Pre-Pandemic: The Lucky Lure

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The Lucky Lure is a dog-friendly open-air bar with a long, always changing list of beers and live music nights. The Orlando Urban Sketchers group had a meet up in Ivanhoe Village and I decided to sketch inside the Lucky Lure while sipping a beer. Most artists were sketching a block north at an intersection outside but this spot had everything I needed. Today, masks are required.

On the street the lure has wooden shudders which fold open and are secured to the ceiling.  This allows anyone walking by to see into the essentially open air bar which is an advantage in the pandemic.

When all the urban sketchers had finished their work we met outside the Lucky Lure to compare sketches. The wide variety of styles are always an inspiration.

A large apartment complex called The Yards has been erected behind The Lucky Lure which displaced a number of railroad warehouse artists studios and The Venue which was one of my favorite edgy local theaters. As Orlando builds vertical it is doing it by displacing a once quirky arts neighborhood.

Early Spike

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With COVID vaccines finally rolling out in a timely manner the tenancy of clueless governors is to assume the pandemic is over. The trouble is that the daily cases in America have plateaued at about 50,0000 to 60,000 cases a day which is similar to the case counts during last summer’s surge.

CDC officials warned a far more contagious variant of the coronavirus first identified in Britain (B.1.1.7) will likely become the dominant source of infection in the United States. Florida is leading the country with the most cases of the U.K. coronavirus variant. B.1.1.7 is about 50 percent more contagious than the original strain. This the virus can spread much faster and  cause more deaths than the original virus.

Dr. Fauci warned against early re-openings, he said, “We’re not in the end zone yet. And that’s one of the issues that when you plateau, there’s always the risk of a surge,” the top infectious disease expert added. Despite this warning, states like Texas and Mississippi have dropped mask mandates and opened 100%. President Joe Biden declared that every American should be eligible to get vaccinated by May 1, 2021. If everyone gets the first available vaccine tragedy can be averted. However about 49% the former president’s supporters have said they are against getting vaccinated. The former president and his wife were vaccinated in secret before leaving office. Fauci said he wishes the former President would use his popularity among Republicans to persuade more of his followers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Bolsanaro

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Brazil has surpassed the United States with 2,000 Covid-related deaths in a single day for the first time, as infection rates soar.

President Jair Bolsonaro has downplayed the threat from the virus from the start. Earlier this week he told people to “stop whining“. Bolsonaro is more of a buffoon and threat to public health than Trump once was.

Across Brazil, intensive care units (ICU) are at more than 80% capacity, according to Margareth Dalcolmo, a doctor and researcher at Fiocruz. In 15 state capitals, ICUs are at more than 90% capacity, including in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

Reports say the capital Brasilia has now reached full ICU capacity, while two cities – Porto Alegre and Campo Grande – have exceeded capacity.

Brazilian epidemiologist Dr. Pedro Hallal told the BBC World Service‘s Outside Source programme: “If we do not start vaccinating the population here very soon, it will become a massive tragedy.” Brazil is facing its biggest crisis since the pandemic began – but still, it feels like people are trying to ignore it.

The surge in cases in recent days has been attributed to the spread of a highly contagious variant of the virus – named P1 – which is thought to have originated in the Amazon city of Manaus. People who had been infected by the COVID virus and recovered are being re-infected by the new variant. The worry is that the P1 variant is a looming threat over the progress made in the region and the world. Scientists are hopeful that, if necessary, vaccines can be tweaked to work against new variants.

Bolsenaro’s Health Minister, General Eduardo Pazuello, lacks public health expertise and supports Bolsonaro’s push to use unproven drugs to fight COVID-19, while downplaying the need for social distancing. Two previous Health Ministers had resigned because they could not in good conscience promote the use of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine. Pazuello was unable to secure timely supplies of vaccines for the country. “Having vaccinated too few people, the result has been “catastrophic,” said Dr. Ludhmila Hajjar, a cardiologist. Cheap flights fro Brazil to Florida can be found on Kyack for $162. The first case of the P1 variant was reported in Florida on February 18, 2021. An outbreak of this virus anywhere in the world in an outbreak of the virus everywhere in the world. Happy Spring Break folks.

Coughing Karen

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The LA Times reported that just after noon on March 7, 2021,Uber driver, Subhakar Khadka picked up three women in San Francisco California. On woman was not wearing a mask so he had to end the ride after two blocks. It is Uber policy that all passenger must wear a mask.

In a dashboard camera video widely circulated on social media, the woman coughs on the driver and curses his mask-wearing.

“And I’ve got corona!” one of the other passengers says while pulling down her face covering.

Then the mask less woman grabbed his phone which he was able to recover. She then ripped of his mask. destroying it in the process. After the women exited the car, one of them pepper-sprayed Khadka through an open window before fleeing, police said. The driver, a Nepali immigrant, told KPIX-TV that he thought he was targeted because of his race.

The Karen has been banned from the Uber app, a company spokesperson said in a statement. Lyft also barred the woman from its app, according to a tweet from the company. The maskless passenger and the other woman who lowered her mask to threaten the driver have been arrested in Las Vegas police on March 9, 2021 on suspicion of assault and battery, assault with a caustic chemical, conspiracy, and a violation of state health and safety codes. The Karen tried to defend her actions wearing a pink bra and panties on twitter.

Uber offered the driver $20 to try and clean the pepper spray out of his car’s upholstery. Cyan Banister, an activist and entrepreneur who was an early investor in Uber, started a GoFundMe account for Khadka. The fund had reached more than $94,645 in pledges as of March 14, 2021.

In a statement, the San Francisco police departments said, “We take this conduct very seriously in San Francisco, and we’re committed to ensuring that justice is done in this case.”

FEMA Vaccine Site at Valencia College

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Now that teachers are allowed to get vaccinated, Pam and I went to the Valencia College, FEMA Vaccination site. White tents were set up in the college parking lot and National Guard troops handled much of the logistics.

This sketch was done in the first of a series of switchbacks. The site officially opened at 7am and we were there about an hour early. We didn’t actually wait an hour since the line started pressing forward before I finished this sketch.

In each of the seven tents we had to provide a drivers license and proof of school employment. We had to answer questions about foreign travel, and if we had any COVID-19  symptoms. Temperature checks happened several times. It was nice to be in a place where everyone wore a mask. Pubic health took priority over politics. White Tape marks on the pavement kept people six feet apart in line.

We had a choice to take the Johnson and Johnson vaccine or the Pfizer vaccine. We chose Pfizer. The shot itself was quick and painless. Now I am waiting to see if I get any side effects. Honestly I feel good. This is the first time I have felt some hope for humanity. The birds are chirping, and the weather is gorgeous. Perhaps life is beginning to return to normal. In April we will return to this site for our second dose of the vaccine.

Pfizer said its Covid-19 vaccine blocked 94% of asymptomatic infections in an Israeli study. The study also found the vaccine was at least 97% effective against symptomatic Covid cases, hospitalizations and deaths, the company said.

One Year Ago Today

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Due to Covid-19 their are NO Top 6 Picks for this Weekend! Orlando is on lock down. STAY HOME. Say Safe.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Covid-19 outbreak a pandemic.  The number of cases of the virus outside China had increased 13 fold. The number of affected countries has tripled. There are no more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries. The number of cases, deaths and countries affected will continue to climb. As of March 9, 2021 525,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, which is more American deaths that WWI and WWII combined.

WHO has been following the outbreak and they are alarmed by the spread and severity of the disease and they are alarmed by the inaction by governments. This is the first pandemic caused by a corona virus. The United States now has the most coronavirus cases and deaths of any country in the world.

County Mayor Jerry Demings announced that an Orange County Florida resident died while traveling abroad in California. As of this morning, Demings has declared a local emergency for Orange County. The emergency operations center has been activated and is fully staffed. He compared this outbreak to the three hurricanes that ravaged Central Florida in 2004.

Gatherings of 200 people or more have been canceled. The goal is to stop the spread of the Covid-19 Virus. An Orange County Executive Order is still in effect requiring residents to wear a face covering when in public spaces.
The Parks Department will cancel all programs for seniors. City-hosted, sponsors and permitted events with 50+ attendees are cancelled or postponed until further notice.
Orange County Spring Break camps will continue as planned, but field trips have been canceled. There are many Spring Break Camps happening in Central Florida in 2021 despite the pandemic. Yet, all youth and adult sporting activities and programs at Families, Parks and Recreation facilities are suspended effective immediately until further notice according to the Orlando City web site.
County Special events have been postponed, including Fort Christmas Bluegrass Festival and other events. The 2021 Fort Christmas Bluegrass Festival has also been canceled.

City Mayor Buddy Dyer issued a state of emergency for the city of Orlando.

All City events have been canceled through the end of the month, including the plant sale at Leu Gardens, The Sunday Farmers Market at Lake Eola. The plant sale at Leu Gardens is being held March 13 and 14, 2021 despite the pandemic. The Lake Eola Farmers Market is open each Sunday in 2021 despite the pandemic with guests required to wear masks.
All activities related to seniors have been suspended.
Youth activities will go on.

Disney announced that Walt Disney World will be closed starting Sunday March 15, 2020 through the end of the month. Employees of the Disney theme parks will be paid despite the closure. The hotels at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris will remain open until further notice. The retail and dining complexes, Disney Springs at Walt Disney World and Disney Village at Disneyland Paris, will remain open. All Disney Cruise line departures have been suspended. Disney World re-opened July 11, 2020. Masks are required. Disney World is sold out as the 2021 spring break approaches.

The release of Disney’s live action remake of Mulan is being delayed with no determined release date due to Covid-19 concerns. Mulan was released on September 4, 2020 on Disney +. Disney has also pulled the release of New Mutants and the Guillermo del Toro produced horror movie AntlersA. AntlersA is slate to be releases on September 21, 2021.

Universal Studios also announced the Universal Orlando Resort will close on Sunday. Hourly employees will be paid for any work scheduled through the end of March, a company spokesperson said in a statement. Universal Orlando’s hotels and Universal CityWalk will remain open. Universal Studios re-opened on June 5, 2020,

Legoland also announced closure due to Covid-19. Legoland re-opened June 1, 2020.

As of today the City of Orlando has not canceled any city-hosted events and or meetings. I was at a city hosted Diversitastic dining event just last night. As we ate dinner, the Theme parks announced closures. The city says they are taking the decision to cancel or postpone city-hosted events very seriously. There are ongoing discussions that are happening every day as they continue to monitor and evaluate the situation. Diversitastic dining experiences have been happening monthly despite the pandemic. Staff wear face coverings, and patrons are asked to do so when arriving and interacting with waitstaff. Temperature are taken before entry, and hand sanitizer is provided. Guests are seated only with their own party, at a safe but friendly distance from other tables. Electronic payment in advance means money will only change hands if extra drinks are purchased.

CDC’s recommendations to reduce your risk of exposure:

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

Should you see a doctor?

Ask yourself:

Have you traveled outside the U.S. in the last two weeks?
Have you been in close contact with someone testing positive for COVID-19?
Do you have a fever greater than 100 degrees?

A fever alone does not indicate that you need to be tested for COVID-19. But if you’ve traveled or come in contact with a COVID-19-positive person, you need to be tested. Call your medical provider first and get instructions on how to report for a test. Symptoms of Covid-19 may include fever, cough difficulty breathing and sore throat. Symptoms generally appear in two to 14 days after exposure. Health officials said most patents experience mild symptoms and can recover at home.
However some patients, particularly those with underlying medical conditions, may experience more severe respiratory illness.

The Day that Sports Stood Still

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March 11, 2020 The Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder were set to tip-off in a midweek match up. There was an unusually long delay by the referees to start the game. It was announced that Utah center Rudy Gobert had COVID-19. He had mocked the virus by touching every mic in the news conference room. Both teams were then quarantined in their respective locker rooms and fans were told to exit the arena. The National Basketball League (NBA) elected to postpone the season. Everything in the sports world was suddenly canceled.

The NBA invested in a Walt Disney World Orlando Bubble during the final eight games of the 2019–20 regular season and throughout the 2020 NBA playoffs. Players were tested often and were to stay isolated. Multiple players who had previously tested positive for the coronavirus then tested positive a second time, sources told ESPN. The NBA has announced more than 100 positive tests since last summer. Lou Williams a Clippers guard was granted an excused absence for a family funeral. While on leave, he went to Magic City an Atlanta strip club where he was photographed.

The Major League Baseball league bubble was even a worse nightmare. Teams still traveled city to city allowing for plenty of opportunities for infections on the road. The Miami  Marlins had over 19 reported cases of COVID-19. Baseball players were tested and traced incessantly, isolated and placed, as needed, on the COVID-19. Much of the it drama occurred outside the public eye. The confidentiality of the players’ health status was a high priority. That said, there were 104 positive tests reported to the public.

In the National Football League (NFL) 32 teams were hit by COVID-19. Games were postponed as a result of players testing positive for the coronavirus. As of July 10, 2020 The NFL Players Association revealed on its website that 72 players in the league have already tested positive for COVID-19 . The Superbowl was areal shit show. The league said that many of the seats in the stadium would be filled by photo cut out of virtual fans. However it was clear on game day that they packed as many people as they could on the lower level around the 50 yard line. The post game celebrations in Tampa following the game were far worse.

Lost in 2020:

– Qiu Jun (72), Chinese bodybuilder, died on February 6 in Wuhan
– Italo De Zan (92), Italian cyclist, died on March 9 in Treviso
– Francisco Garcia (21), Spanish football coach, died on March 17 in Malaga
– Luciano Federici (81), Italian footballer, died on March 18 in Carrara
– Innocenzo Donina (69), Italian footballer, died on March 19 in Bergamo
– Jose Maria Candela (59), Spanish sports journalist, died on March 20
– Tomas Diaz-Valdes (78), Spanish sports journalist and amateur pilot, died on March 20 in Madrid
– Benito Joanet (84), Spanish footballer and coach, died on March 22 in Alicante
– Mohamed Farah (59), Somalian footballer, died on March 24 in London
– Azam Khan (95), Pakistani squash player, died on March 28 in London
– Pearson Jordan (69), Barbadian sprinter, died on March 28
– Jose Luis Capon (72), Spanish footballer, died on March 29 in Madrid
– Angelo Rottoli (61), Italian boxer, died on March 29 in Ponte San Pietro
– David Hodgkiss (71), Chairman of Lancashire County Cricket Club, died on March 30
– Pape Diouf (69), Senegalese journalist and former president of Olympique de Marseille, died on March 31 at Dakar
– Daniel Yuste (75), Spanish cyclist, died on March 31
– Goyo Benito (73), Spanish footballer, died on April 2 in Madrid
– Zaccaria Cometti (83), Italian footballer, died on April 2 in Romano di Lombardia
– Arnold Sowinski (89), French footballer, died on April 2 in Lens
– Tom Dempsey (73), American football (NFL), died on April 4in New Orleans
– Roger Chappot (79), Swiss ice hockey player, died April 7
– Donato Sabia (56), Italian athlete, died April 8 in Potenza
– Miguel Jones (81), Spainish footballer, died on April 8 in Madrid
– Francesco La Rosa (93), Italian footballer, died on April 8, in Milan
– Ho Kam Ming (95), Macanese-born Canadian martial artist, died on April 9in Toronto
– Francisco Aritmendi (81), Spanish athlete, died on April 12
– Baldiri Alavedra (76), Spanish footballer, died on April 13
– Zafar Sarfraz (50), Pakistani cricketer, died on April 13 kin Peshawar
– Cyril Lawrence (99), English Footballer, died on April 14
– Norman Hunter (76), English Footballer, died on April 17
– Lukman Niode (56), Indonesian swimmer, died on April 17
– Bob Lazier (81), American race car driver, died on April 18
– Urano Navarrini (74), Italian football player and manager, died on April 18
– Steve Dalkowski (80), American baseball player, died on April 19
– Josep Sala Mane (82), Spanish casteller, died on April 20
– Dave Bacuzzi (79), British footballer, died on April 21
– Teruyuki Okazaki (88), Japanese karate master, died on April 21
– Henk Overgoor (75), Dutch footballer, died on April 23
– John Rowlands (73), English footballer, died on April 26
– Francesco Perrone (89), Italian athlete, died on April 27
– Dick Lucas (86), American Football player, died on April 29
– Fernando Sandoval (77), Brazilian water polo players, died on May 1
– Jim Cross (83), American ice hockey player, died on May 2
– John Ogilvie (91), English footballer, died on May 2
– Roy Lester (96), American Football player, died on May 3
– Shobushi (28), Japanese sumo wrestler, died on May 13
– Marv Luster (82), American Football player, died on May 25
– Celio Taveira (79), Brazil footballer, died on May 29
– Riaz Sheikh (51), Pakistani cricketer, died on June 4
– E Hamsakoya (61), Indian footballer, died on June 6
– Ali Hadi Mohsin (53), Iraqi footballer, died on June 12
– Aaron Padilla Gutierrez (77), Mexican football, died June 14
– Ahmed Radhi (56), Iraqi footballer, died on June 21
– Ken Snow (50), American footballer, died on June 21
– Mohammed Yaseen Mohammed (57), Iraqi weightlifter, died on June 24
– Ilija Petkovic (74), Serbia footballer, died on June 24
– Muhammad Alloush (44), Egyptian football coach, died on June 29
– Sanjay Dobal (53), Indian cricketer, died on June 29
– Mohamed Kouradji (68), Algerian football referee, died on July 9
– Corra Dirksen (82), South American rugby player, died on July 10
– Ramesh Tikaram (51), Indian para-athlete, died on July 16
– Cesar Salinas (58), Head of the Bolivian football federation, died on July 19
– James Arthur Harris aka Kamala (70), American professional wrestler, died on August 9
– Chetan Chauhan (73), former Indian cricketer, died on August 16
– Tom Seaver (75), former American baseball player, died on August 31
– Nadhim Shaker (61), former Iraqi footballer, died on September 11
– Azmi Mohamed Megahed (70), former Egyptian volleyball player, died on September 12
– Nick Mourouzis (80), former American Football player and coach, died on September 16
– Abdul Mahdi Hadi (74), former Iraqi footballer, died on September 26
– Jay Johnstone (74), former American baseball player, died on September 26
– Ruben Anguiano (64), former Mexican footballer, died on September 26
– Fred Dean (68), former American Football player, died on October 14
– Danil Khalimov (42), Russian wrestler, died on October 15
– Ernesto Contreras (83), former Argentinian cyclist, died on October 25
– Miguel Angel Castellini (73), former Argentinin boxer, died on October 28
– Rick Baldwin (67), former American baseball player, died on October 30
– John Meyer (78), former American Football player, died on November 4
– Shkelqim Troplini (54), former Albanian wrestler, died on November 9
– Jim Pace (59), American racing driver, died on November 13
– Lindy McDaniel (84), American baseball player, died on November 14
– Kay Wiestal (80), former Swedish footballer, died on November 14
– Juan Roldan (63), former Argentinean boxer, died on November 18
– Resit Karabacak (66), former Turkish wrestler, died on November 19
– George Nock (74), former American Football player, died on November 22
– Nikola Spasov (61), former Bulgarian footballer, died on November 23
– Fred Sasakamoose (86), former Canadian ice hockey player, died on November 24
– Vladimir Ivanov (65), former Bulgarian athlete, died on November 26
– Roberto Leitao (83), former Brazilian martial artist, died on November 28
– Ernesto Galli (75), former Italian footballer, died on November 29
– Aldo Moser (86), former Italian cyclist, died on December 2
– Arnie Robinson (72), former American athlete, died on December 2
– Karim Salman (55), former Iraqi footballer, died on December 2
– Tony Curcillo (89), former American Football player, died on December 8
– Aslanbek Fidarov (47), former Russain wrestler, died on December 8
– Kurt Stettler (88), former Swiss footballer, died on December 8
– Gordon Forbes (86), former South African tennis player, died on December 9
– Charley Pride (86), former American baseball player, died on December 12
– Otto Baric (87), former Croatian footballer, died on December 13
– Marcelo Veiga (56), former Brazilian footballer, died on December 14
– Paul Nihill (81), former British race walker, died on December 15
– Rene Weber (59), former Brazilian footballer, died on December 16
– Giovanni Sacco (77), former Italian footballer, died on December 17
– Marjan Lazovski (58), former Macedonian bastketball player, died on December 19
– Benedicto Bravo (58), former Mexican footballer, died on December 24
– Armando Romero (60), former Mexican footballer, died on December 24
– Milka Babovic (92), former Croatian athlete, died on December 26
– Nikhil Nandy (88), former Indian footballer, died on December 29
– Gennady Strakhov (76), former Russian Wrestler, died on December 30

Died in 2021 

– Cleber Eduardo Arado (48), Brazil footballer, died on January 2
– Brandaozinho (90), former Brazil footballer, died on January 5
– Hubert Auriol (68), French racing driver, died on January 10
– Bruno Ghedina (77), former Italian ice hockey player, died on January 10
– Fabio Enzo (74), former Italian footballer, died on January 11
– Paul Kolliker (88), former Swiss rower, died on January 11
– Joel Robert (77), former Belgian racer, died on January 13
– Leonidas Pelekanakis (58), former Greece sailor, died on January 14
– Geoff Barnett (74), former American footballer, died on January 15
– Gildardo Garcia (66), Colombian chess player, died on January 15
– Gyorgy Handel (61), former Hungarian football, died on January 16
– Carlos Burga (68), former Peruvian boxer, died on January 18
– Danial Jahic (41), former Serbian long jumper, died on January 19
– Gustavo Pena (78), former Mexican footballer, died on January 19
– Raisuddin Ahmed (82), former Bangladesh cricketer, died on January 20
– Calixto Avena (77), former Colombian footballer, died on January 21
– Anthony Mwamba (60), former Zambian boxer, died on January 21
– Roy Torrens (72), former Irish cricketer, died on January 23
– Johannes Edvaldsson (70), former Iceland footballer, died on January 24

The Naked Virus: A Daytona Superspreader

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Bike Week in Daytona Florida continues through March 14, 2021. This is the 80th Daytona Bike Week.Last year the rally happened right at the beginning of the pandemic and it helped spread the virus.

300,000 bikers are expected to show up in Daytona the midst of the pandemic. It will of course spread the virus all across the country. The new COVID variant, B117 is far more contagious and deadly than the first strain of the virus and Florida is ground zero. There have been 31,000 deaths from COVID-19 in Florida so far, the third highest death toll in the country. Florida continues to do every stupid thing it can to be number one.

Officials in Daytona allowed bars to open at 60 percent indoor capacity for the annual Bike Week. Just like the Sturgis Bike Rally in North Dakota during the pandemic, making money took a priority over public health.

Infectious Disease doctor Mohammed Reza of Daytona is worried about the possible outcomes. “My concern is this will become a superspreader event,” Reza said. “Especially if we have this more contagious variant of the virus already in Florida. No matter how much we do, anytime people congregate and come together, this virus will spread.”

Bobby chin strap, The Naked Virus, has been pan handling at Bike Week for 21 years. His wife, The Naked Cow Girl also works the event. This year Daytona instituted a policy that prohibits pan handling within 10 feet of businesses. The Naked Cowboy was arrested for pan handling.

At first I was sympathetic to the plight of the guitarist who only wore Fruit of the Loom underwear. Perhaps he was truly an artist. But then he started throwing the  N-Word around. “So the blacks can walk around and take tips all day long.” he said. He also gave the female officer a hard time for wearing a mask saying she must be a fan of Biden. She was wearing a neck garter which is the least effective form of a mask, the other officer had no mask. Bobby chin-strap,  The Naked Virus, WAS wearing a mask when he appeared in court. Pan handling charges were dropped and he pleaded no contest to resisting arrest. Chin strap paid $223 in court costs.

With the vaccines rolling out there is light at the end of the tunnel. Stop being stupid.

South Beach Superspreader

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Miami invested 5 million dollars on an ad campaign to convince people to come to South Florida during the pandemic for spring break. Tourism in Florida generated over $91 billion in 2018, but due to COVID-19 lock down measures Miami lost billions of dollars in 2020.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has no mask mandate in place for the state. It does not take a rocket scientist to realize that spring breakers will take no safety precautions when they come on mass to Miami beach to party hard and spread the virus.

A new variant of the virus imported from Great Britain called B117 now accounts for more that 40% 0f new cases of COVID-19 in Florida. Florida has more cases of the variant than any other state. B117 is more contagious and more deadly. We are at a tipping point as the slow roll out of vaccines is racing against the exponential growth of this new variant. Global health expert Dr. Peter Hotez has warned that these spring breakers could “spell disaster” for the country. “It’s the perfect storm,” he said. When all the drinking and partying is over the college students will return home to seed the virus all over the country. I am amazed that Florida Governors are happy to repeat the same mistakes they made exactly one year ago.

More than 1 million Americans traveled domestically and internationally over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day which likely seeded the B117 variant in the USA. The B117 SARS-CoV-2 variant, identified in 33 states thus far, will dominate other strains in the coming weeks, triggering major COVID-19 surges such as those seen in Portugal and the United Kingdom—unless the United States immediately scales up surveillance and mitigation efforts. However in Florida, bars, restaurants, and clubs will remain open because Miami is unable to keep them closed due to a state executive order from Governor Ron DeSantis. He chose never to implement statewide mask mandates. Last year, Florida became of the biggest states to loosen COVID-19 restrictions when DeSantis reopened all restaurants, hotels, and bars at full capacity. Let the parties begin as the new variant spreads like wildfire.

Pre-Pandemic: The Wooly

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The after work crowd quickly filled The Wooly in Manhattans Financial District (9Barckay Street NYC). I quickly dashed off a sketch while Pam met with fellow museum curators.

The Wooly began in 2009 with a clandestine bar in the landmark Woolworth building in lower Manhattan.

The Wooly quickly became a downtown destination for private parties within the art, fashion, music, tech and entertainment industries.

I liked the dark wood warmth of the places lighting. I was standing at a central room divider with seats and a simple shelf for drinks.

The kitchen has pretzels, Buffalo wings tacos and burgers. I’m pretty sire I just had a beer while I sketched. They are offering take out and catering during the pandemic. I don’t imagine the scene I sketched exists right in NYC.

I miss sketching these sorts of crowded scenes. Thankfully the COVID-19 case numbers are falling and perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel after a year of isolation in my artist studio.