COUNTING MY BLESSINGS

From Worldometer,  COVID-19 new deaths:

           DAY USA   WORLD   Brazil      India   South Africa

June      9     1093    4732        1185      246         82

July       1       676    4857        1057      438         92
             2       687    5155         1277      377         95
             3       616    5170         1264      444       108
             4       254    4494         1111       610         74
             5       251    3572          535       421       173
             6       378    3573          656       474       111
             7       993    5504        1312       479       192
             8       890    5507        1187       491       100
             9       960    5411        1199       479       118
           10       849    5416        1270       521       140
           11       731    4995          968       543       111
           12       380    4118          659       500       108
           13       465    3729          770       540         93
           14       935    5414        1341       586       174
           15     1001    5760        1261       614       107
           16       963    5742        1299       680       216
           17       946    5559        1100       676       135
           18       813    5011          885       543       144
           19       412    4606          715       675         85
           20       545    4040          718       596       140

           21     1119    5669        1346       671        195
           22     1205    7128        1293     1120        572
           23     1166    6318        1317       755        153
           24     1141    6199        1178       761        250

Summary:

• The USA just broke it's record for new cases with 78,009.
• From the Washington Post:

• While millions of people are days away from losing unemployment benefits — and a federal eviction moratorium — a new stimulus package has been delayed. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said it may take several weeks to complete a deal.

• The Supreme Court denied a Nevada church’s plea that coronavirus-related restrictions on houses of worship unlawfully treat them worse than the state’s famous casinos.
• Many people with milder Covid-19 symptoms continue to report health issues two to three weeks after testing, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• As of Saturday afternoon, the 7-day averages for new cases have climbed to new highs in California, Mississippi, Indiana, and tied for the highest in Montana and North Dakota, according to data compiled by The Post. South Carolina reported its greatest daily death toll.

• As measures to protect public health have been flouted by those who argue for individual liberties, nearly 800 bar owners in Texas will participate in “Freedom Fest” on Saturday, an event where bars will openly defy a June 26 order by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to shut down. Hundreds of bars will reopen, serving alcohol and offering live entertainment, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

• Sinclair Broadcast Group stations will show the interview by “America This Week,” hosted by Eric Bolling, with former researcher Judy Mikovits, who claims that Fauci “manufactured” the coronavirus and shipped it to Wuhan, China, where the outbreak originated.  Sinclair is a telecommunications conglomerate with 193 outlets and definite conservative inclinations.  Mikovits is associated with fake science.  Did you watch Fareed Zakaria's focus on various Trump conspiracy theories this past Sunday on CNN?

My coronavirus editorial of the day has to do with the the positivity rate, or positivity.  You will more and more hear this term as schools begin to open.  What is this?  Divide the number of tests into the positive cases and multiply by 100, if you want to deal with percentages.  The general rule of thumb is:

• 1%, open up schools.
• 5%, be careful about how to do this.
• 10%, be really careful, and use hybrid education, mixing-in classroom with remote learning.
• 20%, shut-down the economy, so no school opening.

How are states doing?

• Arizona  25%
• Mississippi  22%
• Alabama  19.6%
• Florida  19%
• Idaho 18%
• Nevada  17%
• South Carolina  17%
• Georgia  14%
• Texas 13%

• California 8%
• Washington  5%

• New Hampshire  2%
• Alaska  2%
• Hawaii  2%
• New Jersey  1.5%
• New York 1.1%
• Connecticut  1.1%
• Maine  0.7%
• Vermont  0.6%

You can see which regions just should not open up classroom schooling, and which can.  Hawaii and Alaska might want to be cautious, as they are currently isolated.  With soon to come tourists and such there is little doubt that this positivity factor will increase.

By country:

• USA  8%
• Brazil  49%!!!
• India  9%
• Russia  3%
• South Africa  16%
• Peru  17%
• Mexico  42%!!!
• Chile  23%
• Spain  5%
• UK  2%
• Iran  13%
• Pakistan  15%
• Saudi Arabia 9%
• Italy  4%
• Germany 3%
• China  0.1%!!!
• Singapore  4%
• Japan  4%
• South Korea  0.9%

You can discern where the coronavirus is active:

• Central and South American are hotspots.
• The region around India is lurking.
• Africa is looming.
• The Orient is over it.  Except one worries about a second wave.

There are too many American families facing the coronavirus curse of deaths, eviction, poverty and the coming crisis of closed schools.  So how can I complain about being quarantined in air-conditioned comfort where three meals a day are delivered to my door, albeit challenged by an incoming hurricane that could well become the first to make landfall over my island in my lifetime?

At last check Hurricane Douglas was still churning at 105 miles/hour with gusts up to 150 MPH, the eye moving along at 18 MPH heading straight for my apartment.  There is always the fear that the Nuuanu Reservoir just above where I live could overflow and inundate our building.  As has been the case in the past and now, meteorologists are still predicting that there will be diminution into a mere storm.  But a 70 MPH tropical storm is still fearsome, especially with predicted rainfalls of 15 inches over my head.

So why do I remain sanguine, counting my blessings?  Mostly, this is the calm before the storm.  I went out yesterday and bought some Japanese wagyu beef with ahi sashimi.  I might just have them for lunch after I post this article.  There is a whole slate of Major League Baseball games on television, with a PGA golf tournament to also watch.  Crowds cheering...except the spectators are computer simulated.  Following my three fantasy baseball teams and changing line-ups daily.

At 1PM the 15 Craigside theater is showing South Pacific, my favorite film.  Last night I stumbled into Last Tango in Halifax, now in it's fifth season, a British production about a couple who re-found themselves after 60 years of suffering from an unfortunate life-changing mis-exchange of a letter.  Rotten Tomatoes rated season 1 at 94%, 2 at 100% and 3 at 100%.

Tropical Storm Gonzalo has weakened off Venezuela and Hurricane Hanna at 90 MPH made landfall twice over Texas, the first of the season.

Have you heard of China's People's Car?  It's made by Volkswagen.

That hovercraft above was actually built in 2012.  That could well become the standard mode of land travel someday.  Here's what Snopes reported.

Anyone remember Hitler's People's Car?  Did he personally design the Beetle?

He had a role.  However, he is never shown riding one.  His car was always a Mercedes-Benz.  Did the Nazis create Volkswagen?

Not really.  Read the full story here.  Fascinating.

-