Worldometer:
On the change of new deaths from yesterday:
DAY China Italy USA Spain Germany S. Korea WORLD
The coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 204 countries and territories around the world and 2 international conveyances: the Diamond Princess cruise ship harbored in Yokohama, Japan, and the Holland America's MS Zaandam cruise ship. The day is reset after midnight GMT+0.
On the change of new deaths from yesterday:
DAY China Italy USA Spain Germany S. Korea WORLD
Mar 18 11 475 41 105 2
19 8 427 21 165 15
20 3 627 18 213 15
21 7 793 32 285 15
22 6 651 98 375 9 6
23 9 601 85 435 24 7 1631
24 7 743 100 489 33 9 1983
25 4 683 129 454 47 6 1987
26 6 712 73 498 33 5 1801
27 5 919 182 569 71 8 2782
28 3 889 241 674 52 5 2609
29 5 756 169 624 49 8 2706
30 4 812 271 537 19 6 2849
31 5 837 439 553 37 4 3661
Apr 1 7 727 589 463 83 3 3239
2 6 760 522 709 158 4 4183
29 5 756 169 624 49 8 2706
30 4 812 271 537 19 6 2849
31 5 837 439 553 37 4 3661
Apr 1 7 727 589 463 83 3 3239
2 6 760 522 709 158 4 4183
Summary:
As I keep watching the news channels, I keep hearing the same frantic and sorrowful sound bites. So I balance the viewing by watching films. The advantage of being at home, versus a movie theater, is that you can control your environment. First, I don't need to drive there and back. I can go to the restroom at any time and not miss anything, using the pause button. I don't pay atrocious prices for buttered popcorn and soda, two items bad for your health. I can drink some scotch if I so choose. In fact, this is exactly what I did on Netflix when I saw Scotch: A Golden Dream. Further, it was free, if you're enrolled, and I have been for six years.
This 2018 film was a documentary, but still rated by Rotten Tomatoes: reviewers 75% and audiences 91%. I have drunk a lot of scotch, been to Scotland more than half a dozen times, and still learned a lot.
As a quick aside, sad to hear that the annual Edinburgh International Festival, said to be the second-biggest cultural event after the also cancelled Olympic Games, was cancelled. This is an event that was launched in 1947, and drew 4.4 million to 5,000 events. Usually held over 25 days, mostly during the month of August, the only month comfortable enough for me in Scotland, every one should be on everyone's bucket list. From scotch to the most dangerous fish and chips take-out (dripping with animal oil) to golfing at St. Andrews (31 miles away) to a tattoo (not what you think), I'll need to go back one more time.
Scotch-making goes back to 1494, originally from malted barley. That was soon after Columbus discovered America. The process of malting involves first soaking the grain for a few days, draining, then aerating at around 60F to encourage germination to improve the fermentation process. Over time, other grains were also used. There is very little difference between Scotch and Japanese whiskies. Even the barley is imported to Japan from Scotland. There is an interesting history of how Japan got into whisky-making.
The peatiness of scotch comes from the use of peat to dry the malted barley. Peat is the decomposed organic matter within the soil. The peat scale measures phenol in parts/million:
On the peat scale:
Much of the film revolves around Jim McEwan, 4 times Innovator of the Year, master distiller of Bruichladdich, 3 times Distillery of the Year. Their scotch won a Whisky of the Year award in 2018. Remy Cointreau owns this distillery. Read a French adventure I took a year ago with a friend to sip Louis XIII Cognac, also a Remy product.
What glass should you use for scotch? The typical tulip wine glass is allowed. However, a more robust Glencairn whisky glass (right--not the right spelling as shown) is preferred in Scotland. You drink straight, or, with around 10% water. Absolutely don't ask for ice in Scotland.
In Japan, it's always with ice, but either chunks (never cubes) or spherical (using a mold--stop by Noritake close to the Nagoya Station for this rubber mold).
In the U.S. a heavy tumbler. I have a set I bought when I worked in the U.S. Senate. Forty years later, they still look new. Interesting optical illusion, for the glass sides are at 90 degrees and not in that conical shape.
What is the difference between scotch and bourbon? Mostly geographic, but I can taste the difference. Bourbon is more American from mostly corn and Kentucky, while scotch is mostly from barley and can only be called that if from Scotland. Americans spell it whiskey, while it's whisky in Scotland. Then there is Tennessee whiskey like Jack Daniels and rye, which should use at least 51% rye in the U.S., but actually not much in Canada. The best whiskies in the world have more recently come from Tasmania, Taiwan and several from Japan.
The World Whiskies Award has become too complicated. They now have too many categories:
There are 15 more types of whiskies.
Scotch, A Golden Dream, might be the only scotch movie rated by Rotten Tomatoes. However, I noticed something called Whiskey (RT:100%/76%), a 2004 tragicomedy from Uruguay. However, I think the production is about a sock factory and has nothing to do with whisky, but I include it because of that 100% rating. Filmdom, of course, is filled with this potion:
About #1, Roger Ebert waxed:
Jacques Rivette's "La Belle Noiseuse" (1991) is the best film I have ever seen about the physical creation of art, and about the painful bond between an artist and his muse. Winner of the Palme d'Or prize at Cannes that year, it ran to a full four hours, and so its theatrical life was limited. Rivette edited a 125-minute version titled "Divertimento," but why bother with it? The greatness of "La Belle Noiseuse" is in the time it spends on the creation of art, and the creation and destruction of passion.
Tomorrow, I'll repeat the above, without the erotic part, for WINES. To end, here is something sent me for inclusion in this blog. In 1959 The Ventures had a hit, Walk, Don't Run. Soon thereafter they were performing in Washington and needed a temporary drummer. So in came a 17-year old from a local high school. Nearly 40 years later they were still performing, and The Ventures invited him back to join in again. This 17-year old, turns out, become an Air Force 4-star general. Watch the Ventures with George T. Babbit Jr. on the drums. He still has it.
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- Another mixed day:
- The world new deaths figure jumped from 3239 to 4183.
- The USA dropped from 589 to 522.
- China and South Korea remain single digits.
- The number of cases in the world passed one million to 1,000,940.
- The USA has more than double the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases than Italy (235,747 to 115,242), but less than half the deaths (5,624 to 13,915).
- It's appearing that China will end up with fewer deaths than the number in the World killed DAILY from traffic accidents (3318 total today, with less than single digit new deaths daily since March 19, versus 3700 vehicular deaths/day).
- With the new 15-minute test (from taking to results) only now being made available, here is where the USA ranks in COVID-19 tests/million people:
- Note that India has hardly taken any tests. But if these statistics are correct, they have only had 68 deaths, making their death / million people rating at 0.05, compared to the World at 6.6, 17 for the USA and 230 for Italy. The U.S. with 25% the population of India, has 170,000 ventilators (with many more to become available by the end of the month), while India has 50,000.
This 2018 film was a documentary, but still rated by Rotten Tomatoes: reviewers 75% and audiences 91%. I have drunk a lot of scotch, been to Scotland more than half a dozen times, and still learned a lot.
The peatiness of scotch comes from the use of peat to dry the malted barley. Peat is the decomposed organic matter within the soil. The peat scale measures phenol in parts/million:
- Bunnahabhain 12-year old, 3 PPM
- Highland Park 12-year old, 20 PPM
- my favorite scotch, Lagavulin 16-year old, 35 PPM
- Port Charlotte, 40 PPM.
- Ardbergs, 55 PPM
- Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 07.1, 208 PPM, with 06.3 at 258 PPM.
What glass should you use for scotch? The typical tulip wine glass is allowed. However, a more robust Glencairn whisky glass (right--not the right spelling as shown) is preferred in Scotland. You drink straight, or, with around 10% water. Absolutely don't ask for ice in Scotland.
In Japan, it's always with ice, but either chunks (never cubes) or spherical (using a mold--stop by Noritake close to the Nagoya Station for this rubber mold).
In the U.S. a heavy tumbler. I have a set I bought when I worked in the U.S. Senate. Forty years later, they still look new. Interesting optical illusion, for the glass sides are at 90 degrees and not in that conical shape.What is the difference between scotch and bourbon? Mostly geographic, but I can taste the difference. Bourbon is more American from mostly corn and Kentucky, while scotch is mostly from barley and can only be called that if from Scotland. Americans spell it whiskey, while it's whisky in Scotland. Then there is Tennessee whiskey like Jack Daniels and rye, which should use at least 51% rye in the U.S., but actually not much in Canada. The best whiskies in the world have more recently come from Tasmania, Taiwan and several from Japan.
- 2019: best blended limited release--Ichiro Malt and Grain
- 2019: best blended malt--Nikka Taketsury Pure Malt 25 years old
- 2019: best blended--Suntory Hibiki 21 years old
There are 15 more types of whiskies.
Here is one ten best whiskey songs. Don't know any of them. My standard is the Kingston Trio's Scotch and Soda. But that is because I was a freshman at Stanford when they came by the campus to perform. That must have been the very first concert I attended.
- a 50-year Macallan is drunk in Skyfall, supposedly Bond's favorite
- Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemon fix a Manhattan in Some Like It Hot. The Manhattan-making part starts around the 5-minute mark of this clip. Here is a 1-minute version.
- Jack Nicholson in The Shining had some Jack Daniels, and quickly went haywire.
- My all-time favorite is Bill Murray in Lost in Translation filming a Suntory 17-year old Hibiki commercial.
Nikka's Yoichi 10-year old first broke the Scottish hold on whiskies by being selected Best of the Best in 2001. That was just about 20 years ago. Then came Murray's scene in 2003 to catalyze the rise of Japanese whiskies. I don't really remember, but I doubt if this Yoichi 10-year old cost more than $30 in 2000. Today, their miniature (1.7 ounces), can sell for $300. Here, a full bottle, sells for $800.
I have one in Compass Rose of the Tokyo Westin, but now running low. I wonder what a new one would cost here. This bar actually allows you to smoke cigars. The view is spectacular.
As another aside, since we are all searching for something to do in quarantine, I noticed that Rotten Tomatoes had rated 150 erotic movies, so I clicked on it, and saw that La Belle Noiseuse (1991) got a 100% score and was rated #1. #2 was also at 100%, The Draughtsman's Contract (1982). I've seen #6 Belle de Jour, Catherine Deneuve (1968--96%); #6 Sex, Lies and Videotape, Andie MacDowell (1989--96%); #8 The Handmaiden, Korean film (#8, 2016--95%); #10 Blue Velvet, Kyle MacLachlan (1986--93%); #15 The Piano Holly Hunter (1993--92%); #17 Blue Is the Warmest Color, French film (2013--89%); #25 In the Realm of Senses, Japanese film (1976--86%); #26 Dressed to Kill, Michael Caine (1980, 83%); #28 Last Tango in Paris, Marlon Brando (1972--84%); #37 Fatal Attraction, Michael Douglas (1987--76%); #51 Eyes Wide Shut, Tom Cruise (1999--75%); #63 The Night Porter, Charlotte Rampling (1974--67%); #65 Lolita, Jeremy Irons (1997--68%); #114 Indecent Proposal, Robert Redford (1993--35%); #123 Fifty Shades of Grey, Dakota Johnson (2015-25%); and #145 The Blue Lagoon, Brooke Shields (1980--9%).
I have one in Compass Rose of the Tokyo Westin, but now running low. I wonder what a new one would cost here. This bar actually allows you to smoke cigars. The view is spectacular.
As another aside, since we are all searching for something to do in quarantine, I noticed that Rotten Tomatoes had rated 150 erotic movies, so I clicked on it, and saw that La Belle Noiseuse (1991) got a 100% score and was rated #1. #2 was also at 100%, The Draughtsman's Contract (1982). I've seen #6 Belle de Jour, Catherine Deneuve (1968--96%); #6 Sex, Lies and Videotape, Andie MacDowell (1989--96%); #8 The Handmaiden, Korean film (#8, 2016--95%); #10 Blue Velvet, Kyle MacLachlan (1986--93%); #15 The Piano Holly Hunter (1993--92%); #17 Blue Is the Warmest Color, French film (2013--89%); #25 In the Realm of Senses, Japanese film (1976--86%); #26 Dressed to Kill, Michael Caine (1980, 83%); #28 Last Tango in Paris, Marlon Brando (1972--84%); #37 Fatal Attraction, Michael Douglas (1987--76%); #51 Eyes Wide Shut, Tom Cruise (1999--75%); #63 The Night Porter, Charlotte Rampling (1974--67%); #65 Lolita, Jeremy Irons (1997--68%); #114 Indecent Proposal, Robert Redford (1993--35%); #123 Fifty Shades of Grey, Dakota Johnson (2015-25%); and #145 The Blue Lagoon, Brooke Shields (1980--9%).
Jacques Rivette's "La Belle Noiseuse" (1991) is the best film I have ever seen about the physical creation of art, and about the painful bond between an artist and his muse. Winner of the Palme d'Or prize at Cannes that year, it ran to a full four hours, and so its theatrical life was limited. Rivette edited a 125-minute version titled "Divertimento," but why bother with it? The greatness of "La Belle Noiseuse" is in the time it spends on the creation of art, and the creation and destruction of passion.
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