SURELY, THE CHINESE TODAY DON'T BELIEVE IN THE ZODIAC SIGNS?

From Worldometer (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):

         DAY  USA  WORLD    Brazil    India    South Africa

2020

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

2021

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

2022

Jan     7        2025      6729         148         285     140

Feb     2        2990   12012          946        991      175

Mar     2        1778     7756          335         173       28 

Apr     1          439      4056         290          52       12

May    5          225      2404         151            ?        64

June    2         216      1413         130           10        31

July    6          316      1627         335           35       12 

Aug    4          311       2138         258          70         ?

Sep    1           272       1732         174            ?         ?

Oct     6          281       1305         119            9         ?

Nov    3          167         980           16            ?         ?

        25            88         985           71             3        ?  

Dec    3          149       1029         131            3         ?

          8          194       1320         104             6       86

        15           147       1295         124             4         ?

        22          289       1637         165             9         ? 

        28          296       1768         337            2         ?

Jan    4          346       1534         207             ?         ?

         5           220       1611          183             ?         ? 

       12            270       1470         128             ?         ?

       19            225       1775         480             ?         ?

Summary:

• China probably had more than half the new COVID-19 cases yesterday, but their reportage is spotty and much too low when leaked.  For example, Airfinity of London speculates that China AVERAGED AROUND 100,000 COVID DEATHS PER WEEK FOR THE PAST SIX WEEKS!!!  This would be around 14,000 deaths/day.
• Otherwise, Brazil led the world yesterday with 480 new deaths.  This is 30 times less than China, as speculated.  Japan was #2 with 451 new deaths and USA #3 with 225.
• Interesting that Japan was #1 in the world with new cases at 96,392 and South Korea #2 with 29,816, but both countries yesterday declared an intent to in the spring downgrade COVID-19, Japan to the same level as the seasonal flu.  
• Compared to the previous week, new cases for the week in Japan dropped by 36%, and S. Korea by 31%.
• The USA was #3 in weekly cases, and our count dropped by 46% from the previous week, but hasn't hinted about any similar downgrade of this pandemic.
• South Africa, though, doubled their new case count this week from the previous week.  This is scary, for this country has in the past served as a harbinger of worse things to come.
• In Africa, Zambia went up 71%, Namibia up 72%, Botswana up 121%, South Africa up 101%, Libya up 300%, Sudan up 2300% and Tunisia up 2862%.  Definitely not a good sign.
• In South America, Venezuela went up 154% in new cases compared to the previous week.

Today, I continue my China series.  Polls show that more than a quarter (27%) of Americans believe in astrology.  You would think younger people are more skeptical, but no, 37% of those under 30 believe.

I don't know why, but I thought people in China would be more doubting.  Nope.  According to woshipm, 82% of Chinese believe in astrology, or, more directly, Zodiac signs.  Cheetah Mobile provides the following pie chart, which reinforces that poll.

For example, the zodiac is used to find a suitable spouse.

The Chinese Zodiac has 12 signs:

But there are five elements to each sign:  gold, water, wood, earth and fire.  So a new cycle starts every 60 years, not 12.  

2023 is the year of the Water Rabbit.  This complicates things because your year gets adjusted every 12 years.  David Beckham and Angelina Jolie are rabbits.

Of course each animal provides certain personality traits.  Most of you might not know that your zodiac animal year is your BAD LUCK year!  You can neutralize this misfortune by wearing the color red.  However, you can't just buy something like red underwear.  Someone has to give this to you.  Wearing jade also works.  You can bring luck by facing in the opposite direction of planet Jupiter.  Well, it's more complicated than that.  Anyway, surely, you can't possibly believe all this.  But most in China do.  Today.

Is there, nevertheless, a best and worst animal.  The goat is the unluckiest zodiac sign.  They are especially destined to bring bad luck.  Watch out in 2027.  Many in China actually think that those born in that year will not become a leader.  Births are lowest in the year of the goat.

Conversely, the Dragon is the most coveted sign.  In China, births will peak in Dragon years. 10 amazing facts about Chinese Dragons.  Here are a few:

• Dragons control weather.
• Emperors descended from dragons, and many historic leaders were born in a year of the dragon, like Bruce Lee, Martin Luther King and....Vladimir Putin.
• China is home to the most places named after dragons.

Of course, I was born in the year of the dragon, 1940, the year of the Metal Dragon.  Just saw that reference and learned that:

• My lucky numbers are 4 and 9.  I can't remember anything good happening with those.

• 
  My good luck color is white.  I've always sort of liked aquamarine.
• I would be kind-hearted and develop noble ideals.  Pretty accurate.

• 
  But I would be unpredictable and have many ideas, so much so that I would have difficulty performing them well.  Yup.
• I will have a lot of achievements in my career.  I think so.
• Would be very healthy, and should exercise every day.  Mostly right, but I don't exercise daily.

• 
  The prophesies were:
• I would not become rich.  True.
• But, will have good fortune in my old age.  Great.
• Watch out for respiratory diseases.  Oh, oh, covid still a pandemic.
• I would live a carefree life with a partner.  Yes.
• Next year, 2024, now being alerted of the above, I will need to take advantage of my luck in the year of the Wood Dragon.

I woke up to Johnny Get Angry.  I'll end with a story that is 61 years old.  It was 1962, I had recently met my future wife Pearl.  I was a trainee with C. Brewer at the Hutchinson Sugar Company in Naalehu, the southernmost community in the USA.  I was living with another trainee, from the Sudan.  His name was something like Joe Abuzhed.  In those days we could not receive even radio signals, for Hilo was too far away, and the volcanoes blocked stations from Honolulu.  So one Saturday, the three of us drove to Kona, where, after awhile, the first song that came on was Johnny Get Angry., by Joannie Sommers.  Joe said this was his favorite song.  Her only hit.  

Here is a list on one-hit wonders.  Just in the '50s:  Gene Vincent (Be-Bop-a-Lula), Mickey&Sylvia (Love is Strange), Buddy Knox (Party Doll), The Teddy Bears (To Know Him is to Love Him--Phil Spector was in this group, playing the guitar), The Kalin Twins (When), The Poni-Tails (Born Too Late), The Champs (Tequila), Dodie Stevens (Pink Shoe Laces),...two seas songs, Sea Cruise by Frankie Ford and Sea of Love by Phil Phillips...plus a lot more.

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