Crealde Zoomscapes

Posted on by Thor

My Sunday morning Crealde School of Art Urban Sketching Class begins again on April 11, 2021.As of April 1, 2021 I will have had my second COVID-19 vaccine shot, so I will be more at ease. I will still follow all safety protocols like wearing a mask, maintaining my distance and washing my hands and wiping surfaces down religiously.

This sketch is from the class to demonstrate using thumbnail drawings to move an audience through a space. All classes have been held outdoors unless the weather keeps us inside. The primary point of the class is to get the students used to carrying a sketchbook everywhere they go and to fill it with simple daily direct observations.

I tend to seek out gatherings of people to include in my sketches and that has been put on hold for well over a year now. As the state opens to a new normal I am slowly venturing out with my sketchbook. In a week I will be sketching the Shakes performance of A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream at the Lake Eola Bandshell. When I first moved to Orlando I remember seeing a Shakespeare production at the bandshell. I am thankful that the Shakes if finding a way to keep theater alive through the pandemic.

The spring Crealde Urban Sketching Class was canceled since there was not enough interest among artists in sketching the world as it exists during the pandemic.

The Florida Pit

Posted on by Thor

You Tube had to remove a video posted by Florida Governor Ron DeathSantis that had misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic health crisis. The video was a recording was of a March 18, 2021 roundtable discussion on public health featuring a panel of physicians who appeared to be hand-picked because their views aligned with DeSantis’ handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Among them was Dr. Scott Atlas, a radiologist with no experience as an epidemiologist or public health expert, who was a pandemic adviser to former President Donald Trump. He had to resign from the administration. His tenure had been mired in controversy.

Also on the panel were Dr. Martin Kulldorff of Harvard University, Dr. Sunetra Gupta of Oxford University and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, of Stanford Medical School — all of whom have been critical of lockdowns and certain other measures amid the pandemic. It should noted that during the rise of the Nazi party in Germany, doctors and nurses were happy to murder patients for the fatherland.

DeSantis asked panelists whether children needed to wear face masks in school. They contradicted the findings of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). YouTube pointed to those comments as example of content that violated its standards about “COVID-19 medical misinformation.” (CDC) recommends that children ages 2 and older wear a mask when in public and when around people they don’t live with.

Florida leads the country in the number of COVID variants. Florida has double the number of variants as the number two state Michigan. The state’s openness and tourism could be contributing factors on top of the Governor’s arrogant stupidity. A report this week from the National Institutes of Health called the B.1.1.7 variant “considerably more contagious than the original virus” and said “emerging evidence indicates that infection with this B.1.1.7 variant also comes with an increased risk of severe illness and death.” Florida also has the P.1 variant first detected in Brazil and the B.1.351 variant initially identified in South Africa. Research has now shown that the South African variant can infect people who have had the Pfizer vaccine.

People continue to arrive in Central Florida’s theme parks and other statewide tourist destinations from all over the country, which means that if the variant emerges elsewhere, they are more likely to bring it into the state. Also if people become infected while letting their guard down in Florida they can then bring the virus back to their home state. Orange County Florida, health officials provide twice-per-week updates on the county’s number of variant cases, which continues to grow. On April 1, 2021 the health officials reported 105 variant cases, up from 80 cases in the county on March 29, 2021. Cases are rising in younger adults. It should be noted that variants are very under reported.

Thanks to the Governor, Florida remains the nations top breading ground for the spread of the virus and its variants. A total of 2,118,713 Florida residents have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began. On April 9, 2021, 6,906 new COVID-19 cases were reported with 50 deaths. As of April 10, 2021 there have been 34,676 deaths in the state related to the virus.

 

2021 A COVID Odyssey

Posted on by Thor

A virus anywhere in the world is a virus everywhere in the world. Wealthy nations of the world are hoarding vaccines. This has been referred to as Vaccine Nationalism or Vaccine Apartheid.

Astra Zeneca/Oxford, Pfeizer/BionTech, and Moderna said that together they will produce 5.3 billion doses of vaccine in 2021. That is enough for 3 billion people, over 1/3 of the global population.

The majority of those doses have already been set aside.  The European Union, America, Canada, Japan, and England have already pre-ordered half those doses. Canada had 9 doses for every one of its residents and the US has ordered just over 7 doses per person. These countries only account for 13% of the global population. For poorer countries there will not be much to go around. Most people in poor countries will have to wait until 2023.

There are dangers to Vaccine Nationalism. Granted rich countries will have the first access, and will begin to recover from the pandemic and economically, but the poor countries will have to wait. The virus does not respect boarders. No wall will keep it out. Counties believing they are safe while the virus rages in poor countries are very foolish. It does not work. Global economies are based on open commerce and travel. COVID-19 loves to travel. Every plane flight can ignite an outbreak anywhere in the world.

Drug patents will result in hundreds of thousands of deaths for poorer nations. South Africa and India hoped to have patents suspended for the duration of the pandemic so cheap generic vaccines could be mass manufactured for poorer countries. The motion was overruled by wealthy nations. Multinational drug companies are very effective at lobbying governments. Patents bring huge profits to the drug companies and allow then to control the prices. However these companies received billions of dollars in public funds for research and development. Profit, or death in poorer nations? The answer is easy for the richer countries. The South African variant of the virus is infecting people who have had the Pfeizer vaccine. The virus is mutating and spreading from poor countries and America is the perfect petri dish.

President Joe Biden said, “We’re going to start off and ensure Americans are taken care of first, but we’re then going to try to help the rest of the world.” He said it was clear that the pandemic would not be over until it was ended everywhere. “We’re not going to be ultimately safe, until the world is safe,” he said.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Posted on by Thor

This is the first live theater I have documented in more than a year in my sketchbook. When I first moved to Orlando over 20 years ago, I went to a performance by the Shakes at the Lake Eola Bandshell. Because the the pandemic they have returned to bring live theater to the bandshell.

Across thee street a bar was blasting it music since it was Friday night but thankfully when the show began they turned the music down.

The crowd around the box office was a bit unnerving, but then I was shown that there were markers on the pavement to allow 6 feet of distance while waiting in line. Every other row of the seating was blocked off with yellow ribbons and seating blocks were separated by ribbons as well to maintaining social distancing.

A woman with purple hair had a band aid on her shoulder indicating she had just gotten her vaccine shot. Several other woman wore flower garlands in their hair and bright spring dresses. There was hope in the air. I was exited to finally experience live theater again.

William Shakespeare‘s, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is well suited for an outdoor performance. The columns on stage opened up to showcase forest greenery illumined by strings of lights. Unrequited love was turned on it’s head with love potions which resulted in one woman falling in love with an ass. By ass, I don’t mean a Florida Man, but a donkey. The central moon remained illuminated throughout and the forest was at times mysterious and at others joyous thanks to the lighting design. I had considered a tablet to capture the lighting but decided screen glow might be a distraction. I needn’t have worried since there was no one nearby.

Overall it was a fun evening with laughter and caricatured socially distanced acting. When characters were meant to hug, they did it from at least six feet apart. Actors always wore their masks except when they were on stage and they all were tested for COVID-19 three times a week. In return the audience wore masks as well. I admired how well the Shakes promoted social distancing. It was an absolute joy to be in an audience again. The evening signified that there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel.

In NYC pop up performances have started outdoors as well. In NYC, The Shakespeare in the Park Stage will feature a free production of Merry Wives, which will run for 8-weeks, starting on July 5, 2021. Adapted from The Merry Wives of Windsor. Tickets for Broadway shows are available for performances in the fall.

These arts revivals will help pull people together, connect people to themselves, and to each other. With vaccines in arms, the arts are also helping the community heal. I felt my lines and washes were documenting a monumental return to a new normal. This too shall pass.

One Third Develop Neurological Disorders

Posted on by Thor

In an Oxford University study of more than 230,000 mostly American patients, one in three COVID-19 survivors were diagnosed with a brain or psychiatric disorder within six months.

Researchers who conducted the analysis said it was not clear how the virus was linked to psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression, but that these were the most common diagnoses among the 14 disorders they looked at.

The study published in Lancet Psychiatry Journal, found that anxiety, at 17%, and mood disorders, at 14%, were the most common, disorders, and did not appear to be related to how mild or severe the patient’s COVID-19 infection had been.

Among those who had been admitted to intensive care with severe COVID-19 however, 7% had a stroke within six months, and almost 2% were diagnosed with dementia. And while the neurological effects are more severe in hospitalized patients, they are still common in those who were only treated in an outpatient setting, the researchers note. “This is a very important paper. It confirms beyond any reasonable doubt that COVID-19 affects both brain and mind in equal measure,” said Simon Wessely, chair of psychiatry at King’s College London.

5 States: 44% of Cases

Posted on by Thor

CNN reported that five states account for 44% of the COVID-19 cases in the past week according to data from Johns Hopkins University. New York, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey had more than 196,400 of the country’s 453,360 cases reported in the last week, according to data available the morning of April 7. 2021.

Michigan has been hit especially hard with 6,600 cases a day over a week as opposed to 1,350 daily cases five weeks ago. The highly contagious and deadly B.1.1.7 variant of the COVID virus has helped cause the spike in cases. People are also experiencing pandemic fatigue and are taking fewer precautions giving the virus plenty of opportunity to spread.

The B.1.1.7, first identified in the UK, is now the most common strain of coronavirus in the United States, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said April 7, 2021.

With more-transmissible variants adding up, surges like Michigan’s may soon be seen more widely, even though vaccination rates have increased nationally, epidemiologist Dr. Michael Osterholm said. The CDC says more than 16,200 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant have been confirmed in surveillance testing in the US, and B.1.1.7 has been found in every state. This number does not represent the total number of such cases circulating in the United States, but rather only those found by analyzing samples. Florida has more that 3000 confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant, more than any other state.

The US has averaged 774 Covid-19 deaths a day over the last week. According to the latest CDC data, 19.4% of the total US population was fully vaccinated as of the morning of April 7, 2021; and 57.4% of people age 65 and older are fully vaccinated. But the US has a long way to go before reaching herd immunity. Dr. Anthony Fauci has estimated 70%-85% of the population needs to become immune.

Future of Cruising

Posted on by Thor

There had been at least 3,689 COVID-19 or coronavirus-like illness cases on cruise ships in U.S. waters, “in addition to at least 41 reported deaths,” the CDC said last October 2020. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all people avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide. That’s because the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is high, since the virus appears to spread more easily between people in close quarters aboard ships.

Florida Governor Ron DeathSantis (R) is threatening to sue the federal government if the CDC doesn’t allow cruises to restart by the summer. The cruise industry is worth billions of dollars for the state’s economy, according to the Associated Press (AP).

University of Florida epidemiologist Cindy Prins told AP it’s “too early” for cruises to resume, given the higher risk of the virus spreading among passengers mingling on ships for long periods. She noted that “testing and symptom screening are not perfect methods of prevention.” Prins added companies would have to limit passenger numbers, with crews required to show they’re fully vaccinated in order to lower the risk of the virus spreading — something DeathSantis opposes, and no industry leader addressed. DeathSantis also opposed COVID-19 vaccine passports.

Florida became one of the world’s epicenters for the virus last July, forcing DeathSantis to pause the state’s first round of reopening. He fully lifted restrictions on restaurants last September, as part of a commitment to reopen the economy, saying “we’re not closing anything going forward.” He never set up a statewide mandate to wear masks.

Major U.S. cruise lines are accepting bookings for June 2021 trips out of Florida ports, a Spectrum News review has found. The bookings come as Norwegian Cruise Line this month canceled all cruises through June 2021. “The timing for re-start in the U.S. continues to be uncertain,” On April 6, 2021 Carnival said in a statement to Spectrum News. On April 6, 20211, Carnival Cruise extended its pause of all operations out of U.S. ports through June 30, 2021.

COVID-19 Double Mutant

Posted on by Thor

A new COVID-19 variant known as “Double Mutant” is responsible for a surge in coronavirus cases in a a region of India that includes Mumbai. The existence of the newly discovered variant was first disclosed by India’s government on March 24, 2021. It is called a double mutant because it contains two mutations of the COVID-19 virus.

One day late, on March 25, 2021 one case of the Double Mutant was found in the San Francisco Bay area in California.

Dr. Benjamin Pinsky, a Stanford doctor, said, that this double mutation has a mutation in the spike protein which is found in the California variant and also a mutation that is found in the South African and Brazil variants.  “We do have some information on experiments on the individual mutations (California, Brazil, South African) suggesting that antibodies will be less able to neutralize this India variant.” Pinsky said. “So this rapid spread across the globe is pretty impressive, and also a bit concerning.”

The city of Manaus in Brazil was one of the hardest hit in the world with a conventional strain of the coronavirus, and it now there’s a lot of substantial reinfection with the new Brazilian variant, Dr. Stefano Bertozzi, professor of health policy and dean emeritus of the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, said at a UC San Francisco forum last month.

Dr. Benjamin Pinsky said, “Vaccines may be slightly less effective in preventing moderate disease or moderate illness with this particular variant, but the vaccines are still very effective and people should get vaccinated as soon as possible.” “We don’t know how those two mutations behave when they’re paired together.”

The emergence of the new variant underscores how important it will be to quickly vaccinate as many people as possible. The only way to stop the proliferation of mutations is to stop the spread of the virus through vaccines. If you are vaccinated, the immunity produced is believed to be better than immunity produced by surviving COVID-19. If you are vaccinated an get infected by one of these new variants then the result wold be a mild to moderate illness, likely not ressulting in hospitalization or death.

 

Sold Out Superspreader

Posted on by Thor

Globe Death Field in Arlington Texas will be the first Major League Baseball stadium to reopen at full capacity – roughly 40,000 seats – since the pandemic began. This decision was made one month after Texas Governor Greg Abbott ended the state’s mask mandate and insisted that businesses to reopen fully.

Everything is big in Texas including stupid. Half hearted measures will be in place for safety, like a gentle request that fans should wear masks except for while eating, guzzling beer and yelling. Over 38,000 fans packed the stands on opening day April 5, 2021.

“We made a commitment to everybody [season ticket holders] that they could hold tickets if we would allow them for the proper Opening Day,” executive vice president and chief revenue and marketing officer Joe Januszewski told MLB.com. “We’re going to honor that, so in order to do that, obviously we would be at a full capacity.”

When asked about the full capacity decision, President Joe Biden said, “They should listen to Dr. Fauci, the scientists and the experts. But I think it’s not responsible.” Biden warned about potential surges, citing the jumps in European nations that have reopened, and reiterated that vaccinations need to increase before businesses can reopen fully. “We have to get to the point where enough people have taken the vaccine, so we diminish the possibility for it to spread,” he said.

Texas ranked 47 out of all 50 states in percentage of the population to receive at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. “I worry we’re in for the perfect storm. We’re lifting restrictions, the B.1.1.7 variant is here in a big way, and we’re lagging behind on vaccinations. None of that is good news,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, the Dean of Baylor College of Medicine. “We’re going to be in a much better shape in a couple of months from now. I don’t quite understand the urgency to lift restrictions.”

Ivonne Galanes

Posted on by Thor

Ivonne Galanes grew up in Puerto Rico and always wanted to be an artist.  She attended Pratt Institute in NYC. She loved the museums in NYC, the Frick Collection, MOMA, the met. You had to take two days to see the Met. Every chance she got she would take a subway and go to the Met. At Pratt she studied anatomy. A class went tot he Columbia School of Medicine. One cadaver had all the skin stripped off  so you could see all the muscles. The body was from a Hollywood actor from a Hercules movie. She studied at Pratt for two years and went back to Puerto Rico after getting sick. The school shut off the heat in the winter to save money. Years alter she went to an atelier in San Juan and she was always painting.

Her father was an art director and she followed in his footsteps. After college her day job was always in an advertising agency. She would paint at night and weekends. She made a name for herself. She started as a graphic designer. This was before computers. You had to know how to draw. Her father taught her since she was a little girl. Her training started way before college. She could sketch up an idea during the course of a meeting with clients.

Ivonne loves science. Her feet might be on the ground but her head is in the stars. That is where the creative ideas come from. Early in her career colors in her painting were dark but after she got divorced the colors became more vibrant.

She had a friend who was at Pulse Nightclub on the night of the shooting that killed 49 and he was one of the survivors. She did a painting called Angel of Healing. The wings were a rainbow of colors. The angel had his hand on his heart. The friend who survived fell in love with the painting and he bought it. Ideas for paintings are in the air and she just grabs them. If she tries to sit down and think about an idea it will not happen. It is random. She picks up the signal.