TODAY IS FINALLY HERE

     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

Mar     2        1989     9490        1726       110      194

April   6         906     11787         4211       631       37

May    4         853    13667        3025      3786      59 

June   1         287    10637         2346      3205      95

 July   7          251      8440        1595         817     411

Aug    4          656    10120        1118         532     423 

Sept  22       2228      9326          839        279     124

Oct    6         2102      8255          543        315       59

Nov   3         1436      7830         186         458       23

Dec    1        1633      8475          266        477       28

Jan    7         2025      6729         148        285      140

       28          2732   10,516         779        862      133

Feb  2           2990   12,012         946        991      175

      24           1823     9,809        996        304       40

Mar    2        1778      7,756         335        173        28

         11        1022      6002         465           88       28

         16         982      5579         354           59       40

         18         721       5214         380           69       39

         23         771       4695         294           67         6 

         24         649      5008        300           82       33

         31          676      4287         276           28       44

Apr     1          439     4056         290           52       12 

           5          466      3712         205           72       15 

           6          483      3612         198           42        3

Summary:

• New cases remain high, but they have stabilized, and should soon begin to decline.
• While Guadeloupe only had 2 new deaths, their 2803 cases calculate to 7008 new cases/million, highest for the world yesterday.
• South Korea continues to show the most new cases, with 286,243 yesterday, or 5582 new cases/million.
• #2 was Germany with 204,930 new cases, or 2431 new cases/million.
• The U.S. had 31,118 new cases, or 93 new cases/million.
• The World had 1,219,673 new cases, or 154 new cases/million.
• While China showed only 1413 new cases, or 1 new case/million, they remain cautious about Shanghai, which has suffered from around 90,000 new cases the past month.  Yesterday closed down a portion of Beijing, which showed 11 new cases.  The vaccination rate is around 90%, but their vaccines are not as effective as those used in the U.S.

The world is wondering why that pesky Omicron BA.2 subvariant has not caused another wave in the USA.  From the New York Times:

 Some say the U.S. is just reacting a bit later than expected, with the Northeast already showing signs of an uptick.

Another reason is that at-home test kits in the U.S. result in people infected with only mild symptoms not to report the infection.  Also too, lower-income Americans might not feel terrific, but don't report the ailment as COVID-19, particularly as fewer and fewer need to be hospitalized.

The CDC recently approved a second booster for all Americans.  Director Rochelle Walensky tried to clear up the confusion, but might have only worsened it:

• Why she started with this case befuddles me:  those who had the two-dose mRNA vaccine series plus one booster don't need a second booster if they were recently infected with the omicron variant.  How many Americans are in this group?
• If you've had an omicron disease in the last 2 or 3 months, you should wait another 2 to 4 months before a second booster.
• This is how she should have started:  There are no known safety issues for adults 50 and older to get a second booster dose of either Moderna or Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine.  She didn't quite say, so get a second booster.  Then she mumbled something about a third booster possibly in the fall.
• If you had the Johnson & Johnson one shot, or Moderna/Pfizer two shot series, plus a booster for all three at least four months ago, the effectiveness wanes 4-6 months later, so anyone over 64 with chronic health conditions should get a second booster.
• So does that mean if you are 65 and older, but with NO preconditions, you should not get a second booster.
• Well, it's been at least 5 months since my first booster, so even though I have no pre-conditions, I signed up for a second booster when the injection crew comes to 15 Craigside on April 25.

A bit scary, but people who have been vaccinated and boosted are catching the Omicron BA.2 virus.  

• From Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to Attorney General Merrick Garland to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to January 6 House investigation leader Adam Schiff, they lead a growing pack of high level political icons getting infected.  
• Many of them trace the source to the Gridiron Club dinner held this past Saturday night, which is responsible for at least 14 cases so far.  One of them, Kamala Harris' communication director Jamal Simmons, has been in close contact with the Veep and President, so we await something worse.  She was also there when Barack Obama participated in that Affordable Care Act event two days ago.
• Thankfully, no one so far is showing any serious symptoms.

The momma fox that bit Representative Ami Bera and eight others in DC was caught, tested positive for rabies and was euthanized.  Bera is a medical doctor and was smart enough to early on begin a prophylaxis treatment.  Authorities also found her kits, and are trying figure out what next to do about them.

On a more positive note, Ketanji Brown Jackson was today officially confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court in its 233-year history.  She will be sworn in by liberal justice Stephen Breyer some time this summer.  

Republicans Susan Collins, Mitt Romney and Lisa Murkowski voted with the 50 Democrats.  Jackson watched the proceedings in the Roosevelt Room of the White House with President Joe Biden.

What's the big deal with today, April 7.  Well, historically:

• In a non-leap year, this is the 97th day of the year, with 268 days left.
• 30:  Crucifixion date of Jesus Christ.
• 451:  Attila the Hun sacked the town of Metz.
• 1521:  Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines.
• 1804:  Ludwig van Beethoven premiered his 3rd Symphony Eroica, for heroic.  Originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, Beethoven scrubbed this thought when Bonaparte declared himself Emperor.
• 1843:  Holocaust in Ukraine.
• 1948:  World Health Organization established by the United Nations.
• 1969:  Birth of the internet.
• 2020:  China ends lockdown in Wuhan.

Today is the 72nd anniversary of World Health Day.  WHO estimates that more than 13 million deaths/year are caused by environmental causes.  This should not be confused with Earth Day, which occurs on April 22.  I remember the first one in 1970, inspired by Rachel Carson's Silent Spring in 1962 and sparked by the massive Santa Barbara oil spill in 1969. 

The real reason why today is finally here, actually, has to do with two sporting events:  Opening Day of Major League Baseball and the Masters Golf Tournament.  I need a break from Netflix.

This 86th Masters is especially noteworthy this year because of the return of Tiger Woods, the first time he has officially played since his horrific car accident two years ago.  He is doing okay.  ESPN will cover this daily, today from 3PM to 7:30PM on ESPN.

For the past 30 years or so since I've had fantasy baseball teams, the first day of Major League Baseball is reserved for TV watching.  This was supposed to be on March 31, but contract resolution came too late for that date.  There were supposed to be 9 games, but two got postponed by bad weather.

When the Vanderbilt baseball team came to play Hawaii last month, all the field players wore wristbands to tell them what type of pitch was coming and where.  A coach presses a keypad.  Pick-off moves can also be relayed.  This device was developed by Game Day Signals, and for the first time the NCAA is allowing use.  However, we must be poor because we don't have that update, although it only costs $3,000-$4000/team.  In any case, this should speed up the game and make it more difficult to steal signs.

Well, Major League Baseball is permitting pitchers, catchers and middle infielders to relay signals via a similar type of electronic device, this one, PitchCom, by ProMystic, a company that caters to mentalists and magicians. This device is worn in the helmet and uses bone-conduction technology.  However, not mandatory, and some players will choose not to wear it.

Finally, the National League is allowing the designated hitter, nearly half a century after the American League.  Any National League pitcher also planning be DH?  Shohei Ohtani was spectacular last year in this dual role.  For other teams, this will open up opportunities for good hitters who are poor fielders or with throwing problems, like Jesse Winker of the Cincinnati Reds.  Albert Pujols looks good in that role.

So the beauty of today has to do with all those commercials between baseball play.  This is where the Masters comes into play, for channel switching types, like me.  Let's see now, a hot dog or hamburger?  Beer plus what?

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