know people are afraid of side effects but honestly the biggest side effect I've heard from anyone and felt myself was just being tired. Set aside a day where you can be really hydrated and sleep soundly for 14 hours and you'll be fine. I'll watch your kids for you or whatever you need to make it happen. I assure you, the side effects from COVID are waaaaay worse than anything that will happen with the vaccines. 

Stay safe out there. 

Father's Day 2021| COVID-19: Delta Variant Sweeps UK | Hiker Dies in Palm Canyon | San Diego Vaccines At Mickey D's | Sea Lion Rookery To Remain Open |

  

Happy Father's Day!! (Taken 4.16.21)

For Father's Day, we all went to my parents' house. I had heard about a BBQ package at Valley Farm in Spring Valley and it seemed like a great idea, so we ordered a few weeks back. I was a little nervous because we didn't really get any kind of confirmation until we got a reminder text yesterday. It included a whole rotisserie chicken, pulled pork, pork ribs, brisket, cole slaw, beans, mac n cheese, potato salad, and King's Hawaiian bread. 

For $100, it was a great deal, though if I were to reorder in the future, I would've doubled the mac n cheese and potato salad. But we were all happy in our meat-sweats and full bellies. It didn't even occur to me to take pictures of the food or my family, so instead you get this one from my sister's birthday a couple months ago. 

I also spent the day catching up with news and email so some of the news and links are from the past several days but still interesting, like the fact that the City of San Diego is not going to take up closing the sea lion rookery in La Jolla. I love the sea lions and I hate the people who get too close and feel the need for selfies and endanger the animals, but I also hate the way the Sierra Club decided to put themselves in charge and demand closure because you attach the word "attraction" to anything and you're talking about limited access and charging. First thing they could start with is new, clear signs around the area instead of the old, broken, missing, or faded ones that exist at the moment. Rangers and lifeguards could do a better job patrolling the area. Closing it off wouldn't be necessary if they did. 

Anyway, it's gonna be another busy week. I'll take another stab at listings this week, so reach out to me if you've got anything coming up. 

Stay safe out there. 

Papapalooza | CoViD-19 Updates | Get A Digital Vaccine Record|

  

Kristian with Ziggy, Ozzy, and Jonzi at Balboa Park (Taken 6.19.21)

I'll be spending Father's Day with my dad and the family on Sunday, but today we celebrated Papapalooza at Balboa Park with a gaggle of friends and kids and you wouldn't have known a pandemic was still blasting across the world because everyone was talking and laughing and being close and loving a beautiful day in San Diego. While I didn't specifically ask anyone, I know the vast majority of us got vaccinated as soon as we were eligible, which hopefully means we're carrying some sort of immunity for the kids who cannot yet be. Still, we were all outside and it was a beautiful day. 

I feel like I should say something profound about Juneteenth, but after the barrage of emails I got today about the day, I'm just glad it is being recognized, I'm honestly shocked it passed Congress, but we have a long way to go beyond tokening a day for all the systemic problems that are finally being recognized in our history as things to acknowledge, to work through, and figure out the remedies moving forward that would bring more equity into our society. Least of all things, those of us able and capable need to put pressure on our electeds and vote en masse every election and not just the big ones and support the long-shot candidates that represent our values. 

But honestly, today for me was more about Father's Day. I'll honor my dad who was always an amazing dad who worked and provided for us, took us on trips and vacations that are cemented in happy days of youth. But he'll get the love tomorrow. 

Today, at Papapalooza, I got a little bit misty about so many friends who are dads now. Who grew up with mean dads or shitty dads or abusive dads or absent dads who decided the cycle would not continue on with them. So maybe they're married dads or divorced dads or never had kids of their own but love their wife's children as step-dads, it is so beautiful to see this real generational shift in what dadhood or daddiness means. I'm so proud of the men in my orbit who have stepped up to be amazing dads in all forms, even if some of them didn't have the role models to get them there. 

Also, thanks to my sister for taking Nova for a sleepover. We've got a full Luigi's pizza and a fridge full of beer to get us through the night with the new kittens all to ourselves. We'll probably be asleep by midnight. 

Happy Papapalooza, Happy Juneteenth, and today I'm just gonna stick to the data where it's available. 

Stay safe out there. 

Nova's Promotion Day | CoViD-19: More Delta In The UK |

  

Today was Nova's 8th grade promotion, so I was up early to watch her awards ceremony online. She got awards in math and band, perfect attendance, highest honor roll, and the President's Award for maintaining straight As or better throughout her three years of middle school. I'd be happy to take any credit, but especially this year, she was a self-starter and handled her online schooling pretty much entirely on her own, so she gets all the credit here. 

The actual promotion ceremony wasn't until the afternoon and it was long and hot nd the lighting was harsh for photos, but somehow our designated seats were in the only shady part of the entire school lot so I guess lucky us. 

After the promotion, nobody was allowed to hang around or take pictures, so instead we went to our friends' house in La Mesa. Nova has been in school with their daughter since kindergarten and though they're going to different high schools, there one of the few families we really connected with so we hope to keep in touch. I think it was the first time in any house that wasn't our own or my parents', so everyone being fully vaccinated makes a huge difference for sure. 

I was gonna try and blast through any email or news for today, but I think I'm just gonna skip it. I'll get around to it when I get around to it. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Delta Takes Hold In UK | Cal/OSHA Drops Masks For Vaxxed | Juneteenth Becomes Holiday | Report: SDPD As Bad As You Thought | Smitten With Kittens | EDD Certification Rules Changing | Flex Alert |

Strawberry/Tikka/Monster isn't the baby anymore (Photo from Sep 2020)

Today we went to San Diego Humane Society to participate in the "Become Smitten With A Kitten" event, which is encouraging kitten adoptions with a promotion to get one for just a $25 adoption fee and a second kitten for just $5. We have been promising Nova a new cat but were seeing how Kiwi is doing, but she's still with us and it seemed cruel to attach such an incentive with the demise of my old lady. And as they say, the price was right. 

But it wasn't entirely smooth. We got there around 4 and were told they were so busy, they probably wouldn't be able to accommodate an adoption for us. The COVID restrictions still in place make adoptions contactless, and also mostly by peeking through glass. I got super frustrated and emotional and had to take a breath outside. 

Once I collected myself, as I reentered the lobby a kind woman name Audrey asked if she could help me and I told her we were there to see kittens and as she asked questions, I told her, "the kitten we want is any one we can take home today," to which she responded that she would guarantee that would happen. We met up with Nova and Darren and were let into the kitten room and THERE ARE SO MANY KITTENS! When they said they have 180, the number is just a number, but when you go in and see the few dozen kittens for adoption and know that as soon as you adopt, their spot will be filled with the other kittens waiting in the separate not-public kitten care center across the street. Spay and neuter your pets, people!!

We quickly became smitten with black short hair siblings, a boy and a girl, so we proceeded to do the paperwork and made the adoption. Naturally you're wondering where are the photos??  but the reality is that one of them just recovered from a respiratory infection and the treatment just ended yesterday, so we're keeping them isolated in Nova's room before we can slowly introduce them to the rest of the house. I try to keep the kid's room private, so thus, no photos. I assure you they're super cute but look like every black kitten you've ever seen. They came with the names Bishop and Rook but we're currently in debate about changing them. Nova likes chess and wants to keep the names, I stand firm against someone else having named my pets, so we'll see where we land. Right now we can't really even tell them apart and I've been working all night so didn't really get time with them yet. But I can tell you that I already love them, and you'll get pictures soon. 

Today was historic as Biden signed the bill to make Juneteenth a national holiday. EDD is changing their certification requirements effective July 11, a report on SDPD collected the data to confirm what we already knew: that cops pull over and use more force on people of color at astonishing rates, and Cal/OSHA aligned their mask guidance with the CDC, which the governor authorized immediately with an executive order, and the Flex Alert for electricity conservation has extended to Friday. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: CDC Long-Hauler Guidance | More On Delta Variant | Biden Meets Putin | Juneteenth Passes Congress | Newsom On Corden | Jacobs on Tooning Out The News | Photos: San Diego Zoo |

  

Shaba and Inhlonipho Have Developed A Sweet Bond (San Diego Zoo 6.16.21)

It was a pretty darn good day. I was super productive this morning, it wasn't nearly as hot as expected, and there are so many rad shows the Casbah will be announcing that I'm looking forward to going to shows again, albeit still with some trepidation. 

By afternoon, I dragged Darren to the San Diego Zoo with me for a couple hours, giving the kid some time and space alone before she went to night skate at San Diego Derby United. 

The zoo was almost like pre-pandemic times. The parking lot appeared full, even though we scored the very first spot at the best row by the bus loading zone. Some people were masked and others weren't, so we kept ours handy whenever anyone came in our orbits. A lot of the plastic barricades that gave extra distance from animals and hand railings are gone, and some plexiglass is gone- like on the maned wolf habitat and the extra-plexi on Skyfari- though some remained, like by the red-tailed and swamp monkeys in the Ituri forest. Skyfari is no longer skipping cars, and the buses are running again. In fact, the Kangaroo Bus (where you can jump on and off) wasn't even asking for people's memberships. The elevator is unmanned, but people were pretty cool about still not mixing families in cars, at least when we took it. 

Tourists are definitely back...it isn't often you see a man in wranglers and cowboy boots wandering around these parts...and I actually enjoyed hearing all the accents and foreign languages, albeit from a distance. People were genuinely ecstatic to be there. Well, except for the two or three kids who'd been there all day and were whining, "why can't we just go home already?!?" 

Besides all that, there's this really cute thing happening. A few months back, two young male elephants were relocated to the zoo. The three females are all older and this is their retirement village, but they brought in a 9 and 10 year old...one from Tucson and one from San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The boys seem to be getting along. We actually saw them engaging in some sexual activity a few weeks ago which is apparently normal in the absence of mating females. But twice this week we've gone and Shaba, the older African elephant female has totally taken a shine to Inhlonipho. They're separated by steel wire, but he adores her. She waits for him to eat and then when he's done he comes to her and they caress each other with their trunks, bump tusks, and hug as best that elephants separated by fencing and wire cables can. It's wholesome and beautiful and I could sit and watch them for hours. It definitely warms the heart. 

Which is maybe why I'm in such a good mood. Biden and Putin meeting were the main news, but the bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday passed congress, which means it just needs Biden's signature now. We've been trying to find the right time to get Nova a kitten, but were kinda seeing how things are going with 21 year old Kiwi, but she's still hanging on, so we have to just move on it, which was why I was so happy to see the "Smitten With A Kitten" promotion going on at the Humane Society (info below.) We didn't really know what to get her for her 8th grade promotion gift, so this will actually work out spectacularly if we can pull it off. And this afternoon we were catching up with our late night comedy snippets and caught Governor Newsom on The Late Late Show with James Corden and our local Congresswoman Sara Jacobs was on Tooning Out The News. 

People are laughing again.
People are smiling again. 
It's okay to still be cautious while also being hopeful and optimistic and happy again.
I'm warming up to it all.

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Nurses Urge Continued Mask Use | Parents Should "Model Good Behavior" | WHO Addresses Next Pandemic Steps | UC's Require Vax | Busy Biden at US-EU Summit | NIVA Issues Statement on CA Budget |

Today is World Sea Turtle Day (Taken at Sea World 6.13.21)

We ended up running out to Fiesta Island on Tuesday afternoon, but by the time we all got dressed and I finished what I was doing on this site and we loaded up the van and drove out, it was already about 7pm, with sunset to come at 7:58 and the monsoonal pressure and clouds rolling in, it wasn't really even hot anymore. Still, we laid out our mats and watched some water skiers, kept an eye out for flying fish, played with strangers' dogs and splashed in the water for awhile until by the time we got out we were actually cold and grateful that I got new cozy gigantic beach towels. 

I intended to do another post when I got home and I intended to hang out with Darren in the speakeasy, but my eyes just got so heavy and I think I was actually asleep by 10:30 or so, though I can't be sure. The result of that means I've been up since about 4:30am and the news just keeps rolling in. Darren always says, "if you keep watching it, they'll keep making it." 

It's a lot of the same...Biden is in Europe but has still been busy with ambassador and judge nominations, addressing domestic terrorism, while also negotiating world trade agreements and having his meeting with various world leaders, including today's with Putin, which had no deliverables or expectations so I think that's exactly what we got. But I'll wait for Biden's presser. 

In the meantime, this post is mostly just playing catch-up with yesterday...NIVA issued a statement on the California budget passing and kpbs talked about venues reopening. The UC system is going to require vaccines even if they don't get full FDA authorization which was really the only new part of their previous statement. The WHO had a briefing today and it was a public Q&A and I might put some of the video highlights in the next post. And the rest of the articles are just kinda rehashing what we keep talking about over and over, but the KHN article FINALLY addresses why if you have or are around kids, you should keep wearing your mask... “to protect them and to model good behavior." One other thing of note was that Reality Winner was quietly released this week, and I can't help but think it was timed perfectly before Biden met with Putin, who has aggressively been calling out US hypocrisy in advance of the meeting.  

I'm not sure what data will still be provided on a daily basis, but I'll include it in my post tonight. As I said, this was more like a part II from yesterday. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: California Lets The Tiers Fall | US Crosses 600,000 Deaths | Masks Drop | It Was Never About The Kids | Delta Variants Rise | Music Is Back | How To Travel |

Ficus at Fiesta Island Dog Beach (Taken 7.14.2020)

Several weeks ago when the CDC updated mask guidance for fully vaccinated individuals, a hospital or health system or health department put out a nifty little graphic and now it's driving me crazy because I was sure I saved it but for the life of me cannot find it. 

Basically it said at the top, "So you're fully vaccinated. Should you wear a mask?" and underneath it had different circumstances but the main one was "Do you have children ineligible for vaccines? YES, you should set an example as long as they must continue wearing masks, so should you." I wish I could find it because it was one of the few mentions I've even seen about kids in all this reading about vaccinations and reopenings and such. 

It goes to show it has never been about the kids... not the "open schools now" people, not the "let them breathe" people, and not the "but they need sports" people. If it was, it would have been an easy IFTTT situation...if we open, then everyone wears a mask... if we want fun things, then everyone has to follow the guidance...if we want schools open, then we have to be stricter in other sectors like dining and shopping. But we didn't, dragged the whole thing out 15 months, and kids are still gonna be wearing masks through at least the fall so we need to suck it up and be examples if we have children or are going to be around them. Do it for the kids.

As expected, today is a super busy news day, so I'll get a second post in tonight at some point, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share some of the messaging coming from our big attractions as things reopen. That Delta variant is also scary, but I'll get more on that later.  We're headed to the water. 

Stay safe out there. 

San Diego Music- Things To Do In San Diego: Tuesday, June 15-Monday, June 21, 2021

I didn't expect to get back to doing listings so soon, but here we are. I'd highly recommend looking up any event you're actually considering attending as venues are allowed to continue requiring masks, may require vaccination, or may require a negative COVID-19 test within a certain window before the event. My feeling is that most won't, but if you're not vaccinated you're still supposed to wear a mask. If it was my rules, I'd be checking vax cards with IDs, but that's because I'm a control freak and have read too much about the delta variant to be comfortable just yet. My venue page has been partially updated but some of the links are dead or broken, so I'll get around to fixing those as more venues ramp up. I'm no longer doing listings for NBC, so these aren't going to always have every little thing on them, but I know by fall, barring any major variant disasters, we'll be back to full on deep listings. I guess if I missed anything you can reach out on Facebook or whatever.

Be smart and stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: CA Expands Incentives; Moves Beyond The Blueprint | UK Pushes Back Opening | Keep An Eye On That Delta Variant | CDC Mask Guidance Reminder |

  

Is That A Panda? NO! It's An Aardvark's Knee! (Taken San Diego Zoo 6.15.21)

I was finishing up this post when I got a little pop-up from live video by this news chaser dude. He listens to police scanners, then goes to the scene to film and broadcasts live. I'm not sure if he even sells his footage to news channels, but not really my point. 

He was driving around North Park, just a couple blocks from me, and the cops were looking for a man with a rifle who'd been in an altercation at the 7-11 on Meade and 30th. I don't know if they gave up their search, but they didn't find him. They bust out the police chopper for all kinds of stuff but that didn't warrant a deeper search? 

I guess there really wasn't that much news that I didn't cover in the last post. I was going to watch Governor Newsom's press conference from the morning but it wasn't online, so instead you can just read the press releases where he is expanding the vaccine incentives to include California vacations, which include travel for 4 to specific destinations and $2,000 travel money. The news showed that there was a gathering of some of the people who've put their names on the ballot for the recall and showed stupid Jenner talking about the border crisis. This person who killed someone while driving doesn't vote, doesn't understand basic government, and thinks the state has any control over the international border. And yet the news just has to show her. Kevvie didn't even show up, he must've been so burnt by the Bloomberg article raving about California's economy. 

There has been a lot more talk about the Delta variant, which has now pushed back opening in the UK and is said to be doubling in the US every two weeks, so it will be interesting to see if vaccinations step up before those low-uptake states start seeing even more death or cases among children. Let's hope those of us who are vaccinated can repel it enough to prevent that. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: As California Reopens, I'm Not Ready | California Has Number 1 U.S. Economy & "Most Fun State" In America | Biden's Euro Tour Continues | Heat Advisory Continues |

The Malayan Tapir is Growing Out of Her Spots & Stripes (Taken 6.14.21)

Tonight Darren and I were walking around the San Diego Zoo, which is now open until 8pm, and I was trying to quell my anxiety. 

I'm. Not. Ready. 

June 15th is upon us and the state is moving "beyond the blueprint" with new mask guidance that aligns with the CDC, and I'm just not ready for it. Or I should say, I'm totally ready for it if my fellow humans had proven over the past year to have any kind of sense of responsibility to their fellow humans. 

I know so many people and businesses who followed every rule or guidance very strictly, so obviously those are not the people I'm worried about. It's the other ones. The "this doesn't make sense" ones. The "this is bullshit" ones. The obviously racist ones who saw COVID-19 disproportionately affecting people of color and the economically poor and thought it couldn't touch them. The "it's just a flu" people. The "99.9% of people survive" people. All of them. I hate all of them. And they're the first to drop the masks (if they even ever wore them in the first place) and they're the least likely to be the ones getting vaccinated. 

And the news doesn't help at all. We're not going back to pre-pandemic normal. That would be in ALL circumstances. The county uses the number 3,347,827 as our entire population. The 12 years and older San Diego County population is 2,802,581. The fully vaccinated population right now is 1,749,978. That means that the not-fully vaccinated is 1,597,849, of which 545,246 are children under 12 who cannot yet get vaccinated. This doesn't even account for tourists and visitors...are we to assume they're vaxxed?

Whereas during peak pandemic, the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park felt like the safest places for me to be-- mandatory health screening, universal mask wearing, outdoors, people social distanced-- now it actually feels not safe at all...as parents drop masks, so too do their snot-nosed, coughing, screaming, laughing, grubby handed children. And don't get me started on Sea World. Yes, they're both outdoors, but I truly hope that they keep some of the mitigation strategies as before, though I'll be glad to see the 'hygiene theatre' dropped, like the every-other Skyfari gondola and the overflow screening line that took up three rows of parking. 

I want to trust you, my fellow human, but I just don't know if I can. 

Tonight is going to be a two post night. Stay safe out there. 

COVID-19: US Single-Day Deaths Drop Below 175 | Masks For Unvaxxed: That Means Your Children | Biden Busy Abroad | High Costs Of Everything |

  

Two-Toed Sloth at Sea World (Taken 6.13.21)

We went back to Sea World tonight so today we caught the dolphin and pilot whale show and then Nova went to ride Electric Eel while I visited the turtles and then Darren met back up with me to see the Sea Lion show (with the otter notably absent?) It was just a couple hours but it was nice to get out before the expected crazy weather. It is still really icky though. It's unbelievable how many people are at a place that at every turn is talking about conservation and saving our oceans yet throwing their trash wherever the hell they want. There are pretty much trash cans and recycle bins every 25 feet in the park yet people just leave their whole dinner's worth of trash on the ground, in the stadiums, or in the landscaping. 

I was reading an article earlier today about the drought and this summer in California could be quite terrifying. If you ever want to put yourself in a deep depression, watch any of the numerous documentaries about the West's water wars, how property owners sold their water rights to corporations and then were surprised when they had no water to use. It's going to be another frustrating year when we're asked to conserve or cut water in our home use, but see the well-watered golf courses or water used for fracking throughout the state. A friend lost her house in Scripps Ranch in the early 2000s and I'll never forget what it was like seeing our freeways shut down as that fire took over even in urban areas, jumping the 15 and 163 and the raining ash falling from the sky for days. 

But Sundays aren't for being depressed, so I'll just say we're looking forward to this week as restrictions lift throughout the state. I'll probably get in at least one San Diego Zoo trip, maybe some Fiesta Island swimming, and Nova graduates from 8th grade on Friday. Come to think of it, maybe I should have a cocktail or two to celebrate. Cheers!

Stay safe out there. 

CoVID-19: San Diego Reaches Goal Of 75% of 12+ Population Partially Vaccinated

  

Northern Sea Otter at Sea World Wild Arctic (Taken 6.11.21)

As planned, I did absolutely nothing today. I read in my backyard for awhile, caught up on some of my TV shows, and didn't really even open my laptop until late tonight, so I don't have much to talk about today. I will note that after having gone to Sea World yesterday, I want to be 100% clear that I hate their fireworks. When asked about it, Todd Gloria gave a 'both sides' argument about it, but basically said they're legal and permitted and that Sea World does mitigation and cleanup but I think it's pretty gross, especially considering the known noise sensitivity of the very animals under their care. My poor dog tucks her tail and hides next to our bed anytime she hears them and it is heartbreaking. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: San Diego Community Outbreaks Drop To Just 3 | Governor Plans To Rescind Pandemic EOs | Prepare For Heatwave |

Sea Turtle at Sea World (Taken 6.11.21)

We went to Sea World and it was fun and I'm gonna stop making myself feel bad about it. It is definitely far more theme park than Zoo, people are generally ruder and their kids louder and more spoiled and it all feels kinda icky, but it's also special to me. My 6th grade field trip was there with my first elementary school boyfriend. My high school's prom when I went as a date to a senior my junior year and as class president with one of my favorite people in the world in my senior year. 

It's sentimental to me in a lot of ways. Yes, very, very icky, but it's like shopping at Target, you just have to get tunnel vision and block everyone else out and do what you gotta do. Nova rode Electric Eel and Manta. I explored the Wild Arctic, the penguin encounter, the sharks, the turtles, saw the 2 toed sloths, watched the dolphins for awhile, and then got a face to face with an orca who just came over to me and we locked eyes for a solid 5-10 minutes.

I should note that their summer Electric Ocean promotion started, so they're open later, will have more frequent fireworks, and as summer proceeds, will have live music and shows and stuff. I thought the reservation and limited capacity would work in our favor, but in reality it just means the coaster lines are twice as long while they skip every other row of seats, so hopefully for Nova that eases on Tuesday. Beyond that, we'll be back, I'll drift into my own zones to see the animals, and just try to dodge the mommy militia and the multitudes of mobility scooters and just visit the place at my own pace without agenda. I promised today's data, after the jump. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Another San Diegan Wins $50K; Governor Promises Better Cal/OSHA Guidance | Brexit Threatens Brit Bands | Photos: San Diego Zoo |

  

Red River Hog and Her New Piglets (Taken 6.10.21)

I forgot to mention that as we were leaving the San Diego Zoo there was a band setting up on the small stage by the entrance and there was some sort of Name That Tune happening in the event pavilion. My blogger ears also overheard a woman who was leaving her shift talking to another woman about her schedule, so putting the two together, I would expect announcements soon for summer festivities-- Nighttime Zoo and Summer Safari-- at both parks. In the meantime, starting today, the San Diego Zoo is open until 8pm and starting July 2nd, will be open until 9pm. And starting June 18, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park will be open until 7pm. If I'm being honest, I wish they would maintain a reservation system forever but you already know I'm cranky and don't really like masses of people. 

That said, we're going to try to go to Sea World tonight, while it's still restricted and reservation only, so I'm gonna cut out. I'll do the regular data report later tonight when I get home. I have notes on the Governor's briefing and drawing today and there's still stuff to come from Cal/OSHA, OSHA at the Federal level, CDC, CDPH, and the State itself, so no point in really drawing out the mask thing until we know what we need to know for sure. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: More Transmissible Variants Create Vaccine Urgency | In Impassioned Speech, Governor Newsom Calls Out Activist Judge, Outlines AR-15 Appeal | FIDO Wins Fiesta Island Option B |

  

Nova and Ficus at Fiesta Island Dog Park (Taken 7.14.2020)

It was quite a newsy day, so if you only pay attention to one thing, it should be my Governor Newsom giving an impassioned speech about the State of California appealing the decision that came down last week where an activist judge said the state's 32 year ban on AR-15s was unconstitutional. I've embedded the video below and while the Governor is not perfect and has had some serious missteps, this is why I've been a fan since I first met him while he was campaigning for Lieutenant Governor and why I'll continue to fight the stupid recall. 

In other stuff, COVID-19 is still out there but *surprise* cases and hospitalizations and deaths continue to nosedive among vaccinated populations while cases and outbreaks are still high and dangerous among the unvaxxed. There was some attempt by Cal/OSHA to clarify last night's late repeal of changes to mask guidance, but it didn't actually clarify anything so all you need to know is that if you're vaccinated, you pretty much don't have to wear a mask as a patron of most businesses, but you still gotta mask up for pretty much all work regardless of vax status or what specifically you do for work. 

We went to the San Diego Zoo today and I was having massive baby fever with the babirusa piglets getting so big, the tapir baby was taking a nap, Amahle the hippo said hi in her way, the red river hog had some sweet little piggies, the swamp monkey baby is super quick and never sits still, and the takin baby is adventuring out on her own by climbing the rock walls of her enclosure. Maybe I'll share pics later but I'm' having a problem with my SD card formatting to write-protected that won't let me turn it off. It's very annoying and I can't figure it out. 

Besides all that, a really amazing thing happened today when the California Coastal Commission approved Option B for the Fiesta Island Dog Park!! This means they won't be building a road extension through it and they won't be building boat storage facilities on it. This is super great news and I can't wait to get in the water again, especially next week when we're supposed to have a record-breaking heat wave. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Cal/OSHA Says Workplaces Must Still Mandate Masks Beyond June 15 (For Now) | Cold War Kids Presale |

(Taken 9.13.2020)

I am no legal scholar, I'm not a politician, and I'm not super smart right now after a night in the Speakeasy, but I was checking my email on a thing (Cold War Kids are playing at Observatory North Park on September 24 and tickets go on presale from 10am-10pm on Thursday with either the password ENCORE or 91X) and I had this email from Cal/OSHA. I'm going to publish it as it was sent, with a couple bold types from me, because there's this crazy thing about the "confusion" between guidelines from the CDC, CDPH (California Dept. of Public Health) and Cal/OSHA, but to me it hasn't really ever been confusing at all: the CDC give guidance for individual people who want to interact with the world. OSHA's job is to concern themselves with the health and safety of workers in all sectors in a very general way. It seems obvious that if I walk into a taco shop, order my food, and wait for 10 or 20 minutes that my situation is far different from the line cook in the back who is preparing my food and everyone else's for 8, 10, or 12 hours on end, elbow to elbow with their coworkers and the airborne grossness of all the customers who walk in all day.

Anyway, I didn't watch this meeting but what I'm reading is that too many employers were saying it was too hard to mandate or pressure vaccinations, and the others were crying about having to get proof of vaccination from their workers, so Cal/OSHA just said, "Fuck it! If it's too hard, we'll make it easy. WORKERS need to continue to wear masks regardless of their vaccination status." The CDC guidelines, as I understand them, are for individuals making choices about how to navigate the world. They didn't address workers or industries or sectors, and California is saying that we're making it very clear. If you go shopping or to a bar or a restaurant or travel, your exposure is limited. If you are WORKING in those industries, you have far more chances of virus, wildly or breakthrough, and your companies can either be liable or give you the time you need off to get vaccinated. 

It's science but I kinda also think it is a little more stick than carrot and for the rest of us, I am totally okay for it. I guess final note: employers may continue mask regulations; most won't, but it's up to you if you even want any exposure, despite vax status. I don't want my underage unvaccinated nieces carrying a variant to my dad who got J&J and has no real other protection. NBC San Diego interviewed a man who was vaccinated and tested positive with an asymptomatic breakthrough, but is hoping his unvaxxed friend doesn't die after being intubated. Are these really choices? 

Anyway, I'm interested in the media response to the Cal/OSHA thing. It won't be pretty but I'm here for it. Full release after the jump. 

Stay safe out there. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: San Diego Moves To Yellow Tier | ProPublica Leaks Taxes of Uber-Rich | Biden Admin Is Anything But Boring, Ends Negotiations With Capito |

Sunset over South Bay Salt Works (Taken 6.8.21)

It feels like it was a crazy news day. The report on January 6th was in the news even though it wasn't able to address the former guy's role and couldn't call it an insurrection, Vice President Harris was in Mexico, Biden is traveling to Europe, ProPublica dropped a report on rich dude's and their income taxes. 

Then in the State, San Diego hit our second week of Yellow Tier so mostly capacities are loosening starting on Wednesday, but masks are still required inside in most circumstances, so keep it in your pocket and don't be a dick about it. 

We didn't do much today...we scheduled my sister to cut Nova's hair so we hung out at my parents' house while that happened and then picked up Jochi Filipino food for dinner while we hung around watching the Padres and catching up with my dad. Something is wrong with his TV or remote where the volume sticks, so now he just has it blaring all the time because he's afraid if he turns it down, he won't be able to turn it back up, so it's kinda like walking into a sports bar while trying to have a chill conversation. It doesn't really work, but it was good news that after we've been pressuring him and my mom, they're finally looking into him taking advantage of his VA benefits. He was in the Navy and then worked for the VA over 30 years before taking early retirement for his disabilities but he should be taking advantage of all the benefits he earned after giving the greater part of his adulthood to the organization. He also expressed desire to get out of the house this summer so we'll be doing research on trying to find ways to make that happen for him. 

Beyond that, we drove by the salt flats at sunset before calling it a night. I'm hoping we can get some San Diego Zoo and Safari Park and Sea World and Aquatica trips in before the floodgates completely reopen. You're still not catching me in a bar or restaurant anytime soon. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Vaccines Worked! Masks Worked! Governor's 'Stringent Response' Worked! | Road Ragers Arrested | Global Shortages and Rising Prices |

  

My little mandrill friend at San Diego Zoo (6.7.21)

A sucker is born every minute and after emails over and over and over again, I finally gave in and bought Sea World and Aquatica passes for the rest of the year. They had a special to buy one park, get the other free that expired last night. It's not a decision we took lightly. 

I mean, of course there's the whole Blackfish thing and it hurts my heart to see cetaceans in captivity, but I obviously support the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance which means that I appreciate the cost-benefit of animals in captivity for educational purposes, fostering love of animals and nature, and the Species Survival Plan for rare and endangered animals who may otherwise go extinct. 

Still, I feel like I had to do mental gymnastics to justify my purchase even though we've had passes before. Weighing the animals for profit model vs the good Sea World does to provide veterinary care for injured and orphaned animals like seals, sea lions, and sea birds, that I'm supporting the local economy as they're one of San Diego's top 5 employers, and that we have a super mopey teenager who loves rollercoasters and waterslides and who deserves a little fun this summer. 

So when you hear those goddamn fireworks during the summer, you can blame me. It is all a little cringey. But I also love animals so much that I am kind of excited about it, too. Like I LOVE sloths and the ones at the Zoo are ambassador animals so you never get to see them. It's complicated and I'm conflicted but ultimately I'm gonna go and I'm gonna have fun and I can get back to complaining about other stuff. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Meanwhile, this afternoon Darren and I went to the San Diego Zoo. I've been spending a lot of time with the mandrills and the elephants lately. I the crazy woman who kinda thinks they know me. We also spent a lot of time in the aviaries which are generally not as crowded as the rest of the zoo. I didn't get to a lot of news today, but Jake Sullivan was great during Jen Psaki's press briefing and Kamala Harris was in Guatemala fielding super awkward questions about corruption with President Giammattei. Also today there were multiple studies once again showing that masks work, that the vaccines are working even better than predicted, and UCLA economists basically debunked every stupid thing Kevvie has been posting when they revealed that the Governor's mitigation strategies not only not only saved lives but are why our economy is coming back so strong. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: What California Looks Like Beyond The Blueprint June 15 |

San Diego Skyline Taken 6.1.21)

I wanted to repost this post I wrote on April 6th, 2021, when Governor Newsom first announced the June 15th goal of reopening "Beyond The Blueprint." As I mentioned the other day, there seems to be a lot of misreporting that California would go back to pre-pandemic normal- no restrictions on capacity, no masking, no distancing, no testing--and that simply isn't true and it isn't what he said in the first place. I'm seeing the whiners who have inserted themselves into the recall election, particularly our former mayor (who is SO EASY to dunk on, by the way) and the dude who thought it was a good idea to travel the state with a bear saying that the Governor is changing what he initially said or going back on his plan. 

He didn't and he hasn't. 

Now in the time since the announcement, of course, the CDC and Cal/OSHA have both weighed in, but below is exactly what that announcement outlined. The messaging has obviously had some problems, apparently people only understand three word chants which is the antithesis of Governor Gavin Newsom who has never been brief about anything in any briefing ever, but still, just because it was reported wrong doesn't change what he actually conveyed. Check it after the jump. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: San Diego Looking Good; Likely To Move To Yellow Tier on Wednesday | Nesting or Hoarding?| I'm A Psaki Fangirl | LA Has A Peafowl Problem |

A Peacock at San Diego Zoo (Taken 6.1.21)

I've been thinking a lot about stuff. Right now, I have too much and it's a problem. My closet is tiny and quite literally cannot hold one more single hanger. It feels like in the before-times, we were obsessed with KonMari living and had worked hard to organize and eliminate stuff we didn't need. When I moved from Kensington to Normal Heights, I probably got rid of about 40% of my things and that hurt. You know those moments where you're looking for a thingamajig or a doohickey and you know you have it somewhere and then can't find it and then realize you must've actually gotten rid of it? Happens to me all the time, even though that move happened nearly a decade ago. 

Then 2020 came and the pandemic hit and being a bit of a hoarder didn't seem like the worst thing in the world. We tried to emphasize using what we had, repurposing or life-hacking what we could, and not spending money outside of absolute essentials as we didn't know how our unemployment or long term situation would look. But the pandemic didn't stop Nova from growing so of course there was still some spending happening. And to be honest, it didn't stop me and Darren from the weight fluctuations of the pandemic either, so we have too much stuff and we're just out of space. 

It's great to see forward movement. We all now have both Pfizer shots. Restrictions are loosening. The Casbah is setting reopening plans. But there's also now different supply issues, so while we're back out indulging a little in what may be unnecessary spending...like buying pots for plants, for example...but as we acquire new stuff, we're also still pretty cautious about getting rid of stuff we may need or wish we had down the line. 

So while the pandemic is hopefully winding down, I'm having this anxiety that isn't just about a post-pandemic world and not trusting other people, but also an anxiety that we had over a whole year and there are still projects to do, things to organize, donations to make. We made the studio our 'speakeasy' and cleaned the closet and we organized some stuff, but it feels like a continuous project. I didn't organize my digital world like I thought I would, including photos and videos. 

The good news is when I shared this feeling with Darren and Nova they reminded me of all the things we did accomplish, how much nicer it is to be home, whether inside or on the catio or in the backyard or in the speakeasy; how we were able to get through the near absolute lockdowns of last year, of the ways we passed time together when things were really dire. And they're right, I have to give myself some grace, but I hope I can focus a little more and use what unemployed time I do have left to get things a little more spruced up around here. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Increase In Severity Among Teens | California To Appeal Outrageous Ruling On Assault Weapons | Stop Justifying Eating At Chick-Fil-A | To Nobody's Surprise, Traffic Fatalities Rose During Pandemic | Venues Still Waiting For Money |

A Hummingbird in the Wild at San Diego Zoo (Taken 10.7.2020)

I should change my website to be called "Yesterday's News" because the majority of my links today are from the past two days, but I only just got caught up with reading today and I prefer not to share links unless I've read them first with a few exceptions like the 94-page judgment on assault weapons. I dare you to try to get past the first three ridiculous pages where the piece of shit Bush appointed judge compares them to Swiss Army knives. It's horrifying and enraging and it completely makes me sick. The fact that it was announced yesterday, on Gun Violence Awareness Day was an extra kick in the teeth and the judge cruelly sending the signal that he's an activist judge and proud of it. Despicable. 

It was a lovely day around Casa sd:dialed in. I mostly just sat in the backyard reading and watching the birds and butterflies coming through the yard and the flowers. I finally caught a hummingbird enjoying the new solar fountain, too. Darren used the newly acquired hoses to wash the car and van which were a mess after parking under what I think is called a tipuana tipu tree. He also weed-whacked the yard which made it look so much nicer.

Later in the evening, after Darren indulged us with what we call "white taco night" (where he makes ground beef tacos with store-bought boxed Taco Bell branded taco shells), we went on a late adventure to Ikea and Lowe's. I've been trying to get all of our plants and cuttings into pretty pots and so on top of buying a bunch of cute small pots, we also bought a drill bit that will hopefully work to make holes in the bottoms of some of the pots. I'm sure everyone is totally jealous of the rager Saturday nights we have around here these days.

Last thing I'll say tonight is that I saw a local business owner on the news again, once again complaining that nobody wants to work because unemployment benefits are too high, and all I could think was that maybe nobody wants to work for you, the same business owner who was defying and complaining on the news about COVID protocols at every turn. I certainly wouldn't wanna work for you, nor will I ever set foot in your business.

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: California Governor Newsom Pulls First Lottery Winners: 3 From San Diego County; Slams Governors Playing "Politics, Not Economics" | Nova Gets 2nd Dose of Pfizer |

Wearing Our Orange for Gun Violence Awareness Day (Taken 6.4.21)

It was a lovely day. After Darren got Nova from school, they went to San Diego High for her second shot but they'd missed the clinic, which was actually yesterday. I kinda knew that was gonna happen but he seemed pretty sure about today being her appointment. Instead, they came home, we looked up where we could get a Friday walk-in appointment on this handy dandy website and set off to SDSU. 

The SDSU vaccine site is super easy and convenient for people with access to a vehicle. We were coming from Fairmont to Montezuma. You make a left at 55th, pass the front of Viejas Arena, then make a right on Canyon Crest. Parking in Structure 12 Level 2 is free and doesn't require any sort of pass or validation. Just across the street is Site 13 where they're giving Pfizer vaccines with appointments or a walk-up basis, and it's inside the backstage and main floor of Viejas Arena, which is kinda cool to see when it's not outfitted for sports or some major concert. There is a little bit of a wait because they try to vaccinate groups of six, so as not to waste doses in vials, or 'overdraw' as they said, but we were still in and out pretty quickly and so far, nearly 8 hours later, Nova is feeling fine with just a little arm soreness. It is a little more complicated if you take the trolley, but you could still make a day of it and enjoy a nice walk or bike across campus to the walk-in vaccination site. I also have to say the man who gave Nova her shot was so sweet and kind and reassuring and asked her questions instead of asking us the questions about her in front of her. When if he asked if she was anxious, she said, "no, I'm just really excited to get vaccinated!" and we all kinda beamed. 

After we went shopping at my favorite Ross and Big Lots to get some dumb stuff we needed...a new lawn hose, some storage bins, things of that sort. But Nova's also been looking for a graduation outfit and chose some really cute dresses on her own accord, so she's feeling herself in a big way and of course we all found bargains to treat ourselves. After all that, we indulged and got take-out from Yak n Yeti and ate on a new foldable table I bought for our catio. 

All of that ended up being a pretty full day, so besides watching Governor Newsom's lottery and media briefing, I have tons of email and news to get to in a later post, but I will say that he took the media questions like a champ today. I still think he needs to go Psaki a little and just shorten his answers with "I'm not going to negotiate that from here" or straight up say that "YOU were the ones who reported there would be no regulations after June 15. I always said there would still be mask requirements and distancing in certain situations and others would require testing or proof of vax. Just because YOU reported it would be a free-for-all doesn't make it so." But maybe that's just me?

It appears it was a newsy day so I'll get to it later tonight or this weekend but wanna just get our stats out first. And one thing to note on San Diego's "fully vaccinated" number...I don't think that number truly jumped 80k in one day, so there must've been some sort of batch reporting or backlog that was resolved to jump our numbers so much. 

Stay safe out there. (As I was about to publish, I got a breaking news alert that a federal judge overturned California's assault weapons ban and I'm FUMING. I'll have to get to that later.)

CoViD-19: A Glimpse At California Reopening | San Diego Wears Orange For Gun Violence Awareness, Fri 9am at Park De La Cruz | SAD in Summer? | Lotteries Work (Because Not Dying Isn't Incentive Enough) |

  

When I was growing up, I was always aware of my parents' meet-cute at a bar in Tijuana and how he was in San Diego with the Navy after serving in Vietnam and after four months of dating, was going to go back to Buffalo if she didn't say yes to his proposal. Here we are 51 years later. 

But there was another story we were always aware of, though it didn't come up a whole lot, and that was of my mom's high school boyfriend. We only really talked about him when we'd go through my mom's old 45s and see their initials and hearts drawn all over the labels of the records, her Motown and others from "back when songs had meaning," as she'd repeat to us whenever oldies popped on the radio. All we really ever knew was that he was dead. Shot and killed in a case of mistaken identity, or so the story went. We've left that in the past. 

On National Gun Violence Awareness Day, I was thinking how fortunate I am not to have had any gun violence touch my life, in any decipherable way but I am well aware that may not always be the case. We're reminded of it when our kids do active-shooter drills at school, when we hear shots ring out in the neighborhood or watch a dozen police cruisers race down ECB, or anytime we turn on the news. It's real. It's a problem. And it is all around us. 

So I wanted to make sure that I posted today's San Diego event for Gun Violence Awareness, though I'm pretty bummed they moved it from noon to 9am. It's taking place in City Heights and it would be cool if people show up, but I also understand that time is impossible for many and challenging for the rest of us. I'm gonna try my best. 

I also got the rest of my email cleared from yesterday and there were some interesting pieces about mom vax hesitancy, how lotteries are actually working with vaccination efforts, as I said above, because not dying isn't incentive enough, and an interesting article about SAD in summer, for which I owe Nova an apology after dismissing her suggestion just yesterday that Seasonal Affective Disorder only happens in winter after a conversation we had at the Zoo about why I don't often wear sunglasses. ("I need all the sun I can get for my SAD.") But I also noticed something I'd overlooked in Governor Newsom's announcement yesterday, which kinda unintentionally spelled out what mask restrictions will look like after June 15. Spoiler Alert: in many cases it will be vax or mask, and mask required anytime you can't know if everyone around you is fully vaxxed.  

Stay safe out there. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: US Enters Vaccination Sprint Through Independence Day | San Diego Announces Park Master Plan Update | SDPD Updates Trans & Non-Binary Procedures | ANWR Leases Suspended | Photos: Sea Lion Pupping Season |

A Miracle! No Tourists On The Cliffs Harassing The Sea Lions (Taken 6.2.21)

Something miraculous happened today. We dropped Nova off at Derby United and went to La Jolla Cove to see the California Sea Lions in their pupping season. Darren unintentionally told me that a sea lion was killed last week after people had crowded it and poked it and prodded it and it couldn't escape and ended up with a fatal spinal injury. It isn't unusual to see a dead pup or two each season for various reasons, but that this was caused by human interference made me so sick. 

But then we got there, easily found a spot to park and there are two main entry points by the 'nursery'. There are stairs after you pass the two stairs by the Cove and there's a shorter wall over by the other side of the Bridge Club, where I normally go. And you guys! There was not a single person on the cliff! Everyone was up on the sidewalk taking photos from behind the wall, but they weren't crowding the animals or jumping down. Of course it didn't last and as two people closed in on a mom and pup, I had to yell that they needed to back up, that they were too close. There are a few places the sea lions can exit the ocean and if you block those places, the pups will often stay in the water too long, not being able to keep up with their moms or being able to find a safe exit as bigger wave sets crash in on them. They were cool about it and it was more of a "hey, they need space!" rather than what I was actually thinking when I chose to speak up. Still, I was impressed that most people were being respectful, though the people who bring dogs to bark at the sea lions...I mean, they're allowed after 6 I guess, but it doesn't mean you should bring them. There were also a couple surfers who ended up getting a talking to from the lifeguards because there is no surfing or flotation devices of any kind allowed in those areas of the protected underwater marine park.  

It was a good day overall...lots of pressers today with Mayor Gloria about the new Draft Parks Master Plan, with Supervisor Fletcher with COVID updates and revealing a partnership with the Padres to give away tickets and shirts at certain vaccination events and that we may, as I said yesterday, actually move into Yellow next week, which would only be six days before the blueprint restrictions drop anyway. And then of course Jen Psaki who outlined the national incentives for vaccinations, including 24 hour vaccinations on Fridays through the pharmacy program. It's not all good news out there, but it's nice to feel more optimistic than not these days.   

Stay Safe Out There. 

CoViD-19: Post Drops Fauci Emails | Moderna Seeks Full Authorization | Companies Can Mandate Vaccines | Sponsors Back Naomi | Photos: Rose Garden |

  

It turns out I didn't have much to add from my post last night but I forgot to mention that after our trip to the San Diego Zoo we popped over to the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden and the roses seemed even more in bloom than the last time we visited. It really is one of the most beautiful free spots in San Diego and it was nice to walk around and quite literally, stop and smell the roses. Everyone should check it out while the bloom lasts. I'll get to the regular post later tonight. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: San Diego Earns 1st Week In Yellow Tier! | Pupping Season: Give The Sea Lions Some Goddamn Space | Photos: San Diego Zoo |

  

As we planned, we spent the afternoon at the San Diego Zoo to check out the new Hummingbird Habitat and Komodo Kingdom. We only ended up checking out the latter because the Hummingbird house had a pretty lengthy line and they have timed entry, so we'll have to catch it another time. The plan was actually to wander the Zoo and then take the Skyfari back over at the end of the day and try to catch it then, but we stopped by the elephants who were going nuts in the water. The boys are all in heat because yesterday Zuli kept trying to bang Mkhaya and today Tsandzikle kept trying to bang Inhlonipho (both male) and it was a sight to see as they kept going in the pool and trumpeting at one another. Apparently this is totally normal according to the googles. I posted a bunch of videos on my YouTube channel in case you want to see them. 

Today is also the first day of pupping season for the California Sea Lions at La Jolla Cove, so all the news channels had stories on people needing to give more space to them. They're adding signage and stuff, too, so hopefully that helps, though I did see some Sierra Club lady last week fighting to make it "an attraction" which to me just says they'll try to monetize it and I'd have to break some knuckles. 

I'm still working through my inbox so I'll probably drop another post later tonight but in the meantime, San Diego's had five straight days with no COVID deaths and we're in the yellow tier for the first time ever which is great news. We'd have to stay low to officially move into yellow a week before the June 15 'Beyond The Blueprint' goal which I never actually thought would happen, so let's just reiterate that the vaccines are working. Stay safe out there.