GENTLE GIANTS

            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    4          656    10120         1118         532      423

          11          614     10352         1123        519       573 

          17          873      9920         1137        440      553        

Summary:

• The USA led having 137,307 new cases, with #2 Iran 50,228 and #3 Brazil 38,218.
• The Orient is heating up, for Indonesia had the most new deaths with 1180, #2 Brazil 1137 and #3 USA 873.
• Parts of the Orient are also looking bad with new cases:  Thailand (20,128), Malaysia (19,631),  Japan (14,131),  and Vietnam (9605).
• Among states, #1 Florida with 21,669 new cases, #2 Texas 20,161 and #3 California 14,940.
• Governor Greg Abbott has had two shots plus a booster.  He yesterday tested positive anyway, but is asymptomatic.
• China had 42 new cases and no new deaths.

Finally, the Biden White House announced booster shots to begin on September 20.  It appears that these vaccines begin to weaken over time, and at eight months, drop in effectiveness from 95% (Pfizer and Moderna) to as low as 40-50%.  Many hospitals are now seeing more of the elderly who were vaccinated.  Yet, these individuals tend to survive instead of dying, so the shot remained life-saving.  We will follow the same order of vaccination, beginning with front line hospital workers and nursing home residents.  My 8 month period comes in October, so that is when I would think 15 Craigside will hold our inoculation session.

I still think that as early as possible, the FDA, if data allows so, will okay emergency vaccination approval for children in the 5-11 age group.  Our school system is on the verge of returning to remote learning.  Pfizer and Moderna have had trials for kids as young as 6 months old.  Whether the announcement comes for 5-11 or 0.5-11, some clarification should come as early as next month.

My science day will feature friendly monsters.  If you like whale encounters, you'll enjoy that link.

On the small side, the largest known land gastropod is the African giant snail, weighing in at 2 pounds.

Franny Plumridge of New South Wales, next to a  17-foot saltwater crocodile, which is gentle if left alone.  You can visit this Cage of Death exhibit at Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin City, Australia.

That photo was taken by Tim Samuel, who also took the following:

Several years ago I reported on Lolong, another sea crocodile, who was 20 feet 3 inches long.  He passed away in 2013 and his exhibit can be seen at the Philippine National Museum of Natural History in Manila.

The largest land animal today is the African Elephant at 27,000 pounds.  The biggest ever was probably the Argentinosaurus at 200,000 pounds.

But the largest animal ever is still the Blue Whale, which gets to 110 feet in length with a weight up to 400,000 pounds.

Watch a simple video comparing animal sizes.  Want to know the actual color of a blue whale?  Click on this.  Also:

• Can move at a speed of 20 MPH.
• Emits a sound that can be heard by other whales up to 1000 miles away.

• 
  Consumes the shrimp-like krill, up to 6 tons/day.
• Can live past 80 years.
• Said to be one of the most intelligent creatures on Earth.
• Almost got extinct, but saved by a global ban in 1986, although still hunted by some countries and off Alaska.
• There are now around 25,000 in all oceans but the Arctic.

The heaviest human with a Body Mass Index of 184.7, was John Minnoch.  He was 6'1" and 1400 pounds.  His wife was 110 pounds, and they had two children.  He once went on a 20 month diet and dropped to 476 pounds, losing 924 pounds.  He passed away at the age of 41 in 1983.

The tallest man was Robert Wadlow at 8 feet 11 inches.  This was caused by hyperplasia of his pituitary gland.  He was only 22 at death, and was still growing.

That tropical depression Grace that rolled over Haiti on Monday has strengthened into a hurricane, and will make landfall over the Yucantan Peninsula tonight or tomorrow morning at 85 MPH.  Grace is the second Atlantic hurricane of the season. Elsa was the first.

Henri is also coming, and could attain hurricane strength.  However, he should turn north and begin to travel along the Eastern Seaboard beginning this weekend.

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