Lollapalooza

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Lollapalooza was a four day concert event in Chicago which wrapped up on August 1, 2021. An estimated 100,000 people attended.

Leading up to the festival, Chicago’s COVID-19 daily case rate was quintuple what it was a month ago. It does not take a seasoned epidemiologist to see that this will be a super spreader event. You can be sure that there will be a sharp increase in cases of COVID-19 in Chicago and the surrounding area in two weeks time.

Concert goers had to show proof of vaccination or a COVID test that was negative to attend. Videos posted showed staff barely checking vaccination cards on entry. The Delta variant is proving quite successful at breaking through and infecting fully vaccinated individuals. When a vaccinated person get the virus they may be asymptomatic or just show symptoms of a common cold. Their airways however can carry as much of the virus as an unvaccinated person and they can easily spread the virus to 8 or 9 other people. The ancestral strains of COVID -19 only spread to 2 or 3 other people

A study from Israel shows that the Pfizer vaccine is showing decreasing efficacy over time. The study found that there was only a 41% symptomatic protection against getting infected. The original protection against symptomatic infection when the shots were first given was 90%. Dr. John Campbell from England speculates that the timing between vaccine doses accounts for this reduction in efficacy. Israel had 3 weeks between shots. The UK had 8 weeks or more between shots and the efficacy is over twice as high. In the United States we have 3 weeks between doses just as in Israel. It is fair to assume that vaccinated individuals in the United States have an increasing chance of infection over time but remain safe from severe disease and death.

In May 2021 Lollapalooza festival goers were told they needed to show a negative COVID-19 test taken 24 hours or less before entering, that number was increased to 72 hours, allowing a much longer window to theoretically contract the virus before the festival. Earlier this month, the Verknipt festival in the Netherlands admitted unvaccinated attendees as long as they had a negative test taken within 40 hours of entering. The festival was later linked to 1,000 COVID-19 cases among its 20,000 attendees. So if that math holds up Lollapalooza may result in 5000 or more infections. Now lets say those 5000 people spread the virus to 8 friends and family. That would be 40,000 people infected.

At the Rolling Loud hip-hop festival in Miami two weekends ago. Tens of thousands of people showed up daily to the festival, which did not require masks, vaccinations or negative tests. Last week, the rapper Dess Dior and the actor Alexa Leighton, among others, announced on social media that they had tested positive for COVID-19. Their infections coincided with a larger spike in Florida at large, in which COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have risen dramatically.

Lollapalooza was an outdoor event but the hundreds of thousands of people were packed in like sardines. Delta has also proven effective at spreading better outdoors. It has spread at soccer matches. Basically anyone who went to Lollapalooza who was not vaccinated is at a very high risk of getting infected and having severe symptoms. When I saw photos of the crowds I just could not believe what I was seeing. This was absolute insanity and Chicago’s Mayor Lori Lightfoot seemed to think it was a great idea.

Post script: As of September 6, 2021, according to Chicago City officials there are 200 confirmed cases of COVID-19 associated with the Lollapalooza concerts.

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.

Cremating COVID

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In India protestors blocked the entrance to a crematorium fearing that the fumes might spread COVID-19. This notion is false. The intense heat of cremation would destroy any virus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that dead bodies are generally not infectious. Only the lungs of patients with pandemic influenza, if handled improperly during an autopsy, can be infectious. Otherwise, cadavers do not transmit disease.
Channel 7 News in Little Havana, Miami reported on thick clouds of black smoke billowing from a crematorium. Across the street the smoke drifted over outdoor diners. Though the smoke might not contain virus, it could contain harmful polyvinyl chloride, (PVC) plastics from body bags which can cause cancers. Bodies are being transported in thicker than normal body bags which might account for the black smoke. A crematory furnace has a second chamber which is supposed to super heat and burn off harmful emissions. For that reason most crematoriums don’t emit black clouds of thick smoke.
Surging Covid-19 cases leave cemeteries and funeral homes struggling to keep pace. Engineers in Bolivia have come up with a solution as pragmatic as it is macabre, a mobile crematorium. The 16 foot by 8 foot oven is small enough to fit on to a trailer, and is powered by locally produced liquefied petroleum gas, making it a cheap option for families who cannot afford a funeral service.

21st Annual Car Show at the Art Deco Weekend.

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On day two of the Miami and Orlando Urban Sketchers crawl at South Beach in Miami, most artists were set up a block away sketching an Art Deco building on Collins Avenue. I wasn’t thrilled about just sketching a building, so I walked towards the crowds and commotion on Ocean Drive. I decide to sketch a long line of cars on display. Two Mini Coopers were at the front of the line. Pam Schwartz joined me and also sketched one of the cars in front of the Sury Hotel. The owner of the second Mini Cooper in line looked over my shoulder and was pleased to see his car in the sketch.

Pam was still busy when I had finished and I decided to rest in the shade of a palm tree and watch her work. I was amazed at how many people stopped to look over her shoulder. That must happen while I am working as well and I seldom notice. One young girl in ballet tights stopped to watch and she stood right in front of Pam blocking her view.  I have had people do that as a joke as if posing might get them in the sketch, but I think this girl was oblivious to the fact that she was blocking the scene Pam was sketching.

We stopped at the cafe in the hotel in front of us and ordered a huge iced margarita to split. A parade of giant puppets began to dance its way down the street. They were about 15 feet high. There was a merman whose arms dangled listlessly at his sides but he danced and leaned over to look at the crowds. Charlie Chaplin walked arm in arm with Marilyn Monroe.

Other artists started to explore the festival, and we watched them sketch as we sipped our drink. All the artists gathered in about an hour to share their work in front of a courthouse about two blocks away. The Miami Urban Sketchers had a rubber stamp that could be used to place the Miami Urban Sketch logo on each sketch. We then took a huge group photo and walked across the street to a vintage silver streamlined diner. Sitting near the couple from Puerto Rico, I got to learn about their struggles after hurricane Maria.

Art Deco Weekend at Miami South Beach.

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Art Deco Weekend at Miami South Beach.

The second sketch opportunity of our sketch crawl moved several blocks north. I became fascinated by two trees that were blown over at an angle. The two trunks spiraled around each other like a DNA helix giving the trees the appearance of being one. Most of the sketchers sketched more art deco hotels on Ocean Boulevard. From my vantage point sketching the tree, I could see several sketchers in the distance as they worked. We only had about an hour to sketch so I wanted to pay attention so I could finish about the same time as everyone else. Knowing me, I might get lost in the process and just keep working as everyone else packed up to leave.

I noticed the artists starting to gather and put their sketchbooks on the ground so everyone could see what had been sketched. There was some amazing talent in this group of  artists from Orlando Urban Sketchers and Miami Urban Sketchers. We walked towards a light in the ocean side park so photos could be taken of us as a group. We all held up one sketch along with the Orlando and Miami Urban Sketcher’s logos.

More than a dozen of us went to, Naked Taco, a local Mexican restaurant to chat and share stories about the experience. The server started up all off with free shots. Pam Schwartz and I split a queso dinero which feature crispy grilled chihuahua and manchengo cheese. This wasn’t what I expected being crispy chunks of cheese instead of creamy melted queso. I ordered a naked maarguarita. The margaritas were expensive and the servings small. My dish has hot peppers on top which made me spit out my first bite. Once I dissected the Dish and removed the offending peppers, the dish was fine. In Miami beach, a 20% tip is written in to the bill.

Artists were gathered from around the world. The couple next to me was from Puerto Rico, other artists were from were from Columbia, Argentina, Guiana, Vietnam, China, Israel and a gentleman from Virginia happened to be in Miami so he joined us as well. He had to  be the most enthusiastic artist I  have ever met, It is always fun to meet new artists exploring someplace new.

Pop Up Discos in Miami try Stayin Alive.

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Terry’s friend Elaine Pasekoff organized monthly Pop Up Discos in Miami. Her thought was that 50 somethings aren’t interested in the modern club scene, but they have fond memories of their disco days. Elaine had a birthday Disco party that was a blast, and she wanted to keep the party going. She used to work for the Miami Herald, so she called in favors to get ad space for her Pop Up Disco concept. During Art Basel, this disco had a fair attendance, but it was to far from the main arts scene to really pull in a huge crowd. The venue changes month to month and this one was in a small back room of a bar. A friend of Elaine’s was the DJ.

When the evening was over, Elaine confided that she is about to give up on the Pop Up Disco concept. It is a full time job to promote the event on social media and the newspaper. Attendance was never as high as she had hoped so the profits don’t justify all the hours she puts in to keep the concept alive.  A young crowd had been offered a discount on the cover charge since they livened up the dance floor. Unfortunately most 50 somethings are content to stay at home rather than kick up some dust on a disco dance floor.

Outside the Spectum Tent at Art Basel local artists worked.

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The Spectrum Tent at Art Basel in Miami featured Monique Lassooij and Eleazar Delgado hard at work on large canvases. Monique’s work is somber being executed mostly in black and white with some hints of red, while Eleazar’s work was bright with orange flames visible even on the back of his canvas. The canvases were held up with two by four supports which were anchored into the ground using lengths of re-bar. I found some nice shade and started sketching. The Art Miami tent was right across the street. There is so much happening during Art Basel that it seems redundant going into the tents. Besides the art, there is the lure of air conditioning however.

Art Basel is a yearly crucible to experience the art market.

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Once a year, Terry and I drive down to Miami Beach to experience Art Basel. Art Basel draws tens of thousands of visitors, collectors, gallerists,
artists, curators, and other art enthusiasts from across the globe,
all coming to experience the highest quality of Modern and contemporary
art. Terry and I stay with friends Elaine Pasekoff and Derek Hewitt. Elaine and Derek purchased three apartments in the same Miami Beach building, and they decorated them with themes from their world travels together. I believe this is the Africa suite. There is also a Paris themed suite. All of the floors were resurfaced and the kitchen was opened up by removing part of a wall to create a corner counter. The amount of work that went into these units is amazing, especially since Terry and I have had color swatches on our living room walls for the past decade.

The drive to Miami beach is a long one and we had to drive through torrential rain and the infuriating impatient Miami traffic around rush hour. By the time we arrived, we just wanted to relax. Elaine always has the Miami Herald, which is a good place to research which Art exhibits were generating some buzz. It is also fun to read about which celebrities were in town for the exclusive all night parties. Elaine and Derek know where all the best local restaurants are, so we eat out when we are there. The apartment is just a few blocks from the beach, so walking down to the beach as the sun sets is always an appealing way to end the day.

The annual Renningers antiquing outing.

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Every year, Terry’s friends Elaine Pasekoff and Bob Newlen come to Central Florida for a Renningers Antiques shopping extravaganza. Elaine drove up from Miami and Bob flew in from Washington DC. Bob has a very responsible job at the Library of Congress, but when he gets to Florida he is all fun. When I got home from work, I found Bob asleep on the couch. He must have had an exhausting flight.

Terry was busy preparing dinner for our guests and Elaine kept her company as they caught up. There is always plenty of laughter when this crew gets together. After dinner, Bob went down to Sand Lake Road to stay in a brand new hotel that opened just last year. We dropped him off and peeked at his suite. He was living like a sultan rather than slumming it on our couch or guest bedroom.

Terry, Elaine and Bob drove up to Renningers in Mount Dora the next day. The intended to shop until they dropped all weekend. I had a class to teach, so I had a pass the first day. I drove up that night and we all sat on the porch of the Mount Dora Inn for a show and tell session. Everyone had a pile of loot and I got to play judge deciding what was the most unique, quirky and beautiful in the lot.I would make up a new category if an item called for it. I particularly liked a travel booklet for Cuba from the 1950s. That Elaine had picked up. There was an ad inside for Cuba’s only Jewish Deli.

Brad Meltzer

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On the morning we arrived back at the port in Miami, Terry got incredibly sick to her stomach. Passengers started getting off the ship at 7am. I left her lying on the bathroom floor with a pillow, and made my way down to the medical office. No one was there. I then went to the concierge to try and get some medical help. There was a long line of people complaining about this expense or that. When I finally got up to the counter, the concierge informed me that the medical office had just opened. So, I went back down. The nurse gave me a few pills in an envelope and I rushed back to the cabin. Terry took them and sprawled out on the bed. Passengers disembarked in waves based on a letter printed on the room key. We were among the last called. Terry couldn’t get out of bed so I went back down to the concierge to try and get a wheelchair. A porter came to the room with the chair and we were off. We slipped past lines of people waiting to get off. Elaine Pasekoff picked us up curbside and after a short ride, Terry got to lie down again in Elaine’s guest bed.

Elaine is the host of a literary radio program called “The Book Report.”  She interviews authors about their books. The show airs in nine major markets. That evening she was going to Books & Books to see author Brad Meltzer. I joined Elaine and Derek Hewitt on their outing to get a sketch, unfortunately Terry still couldn’t move, although she was regaining strength. Brad was at Books & Books to talk about the book he wrote for his six year old daughter called, “Heroes for my Daughter.”  A few years prior he had written, “Heroes for my Son” and his daughter kept asking, “Where the heck is my book?” Brad pointed out that our American culture seems to only highlight the achievements of sports stars and actor/celebrities. He told us how a middle school teacher encouraged him to write. She told him, “You can really write.” He figured everyone knew how to write but she saw his talent and encouraged him. He sought her out years later to thank her. These were the types of heroes he wanted his children to know about. He was wearing a T-Shirt with Abraham Lincoln on it. The shirt said, “I am Abraham Lincoln.” This line of shirts were designed for kids to emulate real role models.

The room was packed, with people standing in the back of the room. Brad’s wife and children were there, as a matter of fact his six year old daughter did the reading. An audience member asked Brad how to get started writing the first book. Brad equated writing a novel to placing grains of sand in a bottle one at a time. “If you write a page a day, then at some point you will have a book.” Another question came from a comic book fan. Brad has written for the comic book industry for years. The fan wanted to know if there was any comic art that Brad favored above all the rest. Brad did covet some art done by Rags Morales of Batman and Robin crying. Brad went so far as to contact the artist to purchase the original art. Unfortunately it had already been sold to another fan. Years later Brad was signing books at a comics convention. A fan walked up to him and asked him to sign the very same piece of art. He tried to convince the fan to sell it to him but he must have come on too strong. He scared the fan away. Years later however the fan contacted him and sold him the piece.