Items
Date is exactly
2021-03-15
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2021-03-15
ARUBA 643
In March of 2021, my girlfriend and I went to the beautiful island of Aruba. I had been several times prior, but this was her first trip there. Neither of us had traveled outside of the US since the inception of the pandemic and we both were a bit concerned. I think some of the concern came from getting so much varying information. Who to believe was always a bit of a question. Several friends had gone prior to us and had very different experiences. The real disconnect seemed to be about getting their required return test for COVID. Several of the people we spoke with displayed their anger at how the test was administrated. They stated the brush had “gone into their brain”. Understanding the exaggeration made the concern no less worrisome. Despite what we heard, we went anyway and had an amazing time. Aruba is one of my favorite places in the world and I had been several times before. Being familiar with many of the spots helps navigate and lessons with anxiety. Two days before we went home, we arrived serious to take our tests. The bush seemed to be of normal size and my girlfriend bravely went first. She came out and jokingly claimed that it really hurt. The cruel joke caused me some concern, but I went through and was surprised to find no problem at all. We had a great time, and perhaps the lesson learned is to explore things for yourself to find the right answer to your questions. -
2021-03-15
Stimulus Chicks
A comic strip about Covid-19 -
2021-03-15
Dear, COVID - Sincerely, NYC
Dear COVID, You tried to break us. You were rampant. You were brutal. You did not discriminate. You were careless. You hit NYC hard, and didn’t stop. You stormed through our diverse neighborhoods. Our middle class and hard working people. Our less-fortunate. Our most vulnerable. Our elderly and incapable. We became the epicenter at one point, and it didn’t stop there. You halted our way of life. You shut down our small businesses. Our restaurants. Our bars. Our necessities and invaluable operations. Our transportation systems. You divided families and friends. You caused us to feel lonely and scared. Worried. You put people out of work. You ruined lives. You murdered many. But, we’re still here. And we aren’t going anywhere. We fought back. We’re still fighting back. You haven’t gone anywhere, but we’ve learned to live with you. For now. We have regained some aspects of our way of life. We continue to support each other in times of need. We support our small businesses and give back to our communities. We are finding ways to comfort each other and be with one another again. We are being smart. We are being considerate to others and continue to do so. You may still be very present in our everyday lives, but not for long. We will come back from this, stronger than ever. Thank you for showing us what we are made of. Sternly, NYC COVID has been tough on us in the States, more particularly in NYC. This virus is ruining many lives and is still very present. NYC has been affected in many ways, and still continues to be. This has something our city has never had to experience. Unfortunately, the process has been very slow. However, with vaccinations, and herd immunity, we shall get through this and bring back our city with a bang. My family and I have been very fortunate thus far and I always try my best to find ways to give back and support local businesses and families that have been hit hard. I believe everyone should do this to the best of their ability in a time like this. Through all this, we as a city is still standing strong and our will is not broken. The photo attached is a small glimpse of ways we are getting by while also be weary of our actions. You can see a couple enjoying their time at a restaurant, while in the reflection, a stranger wearing a mask and being mindful of other’s health. -
2021-03-15
Missouri Dad Testifies Against Trans Youth Athlete Ban
“As a parent the one thing we cannot do…is silence our child’s spirit.” Brandon Boulware, father of a transgender daughter, urged Missouri lawmakers to stop discriminating against trans youth while testifying in a hearing about trans youth athlete ban HJR 53. Parents, coaches, doctors, and student athletes are all coming together to say that trans people belong everywhere. Trans girls are girls, and they shouldn’t be barred from participating in sports. -
2021-03-15
Arizona Schools are Open (Mostly...)
Per Governor Doug Ducey's executive order which mandates all schools to reopen for in-person instruction by March 15th or "after spring break." As the article makes clear, most will be in person by the 15th, yet many schools still remain in the "high exposure" and therefore cannot open safely. The Arizona Department of Education is still in discussion with school leaders and health officials to implement the practices to ensure a successful reopening. -
2021-03-15
"Phoenix-area school districts alter plans as COVID-19 cases decrease"
(48) K-12 Arizona school districts list their respective plans the return no later date than March 15th, 2021 or after the district's Spring break ends. This story coincides with the mandate issued by Governor Doug Ducey on February 12, 2021- which calls on Arizona districts to prepare for in-person instruction. -
2021-03-15
I'm Ready 2020
We are building out our work beyond social media. Until we can share more details, here are some notes from the #ImReady2020 “Hope, Healing, Accountability” convening we held last year, which included community organizers, healing practitioners, youth leaders, teachers, scholars, legal experts, and more. Thank you to everyone who continues to share their wisdom about why this moment is happening + for doing the work to demand resources + to build accountability structures across all of our communities. We honor the work community members, including organizers and educators - do every single day to create change + to take care of our communities. . . #IMREADY2020 @aapiwomenlead works every day to make sure our progressive communities are highlighted, informed, held and organized. Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander women and girls, gender non-conforming communities have BEEN here surviving + resisting CENTURIES of white supremacy, colonial violence. We have been leading in solidarity with all BIPOC communities- even when we keep getting erased. We will stay at it. Here are a few notes from yesterday. Videos to come. . . . Posted @withregram • @aapiwomenlead We can’t be happy enough with today’s news!!!! Thank goodness for all the organizers that worked so very hard to change the administration! AND we finished our first day of the #IMREADY2020 conference, “Hope, Healing, Accountability.” We learned about the history of militarization, colonization, police violence and war against our communities. And we learned about the ways that AAPI women and girls - across the gender spectrum, queer communities, and youth have always been at the forefront of liberation work. We will stay at this work to transform this place. For today - we celebrate. . . . (image description - image 1: there is an increase in hate violence against Asians through the trump administration and COVID. but will this violence end with this new regime? -Dr. Mimi Kim #IMREADY2020; captions continued in comments] #aapiwomenlead #insolidarity -
2021-03-15
Covid-19 cases plunge 83% among US nursing home staff
"After the rollout of Covid-19 vaccine, the number of new cases among nursing home staff members fell 83%, data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services shows. "It's a big relief for me," said Joan Phillips, who works at the North Beach Rehabilitation Center outside Miami. More than 3 million doses of vaccine have been doled out in nursing homes across the US." -
2021-03-15
For Tempe Public Schools, in-person learning resumes
Maya, age 6 returned to in-person learning for the first time since October. Yesterday she got a haircut to get ready for her first day. Today, I asked her how her day was and she said it was good, but sometimes she felt sleepy because she forgot how long a school day is. -
2021-03-15
Mask trash #12
Disposable mask trash near Mitchell Park. -
2021-03-15
Mask trash #11
White and blue disposable face mask found near 9th and Roosevelt in Tempe, Arizona.