Mu Detected in Local Sewage

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The Mu COVID-19 variant (B.1.621) has been detected in Altamonte Springs, Florida sewage. The virus is shed it in stool or urine. Tests are done on the waste water as a predictor for possible transmissions in a community.

The variant has also been found in 49 other states. As of Oct. 29, 2021 the Mu variant accounts for less than 1 percent of all COVID-19 infections in the U.S., according to the GISAID Initiative, which is an organization that promotes the rapid sharing of data from all influenza viruses and COVID-19. It is still the dominant strain of COVID-19 in Colombia, where it was originally found.

People did not consider Delta to be much of a concern when it came to the United States from India back in June. When a virus takes a foothold it grows at an exponential rate. By the time everyone realized it is a problem it is already too late.

Mu has mutations already in Delta ( B. 1.617. 2) but it also has mutations from Alpha (B.1.1.7), which was also known to be highly transmissible. A lab study pre-print suggests, that Mu is the most immune evasive virus we’ve seen in the pandemic. It could be able to evade the immunity provided by vaccines and prior infections. It has been listed as a a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization since August 30, 2021.

“Mu looks potentially good at immune evasion,” Danny Altmann, PhD, an immunologist at Imperial College London, told The Telegraph. “For my taste, it’s a stark reminder that this isn’t by any means over. On a planet of 4.4 million-plus new infections per week, there are new variants popping up all the time, and little reason to feel complacent.”

 

COVIDiots

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The Macmillian Dictionary defines “COVIDiot” as “an insulting term for someone who ignores health advice about COVID-19.” Urban Dictionary takes a pretty similar approach, defining “COVIDiot” as “someone who ignores the warnings regarding public health or safety. A person who hoards goods, denying them from their neighbors.”

Basically, a COVIDiot doesn’t take COVID-19 and the risks of the virus seriously, despite what government officials and the global health community say. At the same time, they may also engage in selfish behavior that doesn’t look out for the greater good when it comes to slowing down and stopping the spread of the coronavirus.

A COVIDiot is likely to say COVID-19 is a hoax or overblown, get pissed off when they’re asked to wear a mask, or refer to COVID-19 as “just a flu.”

They are confused and delusional also believing conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories are often used within a time of heightened anxiety to explain events beyond our control, Geoffrey Dancy, an expert in conspiracy theories, told Insider in March.

Insider reported that a new study has shown that those who believe in COVID-19 conspiracies are more likely to catch the virus, lose their jobs, and face social isolation. The Dutch study, published by Cambridge University Press, found that those who believe in COVID-19 conspiracies are less likely to be tested for COVID-19, but when tested, are more likely to be infected.  They also noted that there is a higher probability of this group violating coronavirus regulations and experiencing social rejection, reduced income, and decreased overall well-being.

Led by first author and social psychologist Jan-Willem van Prooijen, the study’s researchers surveyed 5,745 people to provide a large sample from a cross-section of Netherlands’ society, first in April 2020 and then again in December 2020.

Umm… Lets Change the Name

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Facebook struggles from halting and inconsistent response to rising extremism in the U.S. It a used by the Stop the Steal movement to organize a violent insurrection against the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. The platform is overrun by conspiracy theories.

When the Stop the Steal group was taken down by Facebook on November 5, 2020 there were already 360,000 members with tens of thousands joining every day. The group simply scattered to the plethora of other hate filled misinformation groups Facebook had nurtured.

Frances Haugen a a product manager in Facebook’s civic integrity team supplied Congress with thousands of internal Facebook documents that showed that the company knew that rubes would best engage with the platform if they were angered by the content. A peaceful exchange of ideas does not garner enough clicks. Facebook is an addiction engine.

Inside Facebook employees were warning that the platform encouraged groups to grow quickly and those groups were getting louder. In its internal report, Facebook acknowledged something striking: It “helped incite the Capitol Insurrection” on Jan. 6, 2021. Haugen noted that the company knows about the problems endemic to its platform, and how resistant it is to make changes that affect the growth it prizes above all else. “The thing I think we should be discussing is, what choices did Facebook make to expose the public to greater risk than was necessary?” Haugen says. “We should ask who gets to resolve these tradeoffs between safety and Facebook’s profits.” Se has claimed that Facebook misled investors and the public about its role in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

Oh, and Facebook is changing its name to Meta, or Maga, something like that. That should make this all better in Zuckerburg’s warped mind.

 

Lake Baldwin Dog Park

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Sketching class at Crealde School of Art branched off to sketch at Lake Baldwin Dog Park. It is only about a mile drive from the campus.

At Crealde I went over dog anatomy and showed them how to quickly sketch dogs from any animal from memory. The hope was that they could use what was learned to get dogs and their owners into a single sketch at the dog park.

After the dogs wrestle in the mud and splash in Lake Baldwin they often get a bath at this grooming station. Hoses are set up to spray the dogs down and owners often bring their own shampoos and lotions. On this day 50% of the owners were masked. Just keeping the dog on the platform is half of the battle.

Pam and I used to take Sprout and Donkey to this park rather often but we haven’t gone since the pandemic set in. On top of being around a bunch of mask less owners we realized that Sprout can not be run over by some larger dog while his leg heals from a knee surgery. He has been in isolation for several legs and he wears an inflatable Victorian collar that keeps him from licking his knee stitches.

This sketch demonstrated the basic principle I try and teach the students. I draw the stage and then add the actors. The setting is more important than the people who come and go while the sketch is in progress.

Elite Rob Ross Digital Demo

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For my Elite Animation Academy online students I sometimes use the painting of Rob Ross to get the students to play with brushes and use quick and loose brushwork to block in a painting. Rob Ross is infamous for doing his half hour paintings live on TV and this low resolution painting was done in a similar time frame.

What is different from a traditional oil painting is that I incorporate layers for each element of the painting. For instance the main mountain is separate from the smaller mountain ranges in front of it  and the foreground happy tree is separated from those as well.

One simple trick I show the students is to copy the mountain and flip it upside down wile making it a bit transparent and blurring it. I also used a smudge tool to hind at ripples in the water.

I don’t have the same soothing voice but my students are able to paint their own happy trees by the end of class.

After Pulse: Catholic Charities

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Gary Testor executive director of the Catholic Chrities of Central Florida, went to mass the morning after the Pulse Nightclub shooting. He head that there had been a shooting but the information was sketchy at the time. At about 10:15AM he got a text message from the chancellor of the dioceses, Carol Brinati, that Deacon David Grey was going to call. The call came at about 11am. David was at the Hampton Inn with other clergy. He needed counselors. Ten minutes later he called back and had realized that there was a need for Spanish speaking professionals.

It was chaotic at the Hampton inn and translators were needed. Gary called Debbie Cruz to arrange to get translators on site by 1pm.

Joel Stinera,was called by Debbie and then Rosa. He drove down to the Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) and arrived about 2 or 3pm. Family were waiting for news about their loved ones who may have been shot. It was crowded and disorganized. The experience was overwhelming and sad. He tried to comfort the family’s and friends of the victims.  Someone stood at a podium and started reading the names of the people at the hospital. After the list was read they said, “Well, if your family member wasn’t mentioned, they didn’t make it.” This was all in English. Many did not understand. Family cried. When family actually got news the chaos got worse. That experience marked him for life.

Julio Rivera saw the news on Facebook. His family began to call checking to see if he was OK. He flipped on the TV and couldn’t believe what he saw. Debbie Cruz contacted him and asked him to get downtown as well. People met at the Catholic Charities office and they went together to the Hampton Inn Hotel. They entered through the back door of the hotel. There was no security. They walked a long hallway with people crying, yelling and laying on the floor. He recognized some people, including former clients and talked to them. A doctor of director from hospital announced the names. The victims were in two different hospitals. The first names were people who were in stable but critical condition. Every announcement was in English. No one was translating. Julio tried to shout his translations over the chaos.

The second round was names of people at ORMC, in critical condition. People were advised to talk to a representative, but again this as all in English. People shouted, “Shut up we can not hear!” If a name was not announced then they did not have information about that person or they are deceased. When the translator announced that true chaos broke out. There was screaming crying and people hitting the walls. There was a lady on the floor and he gave her a bottle of water and tried to comfort her. The chief or police got u to the podium and said he understood the situation. He asked for time because they were still investigating. By that time no one was listening. It isn’t what you say, but how you say it and there was no compassion in the announcements. People who heard their loved ones names left for the hospitals. Everyone else stayed and waited. There was some media inside taking pictures. Julio stayed until about 7:30pm.

Intimate Apparel

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The Orlando Shakes will present Intimate Apparel by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage from October 27 to November 20, 2021.

Set during the turn of the twentieth century, the drama, deftly weaves together a story that explores the complexities of identity, vulnerability, and human resilience. Sewing exquisite lingerie gives Esther, an African American seamstress, an intimate look at the love lives of her diverse clientele, but leaves her yearning for a romance of her own. When a letter arrives from a stranger, she embarks on a journey to build the life she’s longed for.

In my first sketch for the show poster, I identified with the seamstress as a creator. She had a family heirloom which was an intricate quilt. In the Disney animated short John Henry a quilt was used to introduce the characters and begin to tell the story so my thoughts wandered in that direction. I fell in love with painting her at her turn of the century sewing machine.

The cursive type I chose was a bit hard to read from a distance and though the seamstress was intimately involved in her craft the image was somber.

My second sketch was more on the mark being an intimate portrait of the creator fitting her clientele. This image had the added benefit of having some sex appeal. These two woman would talk during the fittings and the friendship became one they both relied on.

The cursive type remained the same so I turned my attention to refining that on the next pass. I tried variations with a needle and bobbin. The type became more delicate and also more bold so it could be read from a distance. I also needed to make the author’s name bigger which would require a few adjustments. I was getting close. Though everyone seemed happy with the staging of the scene, I felt the need to tinker. There had to be a way of posing the tow characters to expose the fact that they were close but also a bit separate. They could be friends, but not close friends. The client could not invite her seamstress out to the theater for instance.

I decided to turn the client from the audience a bit to show the laces on the back of the corset. This made more sense with the position of the character to the mirror but it detracted from an intimacy with the viewer. I went back to the frontal view for the final image and worked on reposing the seamstress’s reflection in the mirror. Pam and her niece posed to help me figure out what the  pose would look like reversed in a mirror.

Jean-Édouard Vuillard is a french artist that I love. He lived from 1868 to 1940. His painting inspired what I tried to do in painting the parlor interior. He used subtle greyed colors with bright notes of color in the lights.

Anyway, I identified with the creative journey of this seamstress as she embraced hopes of a future only to find those hopes were hung on an illusion.   Despite this she could return to her creative endeavors which offered meaning when love was elusive.

Director: Shonn McCloud
Scenic and Lighting Designer: Stephen Jones
Costume Designer: Dana Rebecca Woods
Sound Designer: Britt Sandusky
Intimacy Coordinator: KJ Gilmer
Dialect Coach: Vivian Majkowski
AEA Stage Manager: George Hamrah
Production Assistant: Nahaira Morales

The cast includes, Lilian Oben as Esther, Trenell Mooring as Mrs. Dickson, Laurel Hatfield as Mrs. Van Buren, Adam T. Biner as Mr. Marks, Martine Fleurisma as Mayme, and Chris Lindsay as George.

The Shakes requires all patrons to bring a vaccination card or proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test for admission. Masks are required for all audience members. All Shakes actors and staff are fully vaccinated. The theater provides a special section in the upper mezzanine for patrons who wish to be distanced from other parties due to COVID-19. When purchasing, seats for this section is indicated in bright red. I vastly appreciate their consideration, and it is there in the Phantom’s upper section that I sit to sketch.

Beach Day

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20 years ago, On September 11, 2001, I was off on  painting vacation in Colorado. In the morning I finished a plein air painting of a mountain range and I went to a fish camp to use the men’s room. A man outside the men’s room said the twin towers had been hit by planes as well as the Pentagon. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

Instead of doing another painting, I returned to the hotel and turned on the news. I let the gravity of hat as happening wash over me for the rest of the day.

It was impossible to fly back home to Orlando Florida, so I ended up driving back across the country. Several times I was rattled seeing crop duster planes spraying fields in the mid west. All air traffic had been grounded because of the terrorist attack.

On this 20th memorial, Pam and I drove to the beach for some peace of mind. NPR news on the radio was playing audio for September 11, 2001 but we couldn’t listen. 2,977 people died that day and it was a day of infamy much like the attack on Pearl Harbor for my parents generation. So far, between 2020 and 2021 659,558 Americans have died from COVID-19. Will their memories ever be honored in the same way? Or will Americans deny, deflect and immediately ignore the toll from a tragedy that could have been mitigated with strong leadership and citizens who worked together to keep each other safe.

COVID-19 Psychic

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In America the surge of Delta COVID-19 cases is trailing off, but what will happen as we head into the winter months? Americans vaccinations have come to a virtual stand still and many people prefer to believe that the pandemic is over.

The virus will return and it will once again peak. Scientists are baffled to explain it’s continuing prevalence around the world. The best weapon against continued hospitalizations and deaths is to get vaccinated.

The New York Times reported that cases are rising in five northern states, Vermont, New Hampshire, Colorado, Michigan and Minnesota. This like the 2020 surge as the weather got colder.

There are about 80,000 cases a day in the United States. The U.S. is also not doing a great job of testing and contact tracing so those numbers are likely low. We are averaging 1,560 deaths a day. In the US over 50,000 people have died since that start of the Delta surge which began in June 2021. They did not need to die. A simple vaccine could have saved most if not all of those lives.

We can learn much about what might happen in the United States by watching trends around the world. Around the world there is declining activity. Europe however is seeing the highest number of cases and deaths in more than five months. Eastern Europe is particularly bad. Vaccine acceptance is particularly low in these countries. In Russia only 33% of residents are vaccinated. They don’t trust the government. Does that sound familiar? The death toll is likely under reported in Russia. The virus is not done with humanity. There are plenty of people that it can continue to burn through.

 

Waning Immunity

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The news every day has stories of breakthrough infections. CNN reported that 2 studies published October 6, 2021 confirm that the immune protection offered by two doses of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine drops off after two months or so, although protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death remains strong. The studies, from Israel and from Qatar and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, support arguments that even fully vaccinated people need to maintain precautions against infection.

Men’s immunity drop off faster than  women’s immunity. The study also indicated that immunity for people who get vaccinated after natural Covid-19 infection lasts longer. It’s especially strong for people who recovered from infection and then got vaccinated. “Overall, the accumulating evidence from our study and others shows that long-term response and vaccine effectiveness in previously infected persons were superior to that in recipients of two doses of vaccine,” they wrote. That leaves me wondering if being fully vaccinated and then getting infected also creates this sort of super boost to immunity.

Pfizer/BioNTech‘s vaccine protection against infection builds rapidly after the first dose, peaks in the first month after the second dose, and then gradually wanes in subsequent months,” Laith Abu-Raddad of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar and colleagues wrote. “The waning appears to accelerate after the fourth month, to reach a low level of approximately 20% in subsequent months,” they added.

Americans can choose a COVID-19 booster shot that is different from their original inoculation but the recommendation is to stick with the vaccine they got first if it is available, White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said on October 22, 2021. 80 Million Americans are still unvaccinated so there is plenty of wood for this fire to continue to burn through.