WHO WILL REPLACE RUTH BADER GINSBURG? WHEN?

MY WORLD IS CHANGING.  THE SHIFT TO A NEW SYSTEM BY GOOGLE IS LIMITING THIS BLOG SITE.  I WILL CONTINUE A WHILE, BUT THIS LOCATION WILL SHORTLY BECOME THE SITE OF MY FUTURE BOOKS DRAFTS FOR YOUR COMMENT.  MOSTLY, THOUGH, I WILL JUST TOSS IN INTERESTING STUFF.  THIS WILL CONTINUE AT LEAST UNTIL I REACH #1 OF MY FAVORITE SONGS AROUND THE EVE OF NEW YEAR.

YOU ARE INVITED TO MY NEW BLOG SITE IF YOU WISH TO CONTINUE READING WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING FOR MORE THAN A DOZEN YEARS:

     WHY ARE WE HERE?  WHERE WILL WE GO?

From Worldometer:

           DAY USA   WORLD   Brazil      India   South Africa

June      9    1093    4732        1185       246          82

July     19      412    4606          715       675          85

           22     1205    7128       1293     1120        572

Aug      1    1462     6429       1191       765        193

          10       534     4813         593     1013        198
          12     1504     6556       1242       835        130

          30       369     4182         398       960          47
Sept     3     1094     5886          830    1083        174
            6       432     4129          456    1008        110
            9     1208     6222        1136    1168          82
           13      392     3905          389    1140          20
           14      480     4374          454    1054          52
           15    1197     6001        1090    1283        142

           16    1012     6085          967    1139          64

           17      879     5568          857    1174          67

           18      958     5464          826    1221          85

           19      657     5141          708    1149          83

           20      294     3891          330    1135          13  

           21      384     4129          455    1056          39

Summary: 

• 
  Well, the USA finally reached 200,00 deaths, at last look now up to 204,502.  
• That is 623 deaths per million people.  
• The World average is 128/million.  
• So our USA death rate is five times worse than the World.  
• China experienced 3 deaths/million.  Thus the USA is 208 times worse than China.
• Japan:  12
• South Korea:  8
• Singapore:  5
• Many African countries are also at this low level
• Could be true, for there could have been a strain of coronavirus cold/flu that swept through those countries.
• But you got to also wonder about their reporting accuracy.
• And are India at 64 and Bangladesh at 30 death rates meaningful?

• 
  Mind you, there are worse countries:
• Peru:  952
• Belgium:  858
• Spain:  656
• Brazil:  645
• Chile:  642
• Bolivia:  641
• Something terrible went wrong in South America.

The U.S. new death rates are now decreasing.  But The New York Times just reported this today, suggesting that the next wave is happening, as has already occurred in Europe:

The topic of the day was addressed in my 19 September 2020 posting:

     Will Ruth Bader Ginsburg be replaced on the Supreme Court this year?

Three days later, developments have reinforced my contention then:

Forget what Republicans said in the past, the odds are high that there will a Trump nominee in our highest court by the end of the year.  

President Donald Trump said he will name his nominee on Saturday.  All the media indicate that this person will be Amy Coney Barrett (left), who if she is affirmed, will give the Republicans a huge anti-abortion victory.  Obama-care will also be set aside.

On the other hand, Barbara Lagoa (right) is an intriguing prospect, for she is the daughter of Cuban immigrants living in Florida.  For the first time, there will be more Hispanic than African-American votes on November 3.  Trump absolutely needs Florida to beat Biden.  

Here is my current take on how and why this will occur:

• Unless there is some incredible thunderbolt issue, the overriding factor is that there is no way for Democrats to derail the process.
• The key difference then and now is that in 2016 there was a Democratic president and a Republican senate.  Today, there is a clear path, for both the White House and Senate are in Republican control.  

• 
  Forget previous promises and so-called precedents.  The only question is whether the Senate vote will occur before November 3 or in the lame duck session.
• The actual vote will probably occur before November 3 because the way the votes are today going, Republicans can protect three challenged Senators running for re-election.  If these three win, there is no way Democrats can take over the Senate.  But if things change, they can still vote after November 3 and before January 3.

• 
  Note there is a difference in who is in office and when.  The new Congress must convene on January 3.  The current President stays in office until January 22.
• How does the Supreme Court brouhaha affect Donald Trump?  Whether before or after November 3, Trump will lose more votes than not.  The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg probably sealed a victory for Joe Biden.

Why am I so confident of the above?  Well, for one, my predictions are iffy anyway, so don't go by what I say in this blog site.  I'm just expressing an opinion.  But come back in mid-November and see how close I was to reality.

My 99th favorite song came from the following list of some more recent performances:

• Rolling in the Deep   Adele
• O Mio Bambino   Jackie Evanko
• I Gotta Feeling   Black Eyed Peas
• Moves Like Jagger   Maroon 5 with Christina Aguilera
• Gangnam Style  Psy
• Blurred Lines   Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams
• Uptown Funk   Mark Ronson with Bruno Mars (this is a better version)
• Despacito Remix   Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber  (the beat)
• Shallow   Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
• Old Town Road Remix   Lis Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus
• Baby Shark Dance  Pinkfong, a South Korean educational entertainment company
• Girl on Fire  Alicia Keys

Rolling Stone had a list of the 100 top songs of this 21st century, I hardly recognized any, and Rolling in the Deep was the only one in the top ten, so I'm certainly not the best judge of contemporary tunes.  Similarly, Honolulu magazine had a top 25 list of Hawaiian music, and nothing in that list sounded familiar.

You Tube compiles the most watched, and it is amazing that South Korea has two in the top four:

• #1  Despacito   just at 7 billion
• #2  Baby Shark Dance  right behind at 6.6 billion
• #6  Uptown Funk  4 billion
• #8  Gangnam Style  3.79 billion, but first song to reach 1 billion

Then, too, because of this pandemic, there have been numerous mashups and remixes.  Here is one coronavirus list of 40.  One example is by Queen and Adam Lambert.  Here is another from around the world.  Randy Rainbow on Trump and clorox.  Also too, not music, but efforts like The Daily Show providing sarcasm and cheeky tongue.  Then, everything I need to know to survive COVID-19 I learned by watching sci-fi and horror movies.

But about my favorite, I was leaning towards Uptown Funk, especially with all those dancing enhancements, but if I had to pick one, #99 is Girl on Fire, not by Alicia Keys, but 9-year Angelica Hale, from her America's Got Talent audition.  By the way, the final night of AGT, with 10 survivors, is tonight on NBC.  Results will be announced Wednesday night, from 7-10PM, with an hour of preview, followed by a lot of guests.

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COVID-19: China's Second Wave is a Tiny Blip

From Worldometer,  COVID-19 new deaths:

           DAY USA   WORLD   Brazil   India   South Africa

May     27    1535     5283         1148     190         28

            28    1223     4612         1067     177         25
            29    1212     4873         1180     269         34
            30    1015     4084           890     205         32
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

Summary:

• Oops, not so good, everyone up in new deaths.
• The five largest COVID-19 clusters in the U.S. now are concentrated in prisons.  
• FDA officially revoked the emergency use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine.
• Mary Trump, the president’s niece, plans to release a book next month titled, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.  In the book, she says she was the source who provided The Times with Trump tax documents a few years ago.

• John Bolton's The Room Where It Happened was supposed to have been released next week.  However, the White House sued to block the release, so we'll see where this goes.  Must be something juicy, for a whole host of other books were allowed, or tolerated.  Want to know what's in the book?  Read The Atlantic article on this publication.

• The late-night hosts were waiting for Trump, after he gingerly descended a ramp after giving a commencement address at West Point.  When you get old, you fear walking down steps, but ramps not as much.  He does seem to have a right arm problem.  Did you know that you can lead a cow upstairs, but not downstairs?  We're becoming cows.  The problem with them, it turns out, is weight distribution.  If that New York Times article is blocked, try this.  Here is a complete Jimmy Kimmel monologue.  Stephen Colbert with more.

• The latest China blip from Beijing market:

• More than 100 new cases, the first in 56 days.
• Possibly has spread outside of Beijing to provinces of Liaoning and Hebei.
• Not exactly a second wave, but another outbreak from a market, the Xinfadi food market.
• Officials are trying to track down 200,000 people who visited the site in the last three weeks.  There are several hundred testing sites, and on Sunday alone, more than 75,000 linked to the market were tested.

• Beijing is now in a wartime emergency mode.  No tourist can enter the city.  Anyone traveling outside the city will be quarantined for three weeks.
• Eleven residential districts close to this location in the southwestern Fengtai district are being locked down.  Individuals cannot even leave their home.  Necessities are being delivered.

• The link is to imported salmon and the chopping board.  You been to a typical Chinese stand or restaurant to take out roast pork or duck?  They use a chopping board which I have long suspected they never cleaned much, or at all.

Here are some bits of info, mostly sent to me from one contributor.  You've heard of some before, but I took the effort to check if they were true:

• Most dust particles in your house are made from DEAD SKIN!  NOPE.  Only a small percentage is skin.  The average person sheds 4 ounces of skin/year, but not all in the home.  A typical home annually collects 40 pounds of these other particles forming dust.

• The first owner of the Marlboro Company died of lung cancer. So did the first 'Marlboro Man’.  Turns out to be worse than that, for four Marlboro Men died of smoking-related diseases.  No, make that five.  However, I couldn't confirm whether Philip Morris, the first owner died from smoking.  All I can find is cancer.  Numerous celebrities suffered from lung cancer, as did John Wayne.  However, he died of stomach cancer.  The first Marlboro Man on television, Robert Norris (to the right), lived till the age of 90.  He did NOT smoke.

• Walt Disney was afraid OF MICE!  Yes, he had Musophobia.  
• Turtles can breathe through their BUTTS! Also frogs, salamanders and sea snakes.
• The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for Blood Plasma.  True, although only in an emergency.  Straight from an unopened coconut, it is also sterile.

• The King of Hearts is the only King WITHOUT A MUSTACHE.  True, possibly because diamonds, clubs and spades are associated with wealth, war and death.  Cards originally came from France in the mid-16th century.

• You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.  I always thought this was true because when you stay up watching TV you normally snack.  Actually
• TV watching = 85 calories/hour
• Sleeping        = 95 calories/hour

• Oak trees do NOT produce acorns until they are fifty (50) years of age or older.  Well, turns out it needs to be at least 20 years old, reaching peak acorn production between 50 and 80 years.  Then the numbers decline.  You can eat acorns, but only after careful preparation.

• American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one (1) olive from each salad served in first-class.  True, but did you know that Northwest Airlines saved $500,000/year by slicing its limes into 16 pieces rather than 10?  They still were absorbed into Delta.

• Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise around the Sun (observed from "north" direction.  True, but do you know why?  First, all orbits are not circular, they are elliptical.  That of Venus is almost circular, making a cycle in 225 days.  No one knows for sure, but one theory is that it was hit by a large asteroid, and changed directions.  A day on Venus lasts 243 Earth-days, so it takes more than a year for a full day.  The surface is at 880 F.  However, Mercury, which is closer to the Sun, is only 800 F.  This is because of the  atmosphere on Venus, which is mostly carbon dioxide.  My Venus Syndrome book suggests that someday Earth will be like Venus.

• Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.  True, but why?  Apples have no caffeine. So...read this.

I'm in the year 2015:

• Dawn probe enters orbit of Ceres, becoming the first spacecraft to visit a dwarf planet.  Know how many there are in our solar system?  Five, including now Pluto, which was reached by New Horizons, also in 2015.  But there could be as many as 10,000.

• WHO announces that rubella (German measles) has been eradicated from the Americas.  
• Expo in Milan (see below for my experience).
• Ending 54 years of hostility, Cuba and USA reestablish full diplomatic relations.  In 2017 President Donald Trump reversed this policy.

• Debris from Malaysia Airlines 370 found on Reunion Island more than three years after disappearance.  So the plane did turn around and went down north of Australia.

• Bombing of Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, killing 125.  I've stayed at the Hyatt located next to this incident several times.
• LIGO observes first gravitational waves.
• Volkswagen rigs 11 million vehicles in emission test scandal.

• Hajj pilgrimage stampede in Mecca kills 2200 and injures 900, with 600 missing.
• NASA announces finding liquid water on Mars.
• Hurricane Patricia becomes the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere at 215 MPH.

• Climate change agreement in Paris.  Trump thumbs his nose.  But the way the treaty is written, the U.S. decision must come on November 4 of 2020.  Wonder why?  Someone was smart.

Some of my highlights of 2015:

• Planting of Pearl's Gold Tree at the Ala Wai Golf Course.
• On April 29 I gave a talk at 15 Craigside to see if anyone wanted to join me on my next around the world trip.

• I visited Solar Impulse 2, which stayed in Hawaii a long time.
• The person who had the greatest influence on me, my brother Stan (to the left), passed away.

• I left on September 16 for my Grand Around the World Adventure.
• I returned 64 days later:
• Tokyo Ritz Carlton Club:  best hotel.
• I lost my wallet between Tokyo and Seoul.

• Dining under the stars in Bangkok.
• Dubai is astonishing.
• Milan World Expo.

• My best day of this trip, perhaps ever, Venice with Blue-bar Pigeon (St. Mark's square in background, as I'm having my truffles lunch) and Vivaldi's Four Season.

• Maria Theresa, the most extraordinary female in history.
• Tauck river tour:  Bucharest to Amsterdam.
• The future of the Takahashi family.
• Return to Stanford.

• Comparing around the world adventures.

• Another Chaine dinner.
• Christmas in Honolulu.

#1 hits of 2015 in two minutes.  The top song of the year was Uptown Funk, featuring Bruno Mars.  Got five minutes?  I've shown this before, but here are old movie stars dancing to Uptown Funk.

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DAY 4 IN SEOUL: Most popular Korean Songs from the 1950's to the Present

Korean music was almost totally missing, growing up in Hawaii.  The exception was Arirang.  Today, BTS and BLACKPINK resonate around the world. 

In addition to the 600 year-old Arirang, what is the all-time #1?  My favorites are:

• Baby Shark, released by Pinkfong in 2016.
• For one, it is the most-viewed You Tube video ever, hitting 7 billion views and surpassing Despacito in 2022.  

• Is now up to 16.47 billion views, with Despacito at 9 billion.
• Top 10 music videos, based on data from Kworb and Wikipedia: Note that most are nursery songs.

1. 
   "Baby Shark Dance" – Pinkfong Kids' Songs & Stories (16.47 billion)
2. "Despacito" – Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee (8.91 billion)
3. "Wheels on the Bus" – Cocomelon Nursery Rhymes (8.29 billion)
4. "Bath Song" – Cocomelon Nursery Rhymes (7.31 billion)
5. "Johny Johny Yes Papa" – LooLoo Kids (7.13 billion)
6. "See You Again" – Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth (6.86 billion)
7. "Phonics Song with Two Words" – ChuChu TV (6.81 billion)
8. "Shape of You" – Ed Sheeran (6.62 billion)
9. "Gangnam Style" – Psy (5.78 billion)
10. "Uptown Funk" – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars (5.71 billion) 

• Baby Shark only peaked at #32 on Billboard in 2019.
• Here is a video that goes on and on about Baby Shark, if you need to distract a young child for awhile.
• 
  Psy's Gangnam Style made a huge global splash in 2012.
• Was the first You Tube video to reach 1 billion views, now up to 5.8 billion.
• Peaked at #2 on Billboard that year.
• Psy's Gentleman in 2013 was at least a minor hit, reaching 1.7 billion views on You Tube and peaking at #5 on Billboard.
• 
  BTS (Bangtan Sonyeodan) debuted in 2013.  Their photo that year to the right.  
• Struggled for two years.
• I Need U was their breakthrough hit in 2015.
• In 2017 became the first K-pop group to win a Billboard Music Award.
• During the Pandemic their Dynamite, Butter and Permission to Dance earned multiple Grammy nominations, and they became the first Asian act to win Artist of the Year at the 2021 American Music Awards.
• 
  Then had to complete mandatory military service from 2022-2025, and are now from 28 to 33 years old.
• All seven re-formed and will release their fifth studio album, Arirang, in March of 2026.

• 
  They will begin their Arirang World Tour on 9April2026 in Goyang, South Korea.  Then, NorthAmerica, Europe, South American and Asia.  79 shows on five continents in 11 months.
• They actually released their their version of that historic song, Arirang, seven years ago.
  
• BTS' fanbase, ARMY, is one of the largest in the world, with nearly 90 million members.

• I  wrote about Blackpink 6 years ago.  They made their debut a decade ago and are now all in their early 30s.  Here are their top 10 songs.

• So K-pop music now is all that is left.  Perhaps the first group might have been the Kim Sisters in the '50s.
• They were born in Seoul, formed in 1953, and became popular with American troops.

• 
  Later in the 50s, starred in Las Vegas.
• They appeared on the Ed Sullivan show more than 20 times.  
• Here they are with Charlie Brown.

Interesting that the following Google AI summary of music about South Korea does not even mention Baby Shark.  Why?  I guess because it is a children's song.

Creating a definitive "top ten" is subjective, but historically crucial South Korean songs from the 1950s onwards include timeless folk like "Morning Dew" (Yang Hee Eun), wartime classics such as "Night of Yongdeongpo," trot anthems like "Busan Station of Farewell" (Nam In Su), ballads like "You're My Only Love" (Hye Eun), rock-infused hits, and the legendary folk song "Arirang," representing diverse eras and enduring cultural significance. 

Here's a blend of foundational hits and iconic tracks, spanning from the 50s to modern classics:

Iconic Songs from South Korea (1950s - Present)

1. Arirang (Various Artists): The quintessential Korean folk song, embodying national spirit and recognized by UNESCO.
2. Busan Station of Farewell (Nam In Su): A foundational trot song from the post-war era, reflecting longing for home.
3. Dreaming Baekma River (Lee In Kwon): A popular classic evoking nostalgia and traditional imagery.
4. Night of Yongdeongpo (Oh Ki Taek): A poignant song capturing the atmosphere of a city during challenging times.
5. Morning Dew (Yang Hee Eun): A powerful folk song from the 70s that became an anthem for youth and change.
6. You're My Only Love (Hye Eun): A beloved pop standard from the 70s, showcasing vocal talent.
7. Shine (Shinhwa): An optimistic, classic K-pop track proving that brighter themes can endure.
8. Cherry Blossom Ending (Busker Busker): A massive modern hit (2012) known for its seasonal appeal and sales.
9. A Buddhist Nun of Suducksa (Son Chun Hee): A deeply emotional song from the trot/folk tradition.
10. Spring in My Hometown (Kim Jung Mi): A beautiful, nostalgic piece representing a classic sound. 

Or, another way of looking at music popular in South Korea:

South Korea’s musical history from 1950 to 2026 is defined by a transition from mourning the war to global pop dominance. Below are ten historic songs that have shaped the nation's identity, spanning trot, folk, rock, and the modern K-pop era. 

• "Hold On, Geumsun" (굳세어라 금순아) – Hyun In (1953)
  A defining song of the 1950s that resonated with millions of refugees during the Korean War. It tells the heart-wrenching story of a man separated from his sister at the Hungnam evacuation.

• "The Boy in the Yellow Shirt" (노란 샤쓰의 사나이) – Han Myung-sook (1961)
  This upbeat track signaled a shift away from melancholic traditional styles toward Western-influenced swing and country. It is considered the first "Hallyu" (Korean Wave) hit, gaining massive popularity in Japan and Southeast Asia.
• "Camellia Lady" (동백 아가씨) – Lee Mi-ja (1964)
  The quintessential "Trot" ballad, this song topped Korean charts for a record 35 weeks. Despite being banned for years by the government for sounding "too Japanese," it remained the nation's unofficial favorite, cementing Lee Mi-ja as the "Queen of Trot".
• "Morning Dew" (아침 이슬) – Yang Hee-eun (1971)
  Originally a poetic folk song, it became the anthem of South Korea’s 1970s and 80s pro-democracy movements. Though banned for nearly two decades, it is still sung today at major national protests and gatherings.
• "Short Hair" (단발머리) – Cho Yong-pil (1980)
  Cho Yong-pil is widely regarded as the "King of K-Pop." This synth-pop track helped modernize the Korean music scene in the early 80s, blending electronic sounds with catchy melodies that appealed across generations.
• "I Know" (난 알아요) – Seo Taiji and Boys (1992)
  This song is the "Big Bang" of modern K-pop. By introducing American rap, hip-hop, and new jack swing to the domestic market, it revolutionized the industry and created the blueprint for the current idol system.

• "Into the New World" (다시 만난 세계) – Girls' Generation (2007)
  While "Gee" was a bigger commercial hit, "Into the New World" has evolved into a national protest anthem for the younger generation, famously sung during the 2016-2017 candlelight vigils and various social rights movements.
• "Gangnam Style" (강남스타일) – PSY (2012)
  The most globally recognized Korean song in history. It was the first video to reach one billion views on YouTube and broke international barriers, proving that Korean-language music could dominate global charts.
• "Spring Day" (봄날) – BTS (2017)
  Widely considered one of the greatest songs in K-pop history, this track resonated deeply for its themes of loss and longing, often associated by the public with the Sewol Ferry tragedy. It is one of the longest-charting songs in Korean history.
• "Arirang" (아리랑) – Traditional (Various versions)
  Though much older than 1950, it remains the most significant song in South Korean history. Every generation has its own version, from 1920s film scores to BTS's modern renditions, serving as the "eternal anthem" of the Korean people.

Day 4 in Seoul began with a glance outside my room, and it had snowed last night.

On to perhaps my best breakfast ever.  I love Shanghai Soup Dumplings (Xialongbao), but I have enhanced the experience with scotch (cognac works fine, too) and assorted vegetables.

Into a bowl of scotch,

I only had four Shanghai Soup Dumplings, so went on to get two more.

My final bite and drink.

In the afternoon, as it was so cold, around freezing temperatures, we first were greeted by my Blue-bar Pigeon, but left him to enter the Sogong Underground Shopping Center, which connected to the larger Myeongdong underground shops.

These underground markets link to the Lotte Hotel, and we again saw the same horse just standing there.  Better than freezing outside, but seems awfully cruel, actually.

Walked by the grocery area and again saw that otoro sashimi package, so bought it, plus a Kelly Beer (cheapest one, for about a dollar/can, and that omnipresent green bottle of soju seen in Korean films/series, Chamisul Fresh.  Went to the eating area, and had this sashimi with a beef bone soup and rice.

Absolute best sashimi I've ever had in my life.  Stopped by Uniqlo to purchase two long sleeve t-shirts, tax-free.  Except you need to get refunded at the airport on your way out.  Back in our hotel, a flower arrangement.

Had a Cabernet Shirah and Tanqueray Gin on rocks with appetizers in the Executive Lounge.

Walked 3584 steps today.

One more day left, then we leave Seoul for Tokyo on Wednesday, January 21.  Will be cold, but sunny, for the next two days,.

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