CoViD-19: Cases Declining | California Oil Spill Threatens Coastline | Christmas Is Canceled |

 

San Diego Estuary Wildlife Refuge (Taken 1.11.2020)

I'm not the only one who has been saying for months that Christmas is Canceled. All we've been hearing about is supply chain issues, unfilled jobs in factories and transportation, factories closing down because of COVID-19 outbreaks, and climate news like flooding from hurricanes or wildfires and now an oil spill which throw a big wrench into logistics. And yet we're letting Joe Manchin hold our country hostage. What a fucking prick. It's not like we'd ever expect a republican to do the right thing, but this crook needs to be threatened with his job and I hope all the progressive PACs are ready to flood his state in efforts to oust him come his next election. And now California has this oil spill to contend with, owned by a company from Texas, no less, and controlling my rage feels impossible. But Michael's has crafting pumpkins starting at $4.99 so maybe let's chill on the supply chain crisis for a hot minute. 

And I have to take a step back. We've all been spending a lot of time at my parents' house. My dad hasn't yet been moved out of Kaiser but he is officially in hospice so my mom is allowed to visit and we've been able to talk to him some more on the phone. I think everybody dreams of going peacefully in their sleep when our time comes, it is especially hard to know that as his organs fail, he's just as alert and sharp and smart as ever. Sure, sometimes he's a little woozy or slurring, but it's very hard to witness. My uncle should arrive by Monday and it feels weird to hope for a bed to open up at the VA because ultimately that means someone else is dying, but we'll just continue to wait for news as it comes. 

In the meantime, it's hard to say that life goes on, but the kids are all still in school, everyone still has jobs and extracurriculars and obligations and so we'll carry on as best as we can which is why you got a post today. I need the distraction. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: US Closes In On 700,000 Deaths | California 1st In Country To Mandate School Vaccines | Merck Reveals Red-Pill (Ultimate Troll) | Kids Free October | A Very Bad Day: Letting Go Of Daddy |

Bystrak Family (9.7.21)

Today was a very hard, no good day. 

I intended to go to bed at a reasonable hour on Thursday night but by the time I went to bed I could no longer sleep and minutes turned to hours and by 7am I was getting calls and texts from my cousin Connie about my dad. I just had that feeling.

Early in the morning, mom was summoned to the hospital so that she and my dad could meet with doctors and witnesses about "options". My dad is technically no longer receiving medical care and is just receiving comfort care, as doctors have concluded that nothing they can do for him can help him because heart meds will send him into kidney failure and dialysis will be too strenuous on his heart. He's technically declared a hospice patient now, though because of bed shortages (fuck you, unvaccinated fucks) and stretched resources, he may just stay put for the time being while they try to move him to a VA facility. But this is actually all new information, as far as we were told this morning, we had hours not days, and my dad called each of us kids to tell us how much he loves us and how proud he is of us and to take care of my mom and that when the time comes, their wills are solid and locked in stone, which he has to say because it was such a drama point and lengthy litigation for my mom's siblings when it came to my grandpa's will and wishes. 

I don't know that I've ever had a harder conversation in my life. 

But he's still here and alive and barely-breathing and was able to watch Judge Judy in his hospital room with my mom as they talked and reminisced and shared the day together...if you recall, Kaiser allows one visitor in the case of hospice care.

So here we are, Friday night. My sister is back from a trip to Zion. My cousin will be here from LA on Saturday. My uncle, who is in no shape to do so, is driving here from Indiana and should be here by Sunday. My brother is in New Mexico, I don't know if he'll be allowed the leave from the Navy to come. But it's gonna be some very hard hours and days ahead for my family. 

I still did a full post today because there is something hypnotic about just sorting through data and email and articles that have nothing to do with what is happening in my direct orbit, so you may hear from me again this weekend, or maybe not. Numbers don't really update reliably, but I do know that 700,000 US deaths by COVID is a gross misrepresentation and undercount if you count all of the people who couldn't get care for non-COVID illness, treatments, prevention, and general life-saving care. 

Stay safe out there. 

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

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

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

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

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: San Diego Deaths 97.88% Unvaccinated | "Vaccination...An Extension Of Black Lives Matter" | Senate Obstructionists OK With Tanking US | Safari Park Rhino Gets A Name | Bird Protections Reinstated |

 

Kianga and baby Kamaria at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 9.15.21)

It's nearly 3am (I had to backdate this entry to keep my posts straight) and I finally got through all my stuff, so now I'm watching my Bravo trash TV and ready to go to bed because I'm wiped. My dad is back in the hospital because he feels even worse than when he went in last week and he understands that he needs to be a better patient and when they tell him he needs the CPAP machine, to do what he is told. The alternative is, quite literally, death. It's nerve-wracking to think that Kaiser nurses are planning on going on strike.  

We had a good day going to the soft opening of Dave's Hot Chicken in my old stomping grounds of Mira Mesa. I lived in the area during college at USIU, so it's always crazy to see how busy and built-out the area has gotten. The food was awesome and I guess I have to say that it was comped, but the milkshakes are bomb, the mac n cheese looks like it isn't cheesy enough but when you dig in it is absolutely delicious, and the chicken was great. I got hot and was practically crying so I can't imagine extra hot or reaper. We each got a combo: Nova got the 2 tenders, I got the 2 sliders, and Darren got the 1 slider + 1 tender dinner. I'd probably go with just the tenders next time since I mostly fork and knifed by dinner, and honestly we could probably just split one entree by adding an extra tender or two. It's right off the freeway by the Home Depot, so I imagine we may incorporate it into our post San Diego Zoo Safari Park dinner rotation. And speaking of Safari Park, Kianga's little nugget has a name: Kamaria. I'm going to try to see her on Thursday but we'll see how much sleep I get and how much work the morning brings. 

Maybe it would be best to dodge the news though because what is happening in the Senate and Congress is disgraceful. Sinema and Manchin are as crooked as their "friends across the aisle" and I hope they are held to account when this is all over, whatever the outcomes may be on the debt limit, the infrastructure bill, and reconciliation.  

If you read only one of my links today, make it the piece by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. So good. 

Stay safe out there.  

Things To Do In San Diego: Wednesday, September 29=Tuesday, October 5, 2021 | Japanese Breakfast, Shakey Graves, Algiers, Mdou Moctar, Squeeze, and more |

 

Michelle Zauner/Japanese Breakfast (Taken 6.22.2018)

I got super off track today, so I'm sorry the listings are so late but there is so much going on this week, you'd almost think the pandemic is over. I think there was a bunch of music news I was supposed to include but I can't remember any of it at the moment. It's past 11pm, and I have an entire day's worth of work ahead of me so I'm gonna get to it. We did go to the soft opening of Dave's Hot Chicken in Mira Mesa and damn, that chicken is yum, but I'll talk about that in my daily post, which probably won't be done until sunrise. It's been busy, what can I say?

Stay safe out there. Full listings after the jump. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Wednesday, September 29=Tuesday, October 5, 2021 | Japanese Breakfast, Shakey Graves, Algiers, Mdou Moctar |

Casbah (taken 1.18.21)

Nobody invites me to food stuff and soft openings anymore, so when I do get an invite, OF COURSE I'm going to go. Because of that, my listings are abbreviated at the moment. I will finish all the venues tonight, but I wanted to post what I have done in case you're making plans for tonight. I'll be back at it to update in a few hours.

Stay safe out there. 

CoVID-19: SDUSD Unanimously Approves Vaccine Mandate For 16+ | Pfizer Submits Data For 5-11 Year Olds | Birthday Fun |

 

Birthday Good Time (Taken 9.28.21)

It was a lovely birthday, I got so many kind messages, and Darren and I went to the San Diego Zoo. On our way home, we found a little stand on ECB selling tacos a vapor, something I've been on the hunt for years, always hoping someone will sell tacos like my family used to get when we'd go to Casa Especial in Tijuana. They were pretty good and I'd definitely get them again. Then we stopped at Baskin Robbins to get my free birthday scoop. 

I didn't do much news or work today, but the SDUSD Board meeting was fun to watch on YouTube. I definitely appreciated the 1 minute limit on callers as well as the equal amount of callers on both sides. During a pandemic we don't need to show up to rally, our numbers are represented in the 70+% of kids 12-17 whom have already gotten at least one dose of vax. The Board did the right thing, even if maybe it's too soft and not implemented fast enough. 

It is my birthday, so I'm gonna get some cocktails in the speakeasy. Thanks to everyone who called, texted, and sent messages. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Media Can't Stop Both-Sidesing Vaccination Mandates | SDUSD Vaccination Roadmap Up For a Tuesday Vote | Media Crying About Biden's Diss |

 

Toby the Okapi, b. March 2021 (Taken 9.27.21)

I'm over an hour late on today's post but I went to the San Diego Zoo this afternoon and then we got Minh Ky for my pre-birthday dinner, then my friend Jeff came over bearing amazing gifts and then me and Darren and Nova got into the latest episode of Below Deck Med and one thing after another and so here we are. I'm not quite sure what I'll be doing for my actual birthday, but hopefully the day is as nice as today was. There will be cake, I can tell you that. And bonus good news is that my dad is home from the hospital, though I don't know that he's in any better shape than when he went in, I think he just whined enough that they sent him home. It's not a nice way to talk about it, but there really isn't much the doctors can do to make him feel even slightly better. I know at least he's happier at home and my mom will continue to tend to his every itch and ouch more than they did at the hospital. 

Because it's my birthday, I'm gonna just cut this off and call it a night. Jen Psaki was on fire today and she takes no shit from the media jackals. Tuesday will be a day to grab the popcorn as the loud and dangerous minority of anti-vaxxers try to get San Diego Unified to vote against vaccine mandates. They're not gonna win, but they'll certainly drag the meeting out all night long and I wouldn't doubt if there is some violence and/or arrests because they're planning on showing up to the the district offices despite the meeting being held virtually via Zoom. It'll be like our own mini January 6. I'm sure the Board will do the right thing, especially when you look at the snapshot of staff and students in isolation or quarantine.  

I'll try to get to listings tomorrow, but don't be shocked if they're not posted until Wednesday. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: SDUSD Mulls Vax Mandate | Scott Peters Puts Pharma First |

 

Elephant Herd at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 9.16.21)

I'm gonna keep it short today and try to continue that trend for my birthday week. I had a really great day because my mom came over after my nieces' soccer games and Darren and I took her to San Diego Zoo Safari Park. She hadn't been in over five years so we took the park slowly and covered most of the park. She was teasing me how all the animals seem to come to me no matter which enclosure we're observing and while I'd like to believe that's true, really it was just the perfect cool and overcast weather that seems to make them so happy. 

I'm not sure what's happening with the State's website, it shows that it is updated by day but the numbers are still the same as Friday, which I only caught because it was such an unusual number of cases on Friday: 4,448,666. 

I've been trying to bury my head in the sand while congress hammers out the two major bills pressing forward, because as Jen Psaki would say, nobody wants to see how the sausage gets made, but finding out San Diego Democratic Congressman Scott Peters joined the Republicans in a committee vote against moving forward from the House Budget Committee. Obviously he has all the pharmaceutical corporations in his district, but he sure did get a fat payday after making moves as such earlier in the month. Get with the party or GTFO. 

My dad is still in the hospital and miserable without my mom tending to his every itch or ouch. I hope they keep him a few more days but I also know he's scared and doesn't want to die there, especially being alone. I'm hopeful that his good doctors and science can offer him relief soon, and just grateful that he has a bed and a room and the care he really needs right now, because if we were impacted by crisis of care standards, I'm afraid he might not be top of the list. 

Stay safe out there.   

CoViD-19: Systemic Review of Vaccines Around the World | Boosters Available | Derailed Amtrak Highlights Need For Infrastructure Bill |

 

Flamingo at San Diego Zoo in the Before Times (Taken 1.30.2020)

My dad is still in the hospital but it sounds like he should be released in a day or two. We've been trying to convince my mom to take advantage of the time he's not home, because his health needs always keep her tethered to the house. If she goes shopping or to a soccer game, she never stays very long because she "can't leave daddy for too long." I'm hoping to convince her to go to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park or something with us tomorrow after I heard that she was considering going to Oktoberfest. I can't believe that 18 months into this pandemic I have to explain to my 71 year old mother that going to a venue, even outdoors, with hundreds of strangers, of mixed-vax status, in EL CAJON!!!, to drink beer and singalong and laugh and talk loudly is a bad idea. "Risk assessment, Mama!!" 

Besides all that, today was a low-key day. We watched Office Space because Nova had never seen it and obviously it's a classic, but nothing exciting to report. For some reason, the state's website wasn't updated today so numbers are getting a little harder to track. Until our numbers get below a couple hundred a day, I'm still being super cautious, though the estimated r-effective for San Diego is the lowest it has been in months. All promising. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: In Schools, Masks Work | CA Rolls Out Pfizer Boosters | Mayorkas & Psaki Are Sick Of Bullshit Faux Outrage: Biden Admin Gettin' Shit Done | Newsom's Pen Has Been Busy |

Jaguar at San Diego Zoo (Taken 9.24.21)

What a day. I was up all night. Partially because I didn't finish working until super late and then I finished Modern Love on Amazon, played with the kittens, watched some rando stuff on YouTube and then went to bed though then I just scrolled through my phone and I got sucked into a variation of this article:

Costco confirms it's limiting toilet paper and water purchases, as customers start to stockpile amid the spread of the Delta variant - Yahoo News! (9.24.21)

Of course it sent me into a prepper spiral, trying to do a mental inventory of what we have, what we need, and reiterating what i've been saying for weeks (months?) now...Christmas is Canceled. So I went online and made an order. And then I went on another site but I abandoned my cart because, I mean, it's not like I'm sitting here with unlimited funds. And to be fair, a Costco order isn't out of the ordinary for me, it just felt a little more urgent. Still, I finally let myself fall asleep after the sun was up, my kittens were all settled on the catio, and Nova was off to school. 

When I did finally awake, I was so happy to experience the amazing storm that passed through. Lightning, thunder, hail, and then enduring, pouring rain. Naturally it made me want to go to the San Diego Zoo. We let it settle a bit and once Nova was home, went for the closing hour. It was so nice and empty, although many of the drains were backed up, so there was sitting water at the entrance to Elephant Odyssey, over by the Tapirs, and at the Hippos as well as other spots. We had waterproof shoes so not a big deal, but some tourists, all in brand new white shoes had to make a choice. I suggested they just take off their shoes and they decided that was the best way through. 

This story takes a turn, however. My sister called while we were at the Zoo and told me my dad was being taken to the hospital again. He can only be transported by paramedics and was taken to Kaiser Clairemont, which apparently now has a no visitor policy (I've attached it at the bottom of this post). I've not been forgiving in the slightest to anyone who was anti-mask and then anti-vax and once again, I'm pissed and enraged. The selfishness that has driven this pandemic as long as it has gone is affecting care for non-COVID patients. So now my dad is sitting in a hospital by himself, in a room that isn't appropriate for his care, without my mom who has been by his side for 51 years. And I'm pissed and I'm scared and I'm not ready to lose my dad. And I have no idea what comes next, but any shred of sympathy for anyone who got sick after being eligible for a vaccine and choosing not to get it is very very long gone. 

I know I post a lot of links, but the graphics on today's MMWRs are illuminating. And you should 100% watch the Jen Psaki/Sec Mayorkas press briefing today. They were not taking any of Doocy's false narratives or fake outrage bullshit, nor anyone who spent the entire week focusing on this "humanitarian crisis" and who conveniently leave out details to their reporting like requirements for claims of asylum, like the difference between evacuees from Afghanistan and 'irregular migration' at the border, and for anyone who would like to oversimplify all of it and ignore that this is a decades long problem that needs congressional action. 

There are a lot of Republicans out there giving speeches about how outraged they are about the situation at the border, not many who are putting forward solutions or steps that we could take. So, we’re a little tired of the speeches. We’d like to partner on solutions and working together to address this problem that has not been partisan in the past. - Jen Psaki (9.24.21)

Psaki is a badass. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Unvaxxed Still Superspreaders | CA Risk Drops From Very High To High Risk | Sea Shepherd + Mexico Partner To Save Vaquitas | SD Bans Ghost Guns & Parts | Temp Bollards Coming To Pershing Bike Lane |

 

Friday is Save The Koala Day (Taken 3.19.21)

It was a pretty nice day around San Diego. I got some work done by day and by afternoon Darren and I went to the San Diego Zoo long enough to walk to do a lap then had lunch at the Treehouse before he left to handle dad business like getting Nova to derby while I stayed and wandered around with my camera. I'm glad a I took advantage of summer hours as much as I did because 6pm closing feels so early, especially when a lot of the animals go in even before then. I still wish there was a little alert system, like maybe an interactive app, that maybe has the animals and like a little green light if they're still out or a red light if they're back in their apartments. That way I wouldn't have to do the out-of-way laps for like, the bonobos or gorillas or mandrills if I know they're already in for the night. I guess it is true for all the primate and primate-adjacent animals.  

Because my route was so extensive, I made sure to hit the Skyfari before 6 to get to the exit and my little rendezvous came to an end. Of course I get home and just do work, which is why this post is so late. The weekend is coming and since my birthday is right around the corner I considered a little party, but I just don't think the speakeasy is presentable enough for guests. Still, I'm looking forward to a chill pre-birthday weekend. 

COVID numbers are a little hard to read right now because reporting around the country and even locally has been inconsistent, but if you look at the California graph, it's looking good, at least for vaccinated people. I didn't bother posting all the stuff about boosters today, I'd rather wait until the full CDC announce comes out and CDPH addresses their implementation. I did appreciate that someone finally wrote an article debunking the notion that vaccinated people are 'just as likely' to spread COVID because the science was pointing at high viral loads but for a shorter period of time and less likely to get it in the first place, but nobody was really getting that message across.  

And for fun, most of my blog comments are from spammers trying to add links to my site. But this one is a gem in response to something I wrote about fake religious exemptions for masking and vaccinations.  "No, my EQUAL right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and the fact that I will knock you the f out if you try to inject me with anything, is a valid exemption, along with my ar 15. Suck a fat one Fatass liberal douchebag" That is a very happy person who is super content with their life. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Old VOI & VOC = VBM | FDA Approves Booster For Limited Populations | Governor Newsom Signs Loads Of New Legislation | Humanitarian Crises Abound Worldwide | Photos #WorldRhinoDay

 

World Rhino Day at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 9.22.21)

I woke up with such anxiety today and I'm not really sure why, but my best cure for it is to try to zip through my email, deleting the junk and focusing on the ones that warrant a response and holding the rest for later while I escape the house. 

Darren and I went to San Diego Zoo Safari Park because it is World Rhino Day and also the new rhino baby is a month old. On their social media, the Safari Park announced the contenders for Kianga's calf: Kamaria (beautiful like the moonlight in Swahili) and Kifaru (means Rhino in Swahili). Obviously Kamaria is the better name. When we arrived, Kianga and her babe were on the far hillside, but one year olds Alice and Mwezi were playing in the lower valley and eventually rejoined their moms and one pair came up to Kilima Point. The Safari Park used to be a little more generous and basically you had about an hour after closing time to make your way to the exit, but it seems they've been a little more aggressive about clearing the park which is unfortunate because they now close at 5 and the animals don't seem to really get active until the sun drops right around that time. Still, I felt pretty lucky that one of the mama/baby pairs came up to say hi before we had to leave, though I can't really tell Holly and Mwezi from Casey and Alice most of the time.

News is crazy per always. The FDA approved boosters for limited groups, though not that limited because smokers and medically obese people qualify along with immunocompromised and 65+, so that's easily more than 50% of the population. Pfizer people should keep an eye out for that rollout in the coming weeks and months. There's all kinds of stuff going on with Congress and the Senate and the UN and the Biden Administration trying to cleanup decades of inherited disasters but I have this small inkling that they may go nuclear to pass the two major packages because the majority of Americans want the government to start working for the people and not the corporations and lobbyists and billionaire class. But it's not really worth watching "how the sausage is made" because it is so incredibly frustrating. I'm just hoping the church on my street is successful in relocating some refugees from Haiti because (selfishly) we have a ton of stuff to donate to clear space in the speakeasy and (altruistically) because the church was very helpful for people after that earthquake a few years back. I also just love having new diversity to the neighborhood and hopefully can volunteer or help if they do in fact bring some people from Texas. 

Numbers are looking good, vaccinations are up among younger people, hospitalizations are going down, all point to good news for now. Stay diligent and be safe out there. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Wednesday, September 22 - Tuesday, September 28, 2021 | Modest Mouse, Dear Boy, Mipso, Los Amigos Invisibles, Cold War Kids, Joey Cape and more!

Ben Johnson is having a book signing on Saturday at Verbatim (Taken 12.31.2019)

I decided to go ahead and do listings because it's so much easier to be thorough when I don't have emails coming in every other minute and everyone in the house is asleep. It means I'll be sleeping in, but it also means that I might get to go to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park this afternoon if it isn't psychotically hot. 

There are some really great shows this week and I definitely have FOMO for some. If you haven't heard Mipso, you should definitely check them out. They're playing Sunday at the Casbah and I'm genuinely considering going depending on how the local COVID stats bear out later today. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Breakthrough Cases: You Don't Want It | J&J Booster Data Released | UN "The World Must Wake Up" | Fuck You, Joe Manchin |

 

Familia (Taken 9.21.21)

Monday was my mom's birthday but because of all the kids' overscheduled lives, we didn't celebrate until today. It was fun to be with family and now we've still got my birthday and Nadia's to come. Hers is the most anticipated, however, because she'll be able to be vaccinated, the last one of the family, until we all eventually get boosters, too. And yes, we're all maskless because my sister's family were all tested 3 times last week, the rest of us aren't really out in the world much, and there were fans and air purifiers running. It's risk assessment, i guess, and everyone has to choose for themselves, but you still won't find us in a restaurant anytime soon. 

That is all to say that family time is why this post is so extremely late today. I don't go to bed until every email in my inboxes is read so I know what to expect for the rest of the week. I have to say, if you're a musician and you want to be taken seriously by anyone ever at any venue, your triple exclamation points and your ASAPs and your demands on marketing can take a hike. Venues, especially small ones, don't have a team, they usually have one or two people dodging bullets and putting out fires and juggling plates and whatever other metaphor you want. We, for example, currently have about 150 upcoming events and numerous shows to be booked. That your show isn't selling is more your problem than mine, especially if you're a local artist that isn't doing any of the legwork on your own end. So yeah. That's where I am today. There. I said what I said. 

As for news- the UN General Assembly drama with France is like watching a Real Housewives episode, the Gabby Petito case is hard to look away from, and Joe Manchin is a piece of shit owned by fossil fuels lobbyists. He should be stripped of his chairman position on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and his conflicts of interest should be top news every day until he gets on the right side of history. Wednesday is the big gata dump day so I'll try to update sooner and get listings out there, too. 

Stay safe out there.     

CoViD-19: PFizer Submits Safety Data For Kids | COVID Deaths Match 1918 Flu | US CBP: Not A Good Look |

Moon Rising From Downtown (Samsung S9 Taken 9.20.21)

I sometimes start posts and never finish them. I have a drafts folder that I've tried to clean but sometimes I hold on to old things. Like this one time, I was ranting about "before times" stuff that I was hoping would never come back. It was an attempt to look on the bright side of the pandemic and isolation and the big shutdowns. But I never posted it because I thought it was too mean. It had to do with how I didn't miss hearing from acquaintances about their bullshit MLM "businesses" whether it be oils or keto powders or face creams or life coaching or whatever, and then last night I binged LuLaRich on Amazon Prime and I realized it wasn't mean at all...maybe I was just looking out for them. Seriously, staaaahhhhppp with this MLM nonsense. You aren't hashtag blessed, you're not a mom boss, and if you're actually making money, it's at the expense of poor and desperate people below you and you might be an awful person. Anyway, watch the limited series. 

Maybe I just binge garbage TV to avoid the dreadful news of the day. Those images of the Border Patrol agents wielding around their horse reins is horrifying. I know the other side loves to have a field day with immigration and the "border crises," but this is a decades long problem and each administration just punts to the next, particularly as long as the obstructionist Senate represents the racist minority of this country. And of course more people are going to try to come to the United States if they believe that the president is more compassionate and not a fucking psychopath. Nobody wants to really deal with the hard issues and the particular centrist democrats in the Senate can't even stand up to be democrats and nothing gets done. Get the fuck on board already. Meanwhile, this isn't going to be the only "crisis" this administration is challenged with, because they're actually trying to deal with shit as it arises, in plain view, where we're all open to judge and criticize from the comfort of our homes as our faucets deliver us (mostly) clean water, the power switches turn on (mostly) reliable light, the air conditioner keeps us reliably cool, and we have a roof over our heads. We don't know desperation and the destabilization around the world, particularly from countries run by nationalist dictators coupled with climate crises and the ongoing pandemic and things are looking pretty bleak. Still I trust there are good people out there trying to keep it all from falling completely apart instead of being the deliberate destroyers as was the last administration. I need a drink.   

Stay safe out there.     

CoViD-19: US Cases Remain Above 150k Per Day, 2,000+ Deaths | San Diego Cases See Significant Sunday Drop: Trend or Anomaly? |

My Littles Aren't So Little Anymore - Magnolia & Jacaranda (Taken 9.19.21)

It was a perfect lazy day. I kinda got lost in the drama of the Gabby Petito case and was glued to the FBI press conference when they announced her body had been discovered, tragic as the news was. I listened to the last episode of the Murdaugh Murders podcast. I napped with my kitties. I read a little. I watched a little of the Emmys. We walked the dog around the neighborhood. Darren and Nova built new planters for some snake plant we found dumped on the side of the road a few days ago. I'm gonna skip most of the news and promise we'll get back to all of it tomorrow.  

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Waning Antibodies After Infection | Anti-Vaxxers Turn Attacks To Restaurants | US Surpasses 2000 Daily Deaths (Again) | More Americans Depart Kabul |

 

Porter and Louis (Taken 5.13.19)

I tried to stay mostly offline today and I don't really have anything I wanna say except that it's hilarious how much of a failure the demonstration was at the Capitol today. Darren and I hung out in the speakeasy last night and poured one out for Louie. Our low-key lifestyle has gone on so long that it is hard to really feel the weight of the losses we've experienced over the past two years, but Louis' death hit me hard. And so did my subsequent deep dive into old photographs, where I definitely found some gems. Nova and I spent the afternoon watching movies and the only time I left the house was to walk the dog. This lifestyle suits me, maybe a little too well. I'm gonna get back to it. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Your Fake-Ass Religion Isn't A Valid Exemption | San Diego Surpasses 4,000 Deaths | US Offers Mea Culpa On Drone Strike | CA Sequoias At Fire Risk |

RIP Louis (Taken 5.22.2017)+

I started a post last night and then just decided to roll it into today's, so tonight's got a lot of reading and links, but the down and dirty is that boosters were not recommended by ACIP except for 65+ and "high risk" which I think goes beyond immunocompromised and includes hypertension, diabetes, COPD, smokers, obesity, and a lot more ailments that pretty much 50% of the population has one or more of. Meanwhile, many churches are denying religious exemptions for vaccine mandates, while front line workers, cops, firefighters, and health care employees would rather lose their jobs or sue than get a freaking vaccine that could save their lives and the lives of the communities they supposedly serve. I have no tolerance today. 

You can read all the other links, but I wanted to take a minute to talk about Louis Procaccino, as it was announced that he died. Louie was hilarious and annoying and funny and loud and kind and a superfan of music and spent his life in the industry. A few years ago he was involved in a workplace accident where a huge amp fell on his foot. It broke and never really quite healed, with complications from diabetes and being a person too on-the-go to sit on his ass and let it heal. I loved Louis so much though with the pandemic, we hadn't seen each other or talked in ages. I've maybe stayed too insulated in my bubble because it's too sad to think about the before times world we've lost. Louis was full of life except when he wasn't...he'd come straight to the Casbah after another several day stint in the hospital from some complication or other, and he treated it like a nuisance that would keep him alive just a little bit longer. I will miss his spirit for sure, and I know there are hundreds if not thousands in the music industry and community at large who would say the same. RIP Louie. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Uptick In Moms-To-Be | Rural Rates Rising | Governor Newsom Returns To Governing; Signs Critical Housing Bills | Permanent Parklet Plan Moves Forward In San Diego |

Another one of Kianga and her calf from San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 9.15.21)

 After the inauguration of Joe Biden, I remember feeling this sense of hope that things would get better in the U.S. And in a million ways they have and I can even feel that I'm physically different. I sleep a little better, I'm a little more alert, even my digestion has improved. 

Then we had the lead-up to the recall and I was consuming absurd amounts of news and political ads as a side-effect, and I was back to horrible sleep, pain in my shoulders and neck, comfort eating, and all that kinda thing. 

Now the recall is over and for now, it feels like I can breathe again. I can make myself focus on non-news and life in general. Today I went to the San Diego Zoo-- alone because Darren was doing laundry -- and it was so nice, the weather so perfect, the crowd limited, and the animals extra chill. I watched the two young elephants sparring, the pygmy hippos go for a dip, and sat watching the mountain lions for awhile. After Darren dropped Nova off for derby, he and I ran to Costco and stocked the speakeasy and picked up dinner. 

It was a good, normal, not crazy, average day and I'm happy to have more of those. 

Stay safe out there.