WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD TODAY?

It has been 16 months since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Give the Trump Administration a gold star for rushing development of the those vaccines, although, as I reported earlier, the previous two pandemics also delivered vaccines in four months.  Can you imagine how many more than 4 million would have died if these current Delta and Delta Plus variants were the first to infect humans?

The countries suffering the most deaths are the U.S. (622,821), Brazil (532,949) and India (408,072).  You'd never guess it, but Mexico is #4 with 234,675 deaths.  #5?  Peru with 194,249.

About Mexico, clearly, they are underreporting cases because their mortality rate is 9%.  The world figure is 2%.  Thus, instead of 2.5 million cases, Mexico most probably has had 12 million cases, raising them from #15 to #4 in the world.

There is something important about freedom and our personal rights, but I continue to be dismayed by the Biden's Administration inability to get more Americans to get vaccinated.  As of today we are at 55%.  Israel is up to 66%.  Other countries:

• World  25%
• India  22%
• Iceland  78%
• Nauru  70%
• UK  67%
• Singapore  67%
• Taiwan  14%
• Brazil  40%
• Mexico 27%
• Russia  19%
• Africa  3%
• China  Probably around 50%, but not confirmed
• Japan  28%

Japan, anticipating the Summer Olympics, should have started vaccinations a lot earlier.  At 28%, though, that is double that of Taiwan with 14% and just below South Korea at 30%.  A higher percentage of people living in that region tend to mistrust vaccines, desiring something like a more natural lifestyle devoid of medication.

In the U.S., there are the usual suspects:  Republicans, rural residents and most ethnic minorities, especially African-Americans.  I did not think we were all that much different, but 43% of Republicans and just 5% of Democrats intend to avoid the vaccine.

To begin, children from 0-12 make up around 20% of the U.S. population.  Sure, they rarely die when afflicted, but they do spread the disease.

For now, subtract that figure from the  55% currently vaccinated, leaving 25% of the population still resisting.  But polls show that 20% of American won't take this vaccine, leaving only 5% left that will probably get it.  No wonder vaccinations have plateaued.

What should be the Biden priorities?

• Accelerate the process of taking all these vaccines out of the experimental phase and officially proclaim that they are safe.  Why this has not happened yet after all those shots mystifies me.  There is a significant percentage of Americans still fearful of the long-term effects.
• Same for approving the vaccines for all children from 0-12.  At the age from 1-2 months, all newly born babies already take those standard vaccines for Hepatitis B, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio, etc.
• This one is controversial.  Encourage everyone having safely been vaccinated to go on trips, meals at restaurants, cruises, whatever, and not wear masks, even indoors.  They are, after all, safe.
• So you say, what about the unvaccinated not wearing masks in those venues?  How do you legally and morally check?  DON'T!!!  For one, the vaccinated individuals will be safe.  For the small minority who get infected, they will live.  However, those not vaccinated could catch these dangerous variants.  ONLY THE UNVACCINATED ARE SERIOUSLY VULNERABLE!  In time, many of them will finally get the message that vaccinations save lives...like theirs.

So what is happening around the world?

• On June 28, this blog said:   Yesterday, Lytton BC reached 116 F.   Canada today might become the hottest spot on Planet Earth.  Well, something terrible happened.  First, on June 30  the temperature in this town hit 121 F.  Then green leaves fell off trees.  A fire started.  90% of this town of 300 was destroyed.  Las Vegas yesterday broke its all time record, now at 117 F.  The LOW was 94 F at 4:30 AM.  The old record was set on Friday at 116 F, which eclipsed the 113 F of 9 July 1943.  Will Vegas go the way of Lytton?  No, but global warming is happening.

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  Richard Branson flew into space and safely returned.  Next, Jeff Bezos on July 20, the day that Neil Armstrong first walked on the Moon.  Something about creating a space tourism opportunity.  Sure, less than one-tenth of one percent of us will be able to afford this.  But, I guess that is something to do for the very rich.  Their motivation is of course Mars.  Good luck on that
• At this writing, England leads Italy 1-0 in the UEFA Euro Final (soccer) at Wembley Stadium.  Quick, go to ESPN to see the finish.
• As predicted in this blog, yesterday Ashleigh Barty won and today Novak Djokovic is Wimbledon's men's champ.  He tied Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 20 grand slam titles.  Djokovic got a tough fight from Matteo Berrettini of Italy.  Who?  Never heard of him.  But I don't follow this sport.  Where are the Americans anyway?

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  The big sporting event I will watch is the Major League Baseball Home Run Derby tomorrow (Monday) at 8PM EDT (2PM Hawaii) on ESPN.  For a free entry go to HOME RUN DERBY.  You can win $100,000.

My big meals this weekend came on gifts.  Three pounds of yellow-fin tuna and the kama of this 120 pound fish.

I guessed that this ahi collar could have fed three or four people.  I ate the whole thing.  I can remember when I was young that this part of the fish was thrown away.  Fish markets sold it as waste.  Today, the fish collar or kama of hamachi or salmon or ahi goes for as much as the flesh...and most of it is bones and cartilage.  But this is the healthiest (omega-3 fatty acids) and most tasty part of the fish.

Then last night I enjoyed some zaru soba with the tuna sashimi:

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