ODDS AND ENDS

The New York Times this morning showed a graphic that, surely, got to influence anti-vaxxers to get vaxxed.

Also:  

Once you get a booster, your risk of getting severely ill from Covid is tiny. It is quite small even if you are older or have health problems.

Further:

The average weekly chance that a boosted person died of Covid was about one in a million during October and November (the most recent available C.D.C. data). Since then, the chances have no doubt been higher, because of the Omicron surge. But they will probably be even lower in coming weeks, because the surge is receding and Omicron is milder than earlier versions of the virus. For now, one in a million per week seems like a reasonable estimate.

Plus:

That risk is not zero, but it is not far from it. The chance that an average American will die in a car crash this week is significantly higher — about 2.4 per million. So is the average weekly death rate from influenza and pneumonia — about three per million.

Part of the problem remains partisan politics:

For this you can blame conservative media like the FOX News channel.  Also:

Finally:  

In Times Opinion, James Martin, a Jesuit priest, argues that schadenfreude over vaccine skeptics’ suffering warps the soul.

Incidentally, you will more and more read that Omicron has three offshoots, BA-1 (the one that is dominant), BA-2 (sometimes called the stealth variant, which is perhaps slightly more contagious and evades PCR tests) and BA-3 (not worthy of your current interest).  A bit of a complication, but insufficient to create another major wave.

So how close is humanity to ending the pandemic?  

• First, if you're boosted, you can pretty much do what you want.  The pandemic for you is over!  
• Second, if you're not yet vaccinated, stay home, don't go out to eat, don't travel, stay scared.  Oh, you might want to get vaccinated and boosted so that in in a few months you too can better enjoy life. 
• 
  Third, Republican and Democratic governors are beginning to feel that the White House should, for once, get organized to have a plan to end the pandemic.  
• Sure, there are states like Texas, Florida and the South that still want to maintain a high sense of independence.  
• But as the Biden administration, especially the CDC, has screwed up going back to school, getting tested, wearing masks, not organizing a national vaccine card and just about everything else, maybe it's time for our President to do some leading.
• With Omicron still causing havoc and hospitalizations still high here and there, just saying the pandemic is over, hoping the economy improves and returning to normality is just not there yet.

Here are a few odds and ends I've collected over the past few days.  The next Supreme Court justice will be a black female lawyer.  Black females only represent 2% of the field.

Oil prices hit their highest since 2014. The surge seems influenced by global political tensions in the UAE and Russia. (Source: Reuters).  Of course, the price of oil, inflation adjusted, was much higher in 2008.  The $157/barrel then is nearly double the price of the past week of around $88/barrel.

Authorities at the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department in Hong Kong announced that the sale of hamsters and the import of small mammals would cease immediately after many tested positive for coronavirus at a pet store where an employee also tested positive.  While the U.S. CDC has said animals don’t appear to play a significant part in spreading the virus, Hong Kong isn’t taking any chances. 2,000 hamsters and small animals will be executed by the state, and anyone who bought a hamster after January 7th will have to quarantine and turn in their hamster for execution. (Source: AP)

New York City Mayor Eric Adams just converted his first paycheck into Bitcoin and Ether.  Then the crypto market crashed.  He lost around $1000.  For the year, Bitcoin is down 22% and Ether down 35%.

2022 is the beginning of the 50th year of Roe v Wade.

As the Supreme Court considers a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks, and whether to overturn Roe altogether, The Times examined how U.S. abortion law compares with other countries. While many rich democracies have earlier cutoffs for abortion, the U.S. is an outlier in another way — by considering rolling back abortion access.

Icebergs do eventually melt:

• The iceberg A68a was one of the biggest ever seen when it broke off an ice shelf in 2017. Now it has completely melted.

From worst to best:  The $4 billion Terminal B of LaGuardia Airport.   UNESCO has already recognized it as Best New Airport in the World.  This was a really terrible airport.  Too bad Hawaii doesn't have $4 billion to build something equivalent.

Meet Methuselah, the oldest known fish in captivity.  Not quite as old as the Bible's Methuselah, who was Noah's grandfather and lived to be 969 years old, this lungfish is only 90.  Came from Australia in 1938.  Now that this is a threatened species, cannot now be exported.  Having both lungs and gills, this specie is the evolutionary link between marine and land creatures.

Of course, other sealife have longer life expectancies.  Ming, the Quahog Clam, was found dead in 2006 at an estimated age of 507.  Then, too, above and below are the jellyfish Turritopsis dohrnii and hydra.  Both are potentially immortal.

Oleanolic acid found in raisins kills two kinds of bacteria that cause gum disease, and reduces plaque.  This knowledge has been around for decades, but there is as yet no advisory and how many raisins you should consume per day or week.  Then again, in the UK, there is some controversy about serving raisins, for they have too much sugar and can cause tooth decay.  But Contemporary Clinical Dentistry insists that raisin protects against cavities.

The Cincinnati Bengals will meet the Los Angeles Rams on February 13 in Super Bowl LVI.  That is 56 for those who don't know roman numerals.  For the second consecutive time, and this rarely happens, the game will be played on the home field of one of them, the Rams in SoFi Stadium.  If you had before the season started wagered $10 on the Bengals even reaching the Super Bowl, you would have won $1250 already.  Current odds show the Rams favored by 4 points and an over/under of 49.

So what junk food should I feature that day?  As this game will occur in Los Angeles, there is the Dodger Dog...but that is for baseball.  SoFi Stadium has four concession themes:  kind of a long cheeseburger sub, Japanese-inspired, Mexican and Italian.  There is also a chili dog, as shown here to the left.  or the meatballs with focaccia and ricotta below, shown next to the edge of a Stromboli Dog.

On the other hand, I am rooting for the Bengals, as their quarterback, Joe Burrow, came from the NCAA championship-winning LSU Tigers only two years ago.  What does Paul Brown Stadium feature?

Tomorrow is Chinese New Year 2022.  Celebrations go on for 16 days, but in China, the public holiday is from January 31 to February 6.  This will be the year of the Tiger.  Interestingly enough, this is the year of the Water Tiger.  Water Tiger?  What is that?  The last Water Tiger year was 1962 when I graduated from college.  

Maybe this will be a propitious year for the Blue Revolution.  Surely, this omens well for the Cincinnati Bengals.

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WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HAD CAVIAR WITH ALL THOSE GARNISHES, VODKA AND CHAMPAGNE?

I've long been expressing huge concern about at least four groups most responsible for spreading COVID-19:

• The unvaccinated.
• Asymptomatic people who innocently pass on this virus.  Said to spread 59% of all cases.
• Trump states.
• Because of schooling, children, who bring home this disease.

From the Sunday New York Times:

According to a new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 18.8 percent of children in the 5-to-11 age group are now fully vaccinated and only 28.1 percent have received one dose. The disparity among states is stark. In Vermont, 52 percent of young children are fully vaccinated; in Mississippi, it is 6 percent.

More and more, as I get older and older, I splurge on a meal, for I don't have all that much time left.  What are the ultimate eating pleasures?  CNN last year had a list of 50 world's best foods:

• #50  Buttered popcorn, U.S.
• #48  Potato chips, UK
• #47  Seafood Paella, Spain
• #45  Chicken rice, Singapore
• #43  Tacos, Mexico
• #39  Ketchup, U.S.
• #36  Hummus, Middle East
• #29  Wagyu beef, Japan
• #22  Poke, U.S.
• #21  Croissant, France
• #17  Lobster, global
• #13  Corn on the cob, global
• #9    Ice cream, global
• #6    Hamburger, Germany
• #5    Peking duck, China
• #4    Sushi, Japan
• #3    Chocolate, Mexico
• #2    Neopolitan pizza, Italy
• #1    Massaman curry, Thailand

Can't say I agree with the above.  I've been to Thailand 25 times and don't remember ever having Massaman curry.  I was a bit surprised to see chocolate ascribed to Mexico.  Turns out this delicacy can be traced back to the Mayans.

Lonely Planet had a top ten, placing som tum from street vendors in Bangkok as #5.  Again, never tried this dish.  But I avoid vendors in Thailand.  And I really don't like green papaya salad.  #1 was San Sebastian's pinxtos, another term for tapas.

Turns out much of these ratings had to do with not so expensive meals you can have at home.  Or as culturally important where you live.

Lux Life rates the most luxurious foods in the world.  #1 is saffron, #2 white Alba truffles and #3 oysters.  However, while oysters can be the base for a good meal, saffron and truffles are additives.  #4 was caviar.

There was a time when first class air travel meant caviar.  While this level of comfort seems to be disappearing, some still serve caviar.  When the Gulf War began two decades ago, I remember once being the only passenger traveling first class on United from Honolulu to Japan because of terrorism threats.  I blatantly asked for a little bit of all the red wines.  They opened a really large can of beluga caviar.  I ate a lot and almost died.  In 2010, in one of my most tumultuous flights, first class from Delhi to Munich on Lufthansa, I was smart enough to stick with the caviar that was served.

In 2013 I again was the only passenger in first class on Thai Air from Sydney to Bangkok.  They started with Dom Perignon and went on to caviar.  I was wise enough to also stop at one serving.

Seven years ago tomorrow, an organization I belonged to, Chaine des Rotisseurs, gathered at the Pacific Club in Honolulu for Champagne and Caviar.  There were six kinds of champagne, going up to $106/bottle for the Blanc de Blanc Cru of Billecart-Salmon.  The caviars were Sturia:  Classic, Grand Chef and Oscietra.

Three years ago, on my way to a special tasting of Chateau Lafitte Rothschild in France, I passed through the International terminal of Los Angeles Airport.  I had an absolutely fabulous lunch at Petrossian of French caviar, a French champagne and Grey Goose Vodka (which comes from France).

I found a review of the the very best meals possible from Food and Wine:  13 Over-the-Top Dining Experiences to Splurge on with Your Tax Returns.  Caviar dominates.

Here are some caviar highlights from Wikipedia:

• Traditionally, caviar is salt-cured roe from sturgeon of the Caspian and Black Sea.
• The UN Food and Agriculture Organization indicates that true caviar only comes from a sturgeon.
• 
  Supposedly, the Chinese invented the salt-curing of fish roe, caviar was loved by Greek philosopher Aristotle and Russian czars elevated it to luxury status.
• Kaluga Queen is said to have won most of the actual tasting contests.  That was the caviar I had on my Lufthansa flight mentioned above.  Guess where this caviar comes from?  China!  Can you believe that China today supplies 60% of all caviar.

• 
  Can you believe the USA is #3?
• In earlier America, sturgeon of the Delaware caviar sold for a nickel, as tavern keepers saw that the more their patrons ate caviar, the more they consumed alcohol.  So caviar was the salty peanuts of our past.
• The best Osetra Caviar in the U.S. is from Marshallberg Farm.  Note the golden color.
• Here are how the three primary sturgeon look:

• 
   In addition to these three, there are 25 more species of sturgeon.
• If you can find it, Polanco Caviar from Uruguay compares with the best from Russia and Iran. The fish came from Russia  and is Siberian Sturgeon, as was the French caviar I had above. 
• Humanitarian processes are more and more being utilized to safely extract the roe from sturgeons.  Massaged-out caviar is among the more expensive.

I have long looked upon caviar as being deleterious to my health because of the sodium content of the product.  However, here are 6 surprising benefits of this fish egg, from Healthline:

• One ounce (28 grams) provides 7 grams of protein, 236% of daily Vitamin B12, 34% of daily selenium (for immune response), 19% of daily iron....but 18% of daily sodium.
• Small amounts of calcium and vitamins A, D, and E.
• Great source of omega-3 fatty acids.  The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend you get per day
• 250 mg of EPA and DHA.
• One ounce of caviar delivers 800 mg of EPA and 1080 of DHA.
• Stimulate adipocytes to produce adiponectin, which improves skin's wound-healing and anti-inflammatory processes, while also promoting collagen synthesis.  In short, caviar reduces skin aging, while improving skins smoothness and reducing fine lines and crow's feet.
• May improve brain and mental health, while lowering depression.
• May promote heart health, while lowering blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels and preventing platelet aggregation.
• May improve male fertility.  Increased sperm counts in rats.
• May support your immune system by reducing inflammation while restoring barrier function of skin, intestines and lungs.

Just how expensive are caviars, and why don't you see some of the more popular types in your markets anymore?  

•  The Guinness World Record is Almas from a rare Iranian Albino Beluga.  $1000/ounce.
• A range of factors including government bans, difficulty with growing/handling and general scarcity raises the price of caviar.  A few comparisons:

• 

  In 2005 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service put Caspian sturgeon on the Endangered Species list and banned the importation of the classical caviars.  Finding them means a lot more money, but this is allowed if the fishery farm in the U.S. started before 2005.
• Royal Beluga Caviar can still be bought for around $200/ounce.  
• This means $3200/pound.
• White truffles are traditionally a bit more than $1000/pound, but last year went up to $4500/pound because of weather and supply problems.

• 
  But there is American caviar from shovelnose sturgeon (right), paddlefish, lumpfish and bowfin.
• Sturgeons are the biological cousins of sharks and can grow up to 24 feet long and weigh as much as a large car.  One pregnant female can carry up to 100 (1600 ounces) pounds of caviar.  Compared to the other two, sturgeons provide the best caviar.
• Sturgeon AquaFarms is the only legal producer of Beluga caviar in America.  Typically, Marky's  Sturgeon Caviar sells for $420/ounce.    

• 
  I went to Amazon.com and saw this brand selling for $3995/35.2 oz, which is $113/ounce, or $1800/pound.
• The true caviar eggs range in color between dark brown and black.
• Marky's Paddlefish Caviar sells for $28/ounce.
• Amazon does not send to Hawaii.
• Other American Sturgeon Caviars regularly sell for $50 to $70/oz.
• Herring roe:  $17/oz.
• Bowfin roe:  $17/oz.
• Golden Whitefish rod:  $5/oz.
• Paddlefish roe:  $38/oz.
• Salmon roe:  $16/oz.
• Tobiko (flying fish egg):  $12/oz.
• Trout roe:  $10/oz.
• Whitefish roe:  $9/oz.
• 
  There is also lumpfish caviar.  
• Lumpfish is a marine bottom animal like a flounder, and can be found on both sides of the Atlantic:  Newfoundland/Labrador to New Jersey and Iceland/Greenland.
• A female lumpfish, which is larger than the male, can produce over a quarter-million eggs and grow to 2 feet long and weigh more than 22 pounds..

• 
  Amazon sells Agustson caviar for $40/3.3 ounce, or $12/oz or $194/pound.  Which of course is not sent to Hawaii.
• Other lumpfish roe can go as low as $1.75/oz.
• You should know that the lumpfish itself is made into dogfood.
• How terrible is lumpfish caviar?  If you are not familiar with caviar, you might not be able to tell the difference from Beluga.  The lumpfish roe is slightly crunchier and taste a bit more fishy.

Williams Sonoma suggests well-chilled vodka (which does not freeze in the freezer, but can get syrupy).  Some restaurants flavor with lemon.  Champagne, or any sparkling wine, is also recommended.  Some serve white wine if the caviar is part of a meal.  Also, consider sake and soju.

You can serve caviar any way you want, but the more snooty use a mother-of-pearl spoon to scoop the morsels.  Silver spoons do tarnish.  While most sources say keep the vodka and caviar as cold as possible, another school of thought suggests that you miss the nuances unless you raise the temperature a bit.  Of course, still cold, but not ice-like.

You can show-off by placing the caviar on the back of your hand (right).  They say that your body temperature brings the pile to the right temperature when you get the purest taste of delicacy.  Me?  I place some cream cheese (the more esoteric use creme fraiche, which is sour) on a bliny (a small Russian pancake made with leavened batter, using wheat or buckwheat flour).  I like to lightly fry the bliny in butter.  Add some chopped red onion and hard-boiled egg, then top with a safe amount of caviar so you don't spill the eggs.  Some use a thin slice of lemon peel on top, but I squeeze lemon or lime juice onto the above.  I hate rind.

With all that introduction, I had another memorable meal of caviar last night.

A good excuse for social distancing:

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