STANFORD IS ALSO NOW KNOWN FOR SPORTS EXCELLENCE

During my four years at Stanford from 1958-62, we were the league doormats for football and basketball.  When Cactus Jack Curtice, our football coach, addressed our freshman class on Day One, his story was that he scoured the country,  successfully recruited every player that qualified to attend Stanford...and both of them should be sitting with you in the audience.  Our baseball team was okay, and I actually earned an athletic jacket for my experience with the team.  

One requirement for graduation was to perform a quarter of school service, and I picked helping out our baseball team.  This was all menial, like putting up the bases during their practices and the like.  One day their scorer was sick, so I volunteered to do that.  We won.  So I did it again, We won again.  

You need to appreciate how baseball works.  The coaches and players are notoriously superstitious, and their success just by my keeping score meant that they took me to away games.  We did well, and they voted to give me a letterman jacket at the end of the season.  Well, this was 60 years ago, and I can't seem to find it today, but it could be because I threw it away, for it was uncomfortable to wear:  material was scratchy and the arms were made of leather.

So on to today and sports at Stanford.  Somebody after I left campus must have planned very well.  I haven't been able to identify who or why.  A quote from 2017:

After winning the women’s soccer national championship, Stanford now boasts 114 NCAA titles, yet the football team has never contributed to that tally. Instead, the Cardinal dominate the “Olympic” sports, and the Farm has become the hot destination for the nation’s top athletes. With a combination of academics and athletics, Stanford is truly unlike any other school in the country, resulting in the best overall athletic program annually.

The NACDA Director's Cup trophy was created in 1993 to select the college campuses with the best overall sports program.

• The first year was won by North Carolina.  Stanford came in #2
• Then for the next 25 years Stanford was #1.
• Alas, in the 2019-20 academic year Texas won.  Stanford came in at #2.

But this "embarrassment" was at least partially caused by the school last year dropping 11 of its 36 varsity sports.  These are the ones that well-represented the school in past Olympics:  fencing, field hockey, rowing, sailing, squash, synchronized swimming, men's volleyball and wrestling.  These 11 sports brought to Stanford all those national championships and Olympic medals.  This adjustment affected 240 student athletes and 22 coaches, plus the incoming class.  The reason was the pandemic and financial strain faced by the university.

Then in May, Stanford reversed itself and restored those 11 sport programs.  The 4000 athletic alumni apparently had clout...plus money.  While it's too late to recruit top talent for this incoming freshman class, you can expect Stanford to regain the #1 spot for the Director's Cup, maybe as soon as next year, and certainly by the following one.

In the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, Stanford athletes collected 27 medals.  At Tokyo are 61 of them, and some will be representing Israel, Nigeria Australia, Egypt, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Singapore, Canada, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, St. Vincent/Grenadines, Russia, Venezuela and Greece.  I don't know how famous they are in most of the obscure sports, but the biggest name is Katie Ledecky, plus I earlier reported on Veronica Toro Arana.  The entire USA contingent in Tokyo numbers 613, representing 169 schools.

I tend to have my best meal of the week for Friday dinner.  Yesterday was no exception, featuring two Stanford alumni wines.  Here are photos of my lamb chops and hamachi sashimi feast, with red wine, white wine, beer, sake and green tea.  The meal was fabulous, with the perfect essence of umami.  I started with an indigo martini for my bath after an exercise session in our wellness center.  Jalapeno and truffles olives, plus capers.  Some of the sake and a good amount of butter went into perfecting the teriyaki sauce.

The color naturally comes from the Empress 1908 Gin.  

I should add that the Niigata rice was just cooked, with a dollop of butter on to which I placed some ikura (salmon eggs).

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ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT BUYING A CAR OR TRUCK?

 I was sent this video on the French Peugeot e-Legend electric concept car, which was introduced in 2018 for a company then celebrating half a century of existence:

Of course, concept cars are just that, they represent the future, many times unrealistically.  In 2019 Peugot announced that they would not mass produce this vehicle because the assembly line start-up would cost $300 million, and they would need to sell the car at $95,000, even if they rolled-off 20,000 cars.

France has never been a player in world car sales, and, come to think of it, I don't think I've ever been in one.  The most prominent companies are Citroen (and this is one of their concept cars....from 1955), which sold their first vehicle 102 years ago in 1919.  They have had a checkered existence, once owning Maserati, with takeovers by Peugot and alliances in China, Italy and Germany.

Renault began operations 122 years ago, and also had a rocky past, once being privatized and forming alliances with American Motors, General Motors and more recently with Japan and South Korea.  Remember Carlos Ghosn, who ran Renault, went on to become chairman of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, and is now a wanted international fugitive?

Peugeot goes back even further to 1889, and their history includes taking over Citroen and Chrysler Europe, assisted by the French government, and a later dalliance with General Motors.  The company is now jointly owned by Dongfeng Motor Corporation of China and is in merger within Stellantis, which is now operator of 14 different brands, including Chrysler, Fiat, Jeep, Ram, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Open, Vauxhaul, and Citroen, with headquarters in Amsterdam.  Peugeot is scheduled to return to America in 2026

Heck, if I came this far into automobiles, did you know that world car sales peaked in 2017 with 68.3 million sold, 35% in China.  Interesting that in 2017 17 million new and 39 million USED cars were sold in the U.S.  Last year was unusual, but it was a free-fall to 56 million sales, with again, 35% in China.

Here are some other interesting vehicle facts:

• Between 1908 and 1927, 16.5 million Ford Model T's were sold.  
• Was said to be the best selling automobile for 40 years.
• In 1940, 90% of all cars were Fords.
• The Ford F-series trucks arrived in 1948 and for the past few decades have been their annual best seller, now in the range of 45 million sold world-wide.
• 
  In 1972 Volkswagen overtook Ford with its Beetle.  Inspired by Hitler, and beginning in 1938, 23.5 million Volkswagen Beetles were sold until discontinued in 2019.
• 
  Since 1936 Toyota has sold more than 300 million vehicles.
• The Toyota Corolla came in 1966 and outsold the Beetle from the late 1990's.  
• Still selling it, and the total is now approaching 55 million as the most sold car model in  history.

• 
  The Russian Lada produced by AvtoVAZ deserves mention, for over 20 million units were sold WITHOUT ANY MAJOR DESIGN CHANGE from 1970 to 2012.
• Toyota regained world leadership in 2020, beating out Volkswagen:

• 
  #3  Daimler (produces Mercedes, Smart and others)
• #4  Honda
• #5  Ford
• #6  General Motors
• #7  BMW
• #8  SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation)
• #9  Hyundai
• #10  Nissan

Electric Vehicles are catching on:

The U.S. seems to be leveling off at 2%.  Why?  The federal tax credits expired.  Well, the Biden American Jobs Plan included $100 billion in subsidies for EV buyers.  So do all buyers qualify for $7500?  Maybe, maybe not, and maybe partly.  Read this and check with your dealer.

As of 2018, California led the U.S. with 12 EVs per 1000 on the road, or only 1.2%.  Hawaii was #2 with 0.6%.  A third of the 42,000 charging stations are in California.  The Biden plan calls for a national network of 500,000.  In comparison, there are around 150,000 gasoline retailers in the U.S.

Some day, this is how you will check into an airport and have your car parked.

Costs around $65/day.  Then again, their new $3 billion terminal has not yet been completed, now four years overdue.

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THE RISE OF VACCINE MANDATES

            From Worldometer (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):

        DAY  USA  WORLD   Brazil    India    South Africa

June     9    1093     4732         1185       246       82

July    22     1205     7128         1293      1120     572

Aug    12     1504     6556        1242        835     130

Sept     9     1208      6222       1136       1168       82

Oct     21     1225      6849         571        703       85

Nov    25      2304    12025        620        518      118

Dec    30      3880    14748       1224       299      465

Jan     14      4142    15512        1151       189      712              

Feb      3       4005    14265       1209       107      398

          25       2414    10578       1582        119      144

Mar     2        1989      9490        1726       110      194

          31       1115     12301        3950       458       58

April   6          906     11787         4211       631       37

May    4         853     13667         3025     3786      59 

         26         607     12348         2399     3842     101

June    1         287    10637        2346      3205       95

          30         249      8505        2127        991     383

 July    7          251      8440        1595        817     411

         14          374      8721        1574        580      453

         21          414      8638        1388        510      516

         27          339      9460        1320        640      370

         28          483    10136        1366        641      520

Summary:

• Looking worse for the USA:
• Yesterday, the new cases amounted to 84,534.
• #2 Brazil  48,443.
• #3 Indonesia  47,791.
• If the mortality rate holds at 1.8%, this means that the new deaths/day for U.S. will be 1496 ten days or so from today.
• As yesterday the U.S had 483 new deaths, this means that this number will triple in ten days.
• Louisiana could see a jump from 14 new deaths yesterday to 85 new deaths/day in 10 days.
• Florida from 92 yesterday to 289 in ten days.
• Arizona from 2 yesterday to 25 in ten days.
• Countries in the Orient are especially on the uptick, and Africa is now showing several countries with new cases/day in four digits.
• Japan is just about hitting 10,000 new cases/day for the first time.  
• Their previous peaks in April did not reach 5,000/day and in January was up just past 6,000/day. 
• If this were a month or two ago, a decision would have been made to cancel the Tokyo Summer Olympics.
• Of course, the Games have gone on for a week now with relatively few athletes getting infected, and will see a closing ceremony on August 8.
• The fully vaccinated rate in Japan is now 27%.
• China's fully vaccinated rate is 57%, while the U.S. has been stalled at just around 50%.

The Center for Disease Control during the reign of Donald Trump was worse than useless.  Well, the Biden CDC can't win for anything.  Today, the New York Times characterized them as having two problems:  polarization and communication.  Note how the CDC keeps changing its mind? Notice that whatever they say, Trump states continue to ignore them?

As unenviable as CDC's situation might be, at least I can now almost completely believe what they say, and they seem inconsistent mostly because this COVID-19 virus keeps morphing into a more dangerous virus, forcing bureaucratic adjustments.

Herd immunity once was said to be as low as 60%.  Now that it is looking like the U.S. will be approaching that number by early next year, the latest indicated range seems to be in the range of 70%-90%.  As the USA is back to regularly having the most new cases/day in the world, all that optimism shown at the beginning of the year when those vaccines became available is shifting into a pessimism.

Looks like various acts of vaccine mandates might need to be the ultimate solution.  Universities are beginning to take this step, major companies like Google and Facebook are also heading in this direction, New York and California also are just about there, and President Joe Biden will today announce this vaccination mandate for federal workers and contractors.  Clearly, the Federal government needs to accelerate that announcement about these vaccines being officially safe, and make it official, plus add those 5-11 year olds to the eligibility list.

The Justice Department has already determined that federal law doesn't prohibit public agencies and private businesses from requiring COVID-19 vaccines.  The Trump administration had the exact opposite opinion, having to do with mask-wearing.

Here is a comprehensive expectation of what the vaccinated and unvaccinated will do this summer:

Somewhat shocking that those who are unvaccinated plan to be more active than the fully vaccinated. But the unvaccinated are more and more being prejudiced against.  They are now prevented from participating in crowded indoor events and highly discouraged to travel.  Don't they realize that the danger they present by going around unmasked is mostly to themselves, for the contagious Delta variance is making difference? 

I don't quite understand the CDC's latest announcement requiring safely-vaccinated individuals to wear masks in compromising situations.  Their reason is that those vaccinated, while they don't themselves get sick, hosts viruses in their respiratory tract that can infect those who are unvaccinated.  Why penalize those who got vaccinated?  Place the heat on the true villains, the unvaccinated.

In any case, anyone with health, philosophical or religious reasons can still gain exemption.  Looks like this group should be around 5%, but that figure came from children's vaccinations that have long been mandated.  Regarding adults, I would imagine that this figure could double because some people are almost insanely driven by freedom of choice ideals.

Thus, at a 90% ultimate vaccination rate, herd immunity will be attained, and this COVID-19 Delta virus should be controlled.  My fear is that the current upswing will introduce a more dangerous virus like the Lambda version that could make my current vaccination obsolete.

A few countries are seeking a 100% vaccination rate, and first to do so might be Saudi Arabia.  The United Arab Emirates has already reached 93% because they effectively mandated it without saying so.  Israel went the vaccine passport rout to determine where you can go.  I've long advocated a universal vaccine passport not unlike your travel passport, but on your smartphone, to facilitate checking.

Mandates are just another form of politics.  Plato must have been a pretty smart guy:

Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber. Plato, ancient Greek Philosopher

One of Socrates' pupils was Plato, who apparently died in his sleep at the age of 80, 347 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.  On the other hand, the life expectancy those days was around 27, and Epimenides of Crete was said to have lived to the age of 157, and rhetorician Giorges to 108, so perhaps, like the Bible, some exaggeration was common in those days.

Or:

I don't make jokes. I just watch the Government and report the facts. ~Will Rogers (1879- 1935)

Rogers was part Cherokee Indian who was the highest paid Hollywood star when he was on a plane that crashed in Alaska, killing him at the age of 55.  Another of his quotes is I am not a member of any organized party.  I am a Democrat.

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WILL WE ALL EVENTUALLY BE GOMBOC?

           From Worldometer (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):

        DAY  USA  WORLD   Brazil    India    South Africa

June     9    1093     4732         1185       246       82

July    22     1205     7128         1293      1120     572

Aug    12     1504     6556        1242        835     130

Sept     9     1208      6222       1136       1168       82

Oct     21     1225      6849         571        703       85

Nov    25      2304    12025        620        518      118

Dec    30      3880    14748       1224       299      465

Jan     14      4142    15512        1151       189      712              

Feb      3       4005    14265       1209       107      398

          25       2414    10578       1582        119      144

Mar     2        1989      9490        1726       110      194

          31       1115     12301        3950       458       58

April   6          906     11787         4211       631       37

May    4         853     13667         3025     3786      59 

         26         607     12348         2399     3842     101

June    1         287    10637        2346      3205       95

          30         249      8505        2127        991     383

 July    7          251      8440        1595        817     411

         14          374      8721        1574        580      453

         21          414      8638        1388        510      516

         27          339      9460        1320        640      370

Summary:

• Yesterday Tokyo suffered its highest number of new cases ever with 2848.  How serious is this?
• Tokyo:  203 cases/million
• World:  75
• India:  31
• USA:  185
• Hawaii:  116
• California:  216
• Louisiana:  1451
• Brazil:  194
• Thailand:  202
• China:  0.005
• What a terrible development, having among the highest number of new deaths/capita in the world.  Blame the government for delaying vaccinations and the people for their high reluctance.  Have you seen many of the outdoor Olympics events like cycling, where hordes line the streets, many of them capable of transmitting this disease?
• High enough to cancel the Games?  Of course not.
• Japan, with 5389 also suffered its worse number of new cases, ever.  Much of the same can be said for most of the countries in the Orient.
• The USA had the most new cases in the world, with 61,581.  So we're back to leading the pack again.  Why?  Sure the Delta variance is one reason, but the continued resistance of too many about vaccinations is another.
• Indonesia was #2 with 45,203 new cases.
• However, while the U.S. "only" had 339 new deaths, Indonesia had 2,069, by far the most in the world.
• The difference?  While the U.S. is just about at 50% regarding the fully-vaccinated, INDONESIA IS AT 7%!!!   Countries like Israel and Canada are approaching 60%.
• As of two days ago there were 155 COVID-19 confirmed cases for everyone associated with the Tokyo Summer Olympics, but that included the 11,000+ athletes plus staff, workers and contractors.  The infection rate is much less than 1%.

Maybe there is more to Pablo Picasso than we think.  Researchers have found that everything from icebergs to rocks break apart into smaller cubes.  There could well be a universal rule of fragmentation.

This notion builds of the work of mathematician Gabor Domokos of Budapest University.  Back in 2006 he proved the existence of the gomboc, a gemstone-like shape that has only one stable balance point.  Seems that pebbles washing downriver and sand grains blowing in the wind also erode toward gombocish shapes.  From dolomite on the Harmashatarhegy in Budapest to supercomputer simulations of materials, they all formed this shape.  Here is Gabor holding a gomboc:

So what use is this information?  Hydrologists can predict fluid flow through rock cracks for oil extraction and geologists can now better predict the breaking off of cliff faces.  My interest is as a geothermal engineer to better design in-situ hot dry rock reservoirs for energy extraction, said to have enough potential to supply all the energy humanity needs for thousands of years.  Getting this to be cost effective is the problem.

This might be getting too philosophical, but Douglas Jerolmack, a University of Pennsylvania geophysicist, who is in this field, said their team took inspiration from Plato, who related each of the four classical elements--earth, air, fire and water--to a polyhedron.  Domokos goes further on in saying:  But in order to see the ideal, you have to use your mind.

The future of Man?

As Wednesday is science day, here is a test of Galileo's Hypothesis.  Worth your while to watch.  Only 2 minutes and 35 seconds long.

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