INDEPENDENCE DAY 2020

From Worldometer,  COVID-19 new deaths:

           DAY USA   WORLD   Brazil   India   South Africa

June      1      638    3189           480      223         40

              2      730    3053           732      200         22
              3    1134    4669         1232      221         50
             4     1083    4928         1269      259         37
             5     1031    5511         1492      275         56
             6       975    4906         1008      286         60
             7       706    4253           910      297         44
             8       586    3157           813      266         82
             9     1093    4732         1185      246         82
           10       982    5163         1300      388         48
           11       904    4951         1261      394         74
           12       791    4603           843      389         70
           13       702    4229           890      309         69
           14       331    3263           598      321         57
           15       425    3415           729      395         88
           16       849    6592         1338        ?           57
           17       809    5264         1209      341         49
           18       747    5123         1204      342         63
           19       719    5066         1221      366         94
           20       573    4428           968      307         46
           21       267    3338           601      426         53
           22       363    3880           748      312         61
           23       863    5465         1364      468        111
           24       808    6071         1103      424        103
           25       649    5179         1180      401          87
           26       663    4893         1055      381         48
           27       512    4547           994      414         73
           28       285    3463           555      384         43
           29       346    3415           727      417         73
           30       764    5072         1271      506       128
July       1       676    4857        1057      438         92
             2       687    5155         1277      377         95
             3       616    5170         1264      444       108

Summary:  The number of new COVID-19 cases in the USA yesterday hit an all time high, 54904.  New deaths the past three days averaged out to around 650.  The average a month ago during the same three days was a little more than 1000.  So I guess this is progress.  I still predict that we will soon see increases to approach, if not exceed, 1000 in a week or so.

We are today 244 years old.  This is close to the worst we have been since the Civil War.  The Spanish Flu days a century ago were bad, but, toss in the economy, and things are more dreadful today.  The Great Depression and World War II were indeed trying.  So, not as crummy as those wars, but probably a tad more acceptable than 1930 (the stock market crashed after July 4 in 1929) and World War I.

In terms of deaths, the 131,000 today from this coronavirus might double to 260,000 when mostly over by the fall.  The Civil War had 618,000 deaths, WWII 405,399 and WWI 116,516.

The fact that we have had about double the cases and deaths of #2 Brazil is certainly abominable. Why we are the two worst countries has a lot to do with similarly terrible leadership.  We have Donald Trump and Brazil has Jair Bolsonaro, sharing the same playbook of pro-economy and anti-science policies while touting the sensibility of hydroxychloroquine.  At least he is known to wear a mask.

Having a tough life these days?  Here is one of the more famous speeches with the hero saying he is today the luckiest man on the face of Earth.  He died two years later with what is known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Life in the USA on this Fourth of July, while not particularly terrific, is nevertheless pretty good for most of us.  Let me start with an annual competition shown on ESPN.

Since 1967 we've had the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.  Come to think of it, this is about the most nauseating show on television.  Anyway:

• In 1980 when the consumption time was set at 10 minutes, there were were dual winners, at 10 hotdogs.  

• Then came the Japanese, beginning with Hiroaki Tominaga with 10.5 in 1986.
• The time to eat was raised to 12 minutes in 1988, but the winner only ate 10.
• Hirofumi Nakajima (right, the smaller guy) of Japan ate 23.45 in 1996, and won two more years.  

• Kazutoyo Arai also of Japan in 2000 with 25, then the legendary Takeru Kobayashi, doubled the dogs ate in 2001 with 50.  
• Kobayashi prevailed for six years, defeated by Joe Chestnut in 2007
• The time was dropped to 10 minutes in 2008, but Chestnut had eight years of dominance, until Matt Stonie showed up in 2015.  Of course, Stonie is part Japanese.  Chestnut, though, kept winning from 2016.

 
• Women were allowed only from 2011, with Sonya Thomas, originally from South Korea, and known as the Black Widow, winning and staying at the top for three years.
• Miki Sudo won in 2014, and has dominated since then.  Sudo's father is Japanese.  She is 5'4" and 114 pounds.  
• Chestnut is 6'1", Thomas, 5'0", Stonie 5'8' and Kobayashi 5'8".

Just this morning Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo both broke all-time records with 75 and 48.5 hot dogs respectively. #2 this year was Darron Breedon, who with 42 would have lost to Sudo.  #2 female was Larell Marie Mele with only 16 franks and buns.  Only?  My record, I think, is two

Surely, there must be something going on in the country worthy of Independence Day.  On TCM at 11:30AM Hawaii Time (or 5:30PM EDT) will be Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942, RT: 93/83) followed at 2PM (8PM EDT) by The Music Man (1962, RT: 94/85).  Hamilton is streaming on the Disney Channel, but I don't want to pay $7/month to watch children's classics.

Here is a USA Today summary of everything you can watch on your television set today, including films and specials.  Some highlights:

CNN will air from 8PM (2PM Hawaii time) for four hours a musical special honoring the U.S. military, frontline pandemic workers and citizens demanding equality, featuring:

Jewel, Barry Manilow, Martina McBride, Kenny Loggins, Andy Grammer, Carlos Santana and Cindy Blackman Santana, CeCe Winans, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, The O'Jays, Don McLean, Jesse Colin Young and Little Kids Rock, Billy Ray Cyrus, Burt Bacharach & Musicians from the Berklee College of Music, Harlem Gospel Choir, the original Broadway cast of Girl From the North Country, inspired by the legendary songs of Bob Dylan and the cast of Ain't Too Proud -- The Life and Times of the Temptations.

PBS will celebrate it's 40th Capital Fourth, also at 8PM (but delayed until 7PM in Hawaii, and repeated at 8:30PM):

...will feature performances by: Grammy Award-winning legend Patti LaBelle; Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Fogerty; world-renowned four-time Grammy Award-winning soprano superstar Renée Fleming; legendary Motown stars The Temptations celebrating their 60th anniversary; country music star and Grammy-nominated member of the Grand Ole Opry Trace Adkins; multi-platinum singer/songwriter Andy Grammer; five-time Grammy Award-winning Gospel vocalist extraordinaire Yolanda Adams; hard-rocking multi-platinum country music singer/songwriter Brantley Gilbert; platinum-selling country music star Lauren Alaina; Tony Award-winning Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell; Tony Award-winning Broadway star Kelli O’Hara and Broadway and television star Mandy Gonzalez (Hamilton, In the Heights); with members of the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly. To mark the program’s 40th anniversary, the broadcast will also feature highlights of iconic performances from previous concerts.

The Year 1946:

• First United Nations meeting in London.
• Radar waves bounced off the Moon to measure the exact distance away, opening the Space Age.

• Trygve Lie of Norway selected as the first Secretary-General of the UN.
• Juan Peron elected president of Argentina.
• Ho Chi Minh elected president of North Vietnam.
• Aleutian Islands earthquake of 8.6 results in tsunami killing 170 in Hawaii, mostly Hilo.
• Women allowed to vote in Japan for the first time.
• Italy converts from monarchy to republic.

• Rama IX accedes to the throne.  He will reign for 70 years.
• Philippines gains independence from the USA.
• First bikini, from Paris.
• First Martin and Lewis show.
• Santa Claus Land in Indiana become first themed park, preceding Disneyland by 9 years.
• Mensa founded.

• Nuremberg trials.  Hermann Goring, founder of the Gestapo poisons himself and ten Nazi war criminals sentenced to death by hanging.
• Netherlands recognized Indonesia.
• International Whaling Commission forms.
• The U.S. proposes to purchase Greenland from Denmark.  Rejected.
• Viet Minh begins war with France.
• It's a Wonderful Life, with James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore.  A box office flop, it later gained annual play during Christmas and became a fan favorite.

• Flamingo Hotel opens on the Las Vegas Strip.
• First Tupperware sold.

The top songs of 1946 in 10 minutes.  Perry Como's Prisoner of Love was #1 for the year.  You never hear these songs anymore.

I think you're wonderful:

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