From Worldometer, I have adjusted this table to show how new deaths best determine the phase of COVID-19:
DAY China Italy USA Spain Germany S. Korea WORLD
May 1 0 269 1897 281 113 1 5624
2 0 474 1691 276 76 2 5215
3 0 174 1154 164 54 0 3481
4 0 195 1324 164 127 2 4096
5 0 236 2350 185 ? 2 5787
6 0 369 2528 244 282 1 6811
2 0 474 1691 276 76 2 5215
3 0 174 1154 164 54 0 3481
4 0 195 1324 164 127 2 4096
5 0 236 2350 185 ? 2 5787
6 0 369 2528 244 282 1 6811
7 0 274 2129 213 117 1 5589
8 0 243 1687 229 118 0 5550
Summary:
8 0 243 1687 229 118 0 5550
Summary:
- A so-so day. While the U.S. new deaths dropped, we still had 29,162 new cases. If the 6% mortality rate holds, in ten days new deaths should be around 1750, about what we had yesterday. Chances are it should be a bit less, for we are testing more these days. However, if those economic recovery attempts fail, this number should begin to show the second wave.
- Add up the total of the next six countries with the highest total cases, and they only add up to 22,383 new cases.
- Of growing concern should be India/Pakistan/Bangladesh, the Middle East, Central/South America and Africa. They are all experiencing upticks in new cases.
- Hawaii yesterday had no new cases, the first time since March 13.
- Interesting that Russia had 20,699 new cases and 98 new deaths, when the UK had 4,649 new cases and 626 new deaths. You know what this means? First, Russia tests more people/capita than the USA, but less than many European countries. Anyway, looks like Russia will see a lot more deaths in the coming days. Brazil had 10,199 new cases and 804 new deaths.
- Iceland has tested 14.5% of people living there. There were no deaths and no new cases yesterday. Their deaths per million people is 29. The USA has tested 2.6%, and the deaths per million is 238.
- On the other hand, India has tested 0.1% of its population, and has 1.5 deaths/million.
While mostly innocuous, they have been known to down planes taking off. Plus, their feces can spread diseases. They are a pain on golf courses because of what they excrete on benches. However, throughout history this resource was used as fertilizer and for gunpowder. Pigeons are unique in being wild, yet close to humans in any city.
- Mate for life and tend to use the same nest, so they and their chicks live in, well, crap.
- On average, ten days after breeding, they produce two eggs, which hatch in 18 days.
- A couple, however, can reproduce five times/year.
- The babies consume pigeon milk (which is regurgitated stuff both male and female eat), flying off in about a month.
- Pigeons live only a few years in the wild, but up to 15 years in captivity.
- They eat just about anything.
- Yeah, I know this is more than you want to know.
- They have been revered in religion.
- As far back as 2500 BC they were used to carry messages. They were important for this purpose in World Wars I and II. They even took aerial photos.
- Can fly at altitudes of more than a mile and have been timed to travel close to a 100 miles/hour.
- A good breeding pair can sell for $100,000.
- Belgian racing pigeon Armando (right) sold for nearly $1.5 million.
- Back in the 1800's a pigeon was recorded to fly between Africa and England in 55 days, covering 7,000 miles.
- Pigeon racing has declined, but in 1960 there were 170,000 pigeon fanciers just in the UK.
- They can see colors into the ultraviolet, something we can't.
- They are one of only six non-mammal species to recognize their reflection in a mirror.
- Are highly intelligent and can recognize all 26 letters of the alphabet.
- Can differentiate between different humans.
- Ever wonder why you see few dead pigeons? Read this.
My one and only pigeon was a Blue Bar. I was around 8-years old, my father built a cage for it, and it flew away. One of the saddest moments of my life. Then again, maybe 25 yards from our backyard in Kakaako, was a huge coop with hundreds of pigeons. There were also thousands of cockroaches.
There is a species called the Release Dove. They are all white, and were bred to be released for public ceremonies, weddings and such. Some survive. In fact, the Ala Wai Golf Course has a lot them. Now I know from where they came.
There is a species called the Release Dove. They are all white, and were bred to be released for public ceremonies, weddings and such. Some survive. In fact, the Ala Wai Golf Course has a lot them. Now I know from where they came.
Almost every stop after Venice, my Blue Bar appeared to show me around town, even at home in Honolulu:
The most memorable encounter with my Blue Bar was in Yamagata, Japan, just about four years ago:
My biggest worry over the past few days was storage of my luggage when I got to Yamagata. I know there were lockers, but there aren't that many, this is a Sunday, and the possible thought of pulling them around while I visited Kajo Park seemed like that would be a major pain. Amazingly enough, when I walked up to the locker area, not only were there only a very few with keys in place (meaning they could be rented)...but my Blue-Bar Pigeon was guarding the only four available. How considerate!
He did not move away until I had safely stored my luggage.
Those who don't live in Hawaii don't know Andy Bumatai. He is married to an acquaintance, so I've kept up with him. Like I had a Daily Blog, he had a Daily Pigeon. Unfortunately his final clip occurred on 17February2016, #97. On April 4 of that year he announced he had cancer:
“Yeah, it’s the base of my tongue — how ironic is that?” he said. “It’s like the gods are telling me to shut up. And it’s in my lymph nodes here on the side of my neck. Lymph nodes. Doesn’t that sound like a band that would open for Coldplay?”
Four years later, still alive. About a year ago he performed at Blue Note with Frank Delima, then he went on a Mainland tour. They were again supposed to appear just before Waikiki closed down, but it was cancelled. Hope he's fine. I feature Bumatai today because he has a Blue Bar Pigeon on his Daily Pigeon.
Want to see more Blue Bars? Here in Barcelona, so many because people are not walking around any more:
- Commodore came out with the first home computer, and went bankrupt in 1996. Microsoft almost went under because they spent a lot of time on the software for Commodore's product. Apple offered to sell their system, but was rebuffed. They had just incorporated that year, as did Oracle.
- On his last day of office, President Gerald Ford pardoned Tokyo Rose.
- Gene splicing used to create a new bacterium to make insulin.
- American Roy Sullivan struck by lightning for the seventh time. He survived them all.
- The New York Blackout lasted 25 hours. No matter what you have read...there was no spike in babies born nine months later. Wonder what might happen from the COVID-19 quarantine?
- The Big Ear, a radio telescope, detects a possible signal from outer space, named the Wow! Signal. It was never discredited, but the most probable cause was just a passing comet.
- Voyager 1 was launched and is now 14 billion miles away, traveling at around 38,000 miles/hour (making it the fastest man-made object) and will approach a star called AC +79 3888 (17.6 light years away from Earth) in 40,000 years. You think deep space travel is practicable?
- Smallpox became the first disease eradicated by a vaccine.
- Soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever released.
That was the peak of disco, which went on into the 1990's. In 55 minutes, the best disco music of all time. For the year, Billboard's #1 songs of 1977, in 6 minutes. I don't remember what I did that year. Nothing to do with 1977, but if you click on it, this will be your best 4 minutes today, from China, 7-year old Celine Tam and 10-year old Jeffrey Li singing You Raise Me Up.
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