THIS IS THE YEAR OF THE FIRE HORSE

 As the USA will be 250 years old on July 4 this year, I asked Google AI, how old is China?

• Only 76 years old as the People's Republic of China, founded by Mao Zedong on October 1, 1949.
• As a Unified Imperial State, 2247 years old.  Qin Shi Huang in 221 BC unified the country.
• However, widely cited figures trace the roots of Chinese civilization back to the semi-mythical Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, starting with the Yellow Emperor around 2698 BC.  Or 2724 years.

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  Dating back to the Shang Dynasty, between 3200 and 3700 years old.
• Analyzing archeological culture, sites like Liangzhu show complex societies and evidence of rice farming in the Yangtze River valley 8000 years ago.  This was perhaps 2000 years after very early evidence.  So, 10,000 years?
• Oxford University considers China to be the world's oldest continuous civilization.

• 
  Watch a video suggesting wars in ancient China going back to 10,000 BC.  Thus, perhaps 12,000 years old?

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  Then, of course, there is the Peking Man (Homo erectus), and that was around 750,000 years ago.  Fossils found in a cave only 31 miles from Beijing, which was once called Peking.

Well, anyway, China is an ancient society, and no doubt was civilized at least 5000 years ago.

• China should have the world's highest median age by 2100 of 60.7 years.  Today, this nation is Japan at 50.2 years.

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  This is also now the Year of the Horse, and February 17 kicks off the 15-day Spring Festival.
• Snake was last year, and goat will be in 2027.  Not the best zodiac animals, unless you are talking about Greatest Of All-Time.
• Actually, Google AI says that, of the 12 symbols, Dog is the most unpopular, with Rooster #11.  Snake is #10 and Goat #9.
• Of course my year of the Dragon is #1, with the Tiger as #2.
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  #3 is HORSE, and those born this year will have courage, bravery and express independence.
• Note, further, that this the year of the Fire Horse.
• There is a 60-year calendar with five distinct signs:  the others are Wood, Earth, Metal (or Gold) and Water.
• This Fire Horse (1966 and 2026) is considered to be energetic, independent, intense and volatile.

Today is also Fat Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday, or the final day of Mardi Gras.

• In cities like New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro, February 17 marks the climax and indulgent end of Carnival season.
• Started January 6 for New Orleans and February 13 in Rio.

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  There was a time when I felt safe at a New Orleans Mardi Gras parade.  But that was more than half a century ago when I lived in Louisiana.  Today, iffy.  We'll be visiting New Orleans next month.
• In much of the world, this is a Catholic tradition, the feast before Lent, which extends for 40 days, plus 6 Sundays.

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  For practicing Muslims, only 30 days long, but fasting is more intensive.  Ramadan begins tomorrow, and for some, on Thursday.  Very complicated.  USA and Canadian Muslims are this year (also too last year) further challenged by the beginning of Daylight Savings Time on March 8.

And, by the way, how is Eileen Gu doing?  Well, okay, but still disappointingly so, for she yesterday won only another silver medal.  She was a bit ticked, though, about how others are reacting to her "failure."  However, she has one more event coming on February 19, her strongest, the halfpipe.

Medal standings:

• 1. Norway: 30 Total (13 Gold, 8 Silver, 9 Bronze)
• 2. Italy: 24 Total (9 Gold, 4 Silver, 11 Bronze)
• 3. United States: 20 Total (6 Gold, 9 Silver, 5 Bronze)
• 4. Japan: 19 Total (4 Gold, 5 Silver, 10 Bronze)
• 5. Germany: 17 Total (4 Gold, 7 Silver, 6 Bronze)
• 6. Austria: 16 Total (5 Gold, 8 Silver, 3 Bronze)
• 6. France: 16 Total (5 Gold, 7 Silver, 4 Bronze)
• 8. Netherlands: 13 Total (6 Gold, 6 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• 9. Sweden: 12 Total (5 Gold, 5 Silver, 2 Bronze)
• 9. Canada: 12 Total (3 Gold, 4 Silver, 5 Bronze)
• 11. Switzerland: 10 Total (5 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze)
• 12. South Korea: 6 Total (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze)
• 12. China: 6 Total (0 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze)
• 14. Australia: 5 Total (3 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• 15. Czech Republic: 4 Total (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 15. Slovenia: 4 Total (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• 15. Poland: 4 Total (0 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• 15. Finland: 4 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 4 Bronze)
• 19. Great Britain: 3 Total (3 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 20. Latvia: 2 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• 20. New Zealand: 2 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• 20. Bulgaria: 2 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 2 Bronze)
• 23. Brazil: 1 Total (1 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 23. Kazakhstan: 1 Total (1 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 23. Georgia: 1 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 23. Belgium: 1 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze)

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