I was walking by City Hall Sunday morning when I saw it — the statue of the 16th president, Abraham Lincoln had its face painted red. The letters of his last name were also painted red. As of yet, we don’t know who vandalized the statue, but history may give us a clue as to why.
In school we were taught that Honest Abe freed the slaves, signed the Emancipation Proclamation, and delivered the Gettysburg Address. Those, and other positive impacts of his presidency have been widely celebrated since Lincoln’s death by assassination in 1865. …
Update 11/28/2020: The city of San Francisco has announced new COVID-19 restrictions in light of a spike in cases in the Bay Area.
Today the Walt Disney Family Museum announced they would be closing again — effective Sunday.
I’ll keep an eye on this story. — CJB
It’s hard to believe but by the time COVID-19 ‘runs it’s course’ — Disneyland is likely to hit at least a full year of being closed. The last time Disneyland was closed for a year it was 1954. The park opened in 1955, so you can see what a big deal this is. Every day those gates are sealed a new closure record is set, and the next day broken. For Disney fans, like me, something about Disneyland being closed hurts. Our one reliable source of mental release, the very place where we can escape to safety and happiness in a chaotic world — is unavailable. …
Each morning I take a walk around Lake Merritt in Downtown Oakland. This morning my best friend Todd joined me.
Todd Whitley is one of those people who wears protest shirts. He is a gay white male, like me, and is always struggling to check his privilege, to live by example. The shirts are part of that. This morning’s red shirt said in big white lettering, “STOP KILLING BLACK PEOPLE.” For perspective, mine said “Believe in Yourself”…in rainbow font.
Our shirt designs very much align with our personalities. I am a good vibes and positive energy guy, and Todd is that plus a healthy dose of activist. Despite (currently) living just 4 blocks from each other, Todd and I only see each other once a week or so. …
The Glass Fire has burned more than 67,000 acres since it sparked almost two weeks ago near Northern California’s Wine Country. Many of Napa county’s evacuated residents are being asked to wait patiently while crews battle the blaze.
In addition to a return home, these refugees need news of home. Information that — for one family — almost came too late. While many of Napa’s refugees, like the Brown family are left waiting in a crowded hotel, that news is trickling in at an agonizing pace.
September 27, 2020–5AM
“My wife got up, and said the power is out something is going on” says Derrick Brown — a husband and father of two young children, who makes his living as an independent professional wrestler (see: D-Rogue). Derrick got up and walked outside, “and you can see…people panicking, and cars screeching down the road.” …
Central Florida’s theme parks first closed in March in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. That closure reportedly cost Disney more than $5 billion, and led to more than 28,000 layoffs in the domestic parks. Orlando’s theme parks, like the 4 at Walt Disney World, have been back open with strict social distancing and sterilization procedures in place since July.
Then last Friday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the state was rolling back it’s COVID-19 restrictions — entering phase 3 effective immediately.
I visited Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World in the days following the Governor’s announcement to see for myself what visiting a Florida park looks like during a pandemic — now that Florida’s state government has decided it’s over. …
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