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A FEW THINGS TO APPRECIATE ABOUT KOIS

           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
         28          483    10136          1366       641      520 
Aug     3          516    10057         1238        561      555
            4          656    10120        1118         532      423

Summary:  
  • The USA had the most new cases yesterday with 112,279.  This means the new deaths/day will continue to increase, and could exceed 2000 in a week or two, which would be twice that of any country.  However, the U.S. had new deaths in the range of 4000 from January into February.
  • The New York Times this morning reported that China is seeing a new case/day increase.  Sure, this was 96 yesterday, with no new deaths.
  • Taiwan checked their recent mini-surge, and yesterday reported 21 new cases, but no new deaths.
  • Hong Kong, about as dense a city as you can find, with 7.6 million residents, yesterday had 2 new cases and no new deaths.
  • Hawaii, 1.4 million people, 346 new cases, no new deaths.
  • Florida, 16,935 new cases, 140 new deaths.  With a population of 21.5 million, the new cases/million was 787.
    • U.S. as a whole:  342 new cases/million
    • Louisiana:  1039
    • Hawaii:  247
    • Hong Kong:  0.26
    • China:  0.07
    • Japan:  89

So on to the Tokyo Olympics.  I've long wondered why Japan picked this particularly hot period in the summer to host these Games.  I avoid the country in July and August, for not only is the temperature unbearably hot, the humidity is also high, with little ventilation.  Of all the ironies, they were smart enough to move the women's and men's marathon events to Sapporo, more than 500 miles north of Tokyo.  Yesterday, both Sapporo and Tokyo hit 93F.  However, the high for Sapporo on Saturday and Sunday will return its normal 70's.  Today through the weekend, Tokyo will stay in the 80's, but with the possibility of frequent thunderstorms.  There is considerable worry about being able to complete the women's golf competition.

Actually, there is an answer to my query.  The 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics were held in October, which is not summer anymore.  Mexico in 1968 also hosted in October.  Well, the International Olympics Committee is there to make money, and TV revenues in the summer are higher because the professional sports competition is much lower.

About the Japanese, they live longer than people from any major economy.  They're also home to the oldest fish.  Hanako a Koi, lived for 226 years until she passed away on 7/7/77.  The lifespan of Koi is around 40 years in Japan, but perhaps only 15 if not from there.  Hanako:

  • Born in 1751. 
  • Attained a weight 16.5 pounds and was 27.6 inches long.
  • Responded to being summoned as Hanako, and enjoyed her head being patted, and even taken out of the water to be embraced.
  • Her 226 years was verified by Nagoya Women's College through measuring her scales, which has rings like a tree trunk.
  • Watch a video of Hanako.

Big Girl from Wiltshire, England reached a weight of 90 pounds and length of 4 feet when she apparently was still only 17 years old.  She came from Japan.  Owner Geoff Lawton said he had no plans to sell her, but would consider something over $40,000.

I have a favorite Gold Koi, named Pearl.  I was going around the world to drop off my wife's ashes and happened to toss in a gel cap of her ashes into the moat at the entrance of Matsumoto Castle, and this gold koi gobbled it up.  Every time I'm in Japan, I go way out of my way to Matsumoto to see my Pearl's Gold Koi.

There is a Japanese garden in Hiroshima called Shukkien.  Again, I threw a gel cap into that pond, and a bluish spotted koi ate it.  I had never before seen a black koi that was almost blue.

It is here that I took one of my favorite photos:

Is there a coincidence that Japanese live longer, and their Kois too?  As far as fish:

  • Breeding over time has enhanced the gene pool.
  • They don't overfeed.
  • Winters are very cold, so the fish almost goes into hibernation, thus increasing the lifespan.  Hanako lived in the mountains of Mino Province, which is located 200 miles west of Tokyo.
In addition to age, value sets Kois apart from other fish.  A lady from Taiwan bought S Legend, a 3 feet 3 inches long 9-year old female from Saki Fish Farm in Hiroshima for $1.8 million.

The most expensive Koi sold for $2.2 million to a buyer in China.  Apparently, the one below has a pattern of color and scales that promises luck and riches.  

Finally, one Koi birth can result in hundreds of thousands babies.  A breeder typically begins with millions of babies, whittles this sum down to 15,000 in the first year, then picks the best 1000 in year two.

Of course there are many varieties, with Asagi and Sushui being particularly colorful in different ways.  USA red/white/blue and black and gold, my McKinley High School colors.

I close today with Demic Story, a social media site with animated stories to motivate, inspire and improve personal wellbeing.  Here is one:

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