Surprise! Red Tier Now Begins Sunday; Downtown Disney Restaurants???

[TheDisneyDaysOfOurLives]

Sub Zero. Filled with $12 per pint gourmet ice cream.

Each Sub Zero fridge model she has, the 36 inch wide model, is about $11,000. She has two of them. Matching. So it's a $22,000 refrigerator setup.

Even in Villa Park, the schmoozy housewives only have one Sub Zero. They should qualify for some sort of federal program to upgrade them to a side-by-side lifestyle. Nancy should get on that in the new session of congress!

I knew you would know!

I don't even know what I would do with two refrigerators side-by-side. Definitely not put $12/pints of ice cream in there. Though, with three boys, I could load up at Costco and be set for a while

 

[TP2000]

Yeah, Newsom has far stretched over the boundaries of his position and while I supported it in the early days, enough is enough especially with the number of hypocritical politicians (it's infuriating on so many levels).

Quoting you again, because as a Texan you're probably not following the local scene here, but in the past two weeks two giant counties have been taken to court by the restaurant industry association, or in the case of naughty San Diego by strip clubs. (See Darkbeer's posts from yesterday)

In both cases the county legal teams were completely unable to present to the judges any Science & Data they had used to decide that outdoor dining (or indoor, um, performance art) should be closed.

LA County has a population and budget and influence that's bigger than many Midwest states (population 10.1 million, with a $700 Billion GDP the size of Switzerland), and LA County has excellent lawyers. But not only could they produce no evidence of any Science & Data they'd used to show outdoor dining spreads Covid, but the Contact Tracing evidence they did provide showed that government offices in LA were responsible for over triple the rate of Covid cases as could be traced to restaurants. Government offices are open, restaurants are closed.

I think all of us can agree that we need to not go out like normal. But we kept being lectured to by our betters that they were following Science & Data in making all these decisions to shut down entire industries and destroy thousands of small businesses and a few million lives in the process. Now it's been proven in court in not one, but two cases, that there is no Science & Data behind these closures and they are in fact completely arbitrary.

Check back in January after Sacramento and the lawyers return from a nice two week Christmas vacation to see how that develops.

 

[TP2000]

What's their stance on Kwanza?

Also forbidden. Festivus too.

I wonder where the Newsom's will be spending the holidays? Jackson Hole? Vail?

 

[SuddenStorm]

Festivus too.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Two breweries from Orange sue Gov. Newsom over COVID tasting room restrictions – Orange County Register (ocregister.com)

>> Craft breweries in Orange and San Diego are among beer makers suing Gov. Gavin Newsom, alleging constitutional violations because of a requirement that they serve meals to visitors in order to operate tasting rooms — a coronavirus-related restriction not imposed on the state’s winemakers, according to court papers obtained Friday.

In the suit filed late Thursday in Los Angeles federal court, the California Craft Brewers Association contends that requiring beer manufacturers to serve food as a perquisite to keeping tasting rooms open, but exempting similarly situated wineries, is “arbitrary, irrational and unconstitutional.”

Green Cheek and Chapman Crafted Beer — both based in Orange — and San Diego brewery Second Chance are among local manufacturers to have been “irreparably harmed by the state’s actions in response to COVID-19, including most significantly by the sit-down, dine-in meal requirement,” the lawsuit maintains.

A Newsom representative could not immediately be reached for comment. The suit also names as a defendant Sandra Shewry, who has been serving as the state Department of Public Health’s acting director until the newly chosen director can be confirmed by the Senate.

The suit alleges that the public health mandate “was not supported by scientific data, or an explanation of how the provision of meals achieves the goal of slowing the spread of the virus,” according to the CCBA, which represents the state’s over 1,050 craft breweries.

The group contends that the restriction violates the beer makers’ constitutional rights to equal protection and due process.<<

 

[Darkbeer1]

Fong introduces bill that would limit governor’s power | News | bakersfield.com

>>Assemblyman Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, introduced a bill Wednesday with fellow Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham, R-San Luis Obispo, that would limit the governor’s ability under the California Emergency Services Act to unilaterally enact or change laws or regulations 60 days after an emergency is declared.

A news release from Fong’s office stated that AB 108 would require the governor to seek approval of the Legislature for any proposed changes to laws and regulations under CESA 60 days after the emergency declaration. The release states that the proposed bill is modeled on emergency powers laws in other states, and seeks to restore balance between co-equal branches of government.

Fong said the bill is in response to Gov. Gavin Newsom and how, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he "has unilaterally changed our state’s laws without the input of the state Legislature, which is unacceptable.”

“The California Constitution places the authority to make laws solely under the legislative branch of government, but this governor has run roughshod over these constitutional checks-and-balances," Fong said. "We need to restore legislative accountability and balance that is foundational to our system of representative democracy.”<<

 

[TP2000]

The suit alleges that the public health mandate “was not supported by scientific data, or an explanation of how the provision of meals achieves the goal of slowing the spread of the virus,” according to the CCBA, which represents the state’s over 1,050 craft breweries.

That's the key sentence right there.

There is no Science & Data that demonstrates that Outdoor Dining is a Covid spreader any more than a strip mall pot shop or the makeup aisle at Target is. And two recent court cases alleging as such won overwhelmingly in court.

Similarly, there is no Science & Data that demonstrates that customers tasting beers at a brewery are less likely to catch Covid if they are served a nice Reuben sandwich and wedge fries with their beer flight.

I would actually prefer the Reuben with a hoppy local brew, but that's just me. A private business should be allowed to offer their product in the way they best feel serves the free market.

 

[TP2000]

@Darkbeer, John & Ken on KFI are covering this now as I type. It's all a bit bewildering for San Diego County restaurants, because the judges ruling suddenly overrides the state ban on restaurants. But the judge has been very clear that his ruling allows all restaurants, and strip clubs, to reopen for indoor and outdoor dining in San Diego County.

The judge tried to give the San Diego County legal team a chance to appeal in order to provide a better risk/benefit analysis with any shred of evidence or Science & Data they had that showed strip clubs helped spread Covid any more than any other indoor business allowed to operate. The County's legal team failed repeatedly and couldn't provide anything.

The judge's statement in court found...

"No direct evidence plaintiffs (strip clubs) contribute to the spread of Covid, and further there is no evidence that those businesses have any impact on regional ICU capacity."

But KFI is reporting that San Diego restauranteurs are starting to realize this actually happened and they are starting to reopen as quickly as possible for both indoor and outdoor dining. The judge only asks that they follow any previous Covid rules the state had for indoor dining and outdoor dining, which the restaurants are happy to do.

 

[SuddenStorm]

@Darkbeer, John & Ken on KFI are covering this now as I type. It's all a bit bewildering for San Diego County restaurants, because the judges ruling suddenly overrides the state ban on restaurants. But the judge has been very clear that his ruling allows all restaurants, and strip clubs, to reopen for indoor and outdoor dining in San Diego County.

The judge tried to give the San Diego County legal team a chance to appeal in order to provide a better risk/benefit analysis with any shred of evidence or Science & Data they had that showed strip clubs helped spread Covid any more than any other indoor business allowed to operate. The County's legal team failed repeatedly and couldn't provide anything.

The judge's statement in court found...

"No direct evidence plaintiffs (strip clubs) contribute to the spread of Covid, and further there is no evidence that those businesses have any impact on regional ICU capacity."

But KFI is reporting that San Diego restauranteurs are starting to realize this actually happened and they are starting to reopen as quickly as possible for both indoor and outdoor dining. The judge only asks that they follow any previous Covid rules the state had for indoor dining and outdoor dining, which the restaurants are happy to do.

Sure... there might not be science or data. But you can never be to safe! Shut it all down!

 

[TP2000]

Sure... there might not be science or data. But you can never be to safe! Shut it all down!

Apparently San Diego got into this mess by requiring Gentleman's Clubs to start offering food. Because that makes it somehow... more polite? I can only imagine what the Saturday night chicken parmesan is like at Cheetah's Topless.

But since the clubs in San Diego are now required to serve food, and then got shut down by Newsom's latest Regional rules change because they were "restaurants", they sued. And the strip clubs won handily and easily, with no one from the government able to show any Science & Data why they required strip clubs to serve food in the first place, or how their indoor socially-distanced operation spreads Covid.

Much like today's latest lawsuit from breweries in Orange County, alleging there is no evidence that requiring them to serve food with their beer tasting flights prevents the spread of Covid. While wineries have no such requirement to serve food along with their wine tasting in order to stay open. It's arbitrary and has nothing to do with Covid.

And so here we are, all restaurants in San Diego County may now reopen immediately for both indoor and outdoor dining. Christmas came early for San Diego County restauranteurs! I will be watching closely, as my favorite sushi place outside of Japan is in San Diego. If it reopens, I'm heading down there after Christmas to order big and tip generously. I have been very worried about the small family that owns and runs it.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Apparently San Diego got into this mess by requiring Gentleman's Clubs to start offering food. Because that makes it somehow... more polite? I can only imagine what the Saturday night chicken parmesan is like at Cheetah's Topless.

But since the clubs in San Diego are now required to serve food, and then got shut down by Newsom's latest Regional rules change because they were "restaurants", they sued. And the strip clubs won handily and easily, with no one from the government able to show any Science & Data why they required strip clubs to serve food in the first place, or how their indoor socially-distanced operation spreads Covid.

And so here we are, all restaurants in San Diego County may now reopen immediately for both indoor and outdoor dining. Christmas came early for San Diego County! I will be watching closely, as my favorite sushi place outside of Japan is in San Diego. If it reopens shortly, I'm heading down there after Christmas to order big and tip generously.

It is a very interesting turn of events that strip clubs have become the most prominent industry to start suing the government over these absurd lockdowns. But I supposed they don't have much of a reputation to tarnish by questioning these lock downs publicly- if Disneyland does it the headlines would be how "Disney's endangering families" etc.

You can't be to safe. Shut it all down!

 

[TP2000]

Weather forecast for San Diego this weekend;

Saturday - Bright sunshine, high of 73 degrees
Sunday - Bright sunshine, high of 74 degrees

So of course Sacramento would want to keep everyone locked indoors congregating in unregulated environments! Instead, San Diego's restaurant industry where everyone has a patio, is reopening just in time for Christmas. A bit of sanity prevails.

And check out that sign! They have Dole Whips!

 

[Darkbeer1]

@Darkbeer, John & Ken on KFI are covering this now as I type. It's all a bit bewildering for San Diego County restaurants, because the judges ruling suddenly overrides the state ban on restaurants. But the judge has been very clear that his ruling allows all restaurants, and strip clubs, to reopen for indoor and outdoor dining in San Diego County.

The judge tried to give the San Diego County legal team a chance to appeal in order to provide a better risk/benefit analysis with any shred of evidence or Science & Data they had that showed strip clubs helped spread Covid any more than any other indoor business allowed to operate. The County's legal team failed repeatedly and couldn't provide anything.

The judge's statement in court found...

"No direct evidence plaintiffs (strip clubs) contribute to the spread of Covid, and further there is no evidence that those businesses have any impact on regional ICU capacity."

But KFI is reporting that San Diego restauranteurs are starting to realize this actually happened and they are starting to reopen as quickly as possible for both indoor and outdoor dining. The judge only asks that they follow any previous Covid rules the state had for indoor dining and outdoor dining, which the restaurants are happy to do.

Ugh, I need an assistant today, TOO MUCH Paperwork!!!

I will listen on the podcast sometime this weekend.

Hey, my COVID Spit test came back "Normal", aka Negative.

Time to drive to Northern San Diego this weekend, to celebrate with a nice full service meal indoors!

 

[SuddenStorm]

Ugh, I need an assistant today, TOO MUCH Paperwork!!!

I will listen on the podcast sometime this weekend.

Hey, my COVID Spit test came back "Normal", aka Negative.

Time to drive to Northern San Diego this weekend, to celebrate with a nice full service meal indoors!

The spit test is 100% the way to go. No uncomfortable nasal swabs, no brain stabs. Just fill the tube up and hope for the best.

 

[Darkbeer1]

The spit test is 100% the way to go. No uncomfortable nasal swabs, no brain stabs. Just fill the tube up and hope for the best.

Spit in the tube Wednesday Evening.

Placed it in a FedEx Drop Box yesterday.

And just got an e-mail to tell me to sign in to find my results.

Great option.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Spit in the tube Wednesday Evening.

Placed it in a FedEx Drop Box yesterday.

And just got an e-mail to tell me to sign in to find my results.

Great option.

This was almost a month ago, but I did drive through spit testing... which was fairly busy with about an hour wait (I got there right at open) but with results received in 24-48 hours, vs the standard 'TestUtah' test which is 3-5 days. The test itself took two minutes.

Got the positive email about 30 hours later, which helped give my employer enough time to get my shifts covered and was able to quickly and easily submit the FFCRA paperwork with hr so my pay was barely impacted.

Was allowed to come back 10 days after my symptoms first developed, which seems to be the new standard for minor cases.

I was exposed four times in a 4 day period so I'm not sure who I should blame.

This site makes a convincing argument for rapid, inexpensive at home tests. Make every worker, educator/student, etc. take one in the morning. Test comes back positive? Stay home and get a more accurate test done. But would have helped provide a middle ground between 'stay home and lock down until a vaccine' and 'normal'.

Rapid Tests for COVID-19 – Test faster, stop transmission faster

Rapid tests return results in minutes, making them ideal for schools, workplaces, and events. They can also be used at home, like a pregnancy test.

www.rapidtests.org

 

[Darkbeer1]

This is AWESOME!

Legoland California bids 2020 good riddance with Lego toilet paper and vaccine distributions – Orange County Register (ocregister.com)

>>Legoland California is bidding good riddance to a “bricktacularly” bad 2020 and ringing in what will hopefully be a “bricktastic” 2021 with a tongue-in-cheek Lego display in Miniland New York complete with Lego toilet paper, Lego vaccines and socially distanced Lego minifigures.

Legoland master model builders Tim Sams and PJ Catalano assembled the COVID-19 scene out of Lego bricks and pieces in the Miniland U.S.A. section of the Carlsbad theme park as a farewell to 2020 and a hooray for 2021.<<

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

Hello! I'm here, just been busy-busy with Christmas prep and the season in general. Hope you are also well, and a Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Oh no no no, this can't be correct! Haven't you heard all the governmental guidance? With The Science and The Data! Christmas is cancelled this year.

However, you can still have a very Happy ThanksGavin! Alone. On Zoom. #wearamaskbetweenbitesandwashyourhands

 

[Darkbeer1]

At the Brea Mall with the better half.

A very nice indoor mall selling Auntie Anne's Pretzels and Surf City Smoothies.

And only half way through the mall...

Guess they didn't get the memo.

Edited to add, the food court is fully open, minus tables and chairs. Plenty of folks using the edges to eat their meal

 

[TP2000]

At the Brea Mall with the better half.

A very nice indoor mall selling Auntie Anne's Pretzels and Surf City Smoothies.

And only half way through the mall...

Guess they didn't get the memo.

Edited to add, the food court is fully open, minus tables and chairs. Plenty of folks using the edges to eat their meal

South Coast Plaza was the same way last week. Everyone sitting on the fountain edges eating and slurping, instead of sitting in the designated seating areas at the restaurants. So stupid!

Although, I was crestfallen to see that the cocktail lounge at Nordstrom was closed up tight this year. They remodeled that Nordstrom a couple years ago and added a very posh little cocktail lounge near the men's department on the top floor. It had become my Christmas tradition to go straight there and start the season's shopping with a Manhattan and a little plate of nibbles. It's amazing how enjoyable a crowded mall at Christmas can be after a good stiff drink.

Swedish-American Fun Fact: That Nordstrom at South Coast Plaza was the first Nordstrom outside of the Pacific Northwest when it opened in 1978. Mr. Segerstrom who built South Coast Plaza in 1967 purposely flew to Seattle several times in the mid 70's trying to convince Mr. Nordstrom to build one of his stores at Segerstrom's mall. The (obviously Swedish-American) Segerstrom family played up their Swedish work ethic and values heavily as a reason why Mr. Nordstrom could trust Mr. Segerstrom to be a good shepherd of his family store 1,000 miles from Seattle. Nordstrom opened at South Coast Plaza (in a much smaller store than they have now) in 1978, and it proved that Seattle department store phenomenon of Swedish style and graciousness could work beyond the Scandinavian base of the Great Pacific Northwest, and the rest is history! And now you know.