First, from Time magazine: According to the biblical account in 1 Samuel 17, Goliath was a giant terrorizing Israel and King Saul’s entire army.  David, although much shorter than Goliath, refused the support of King Saul’s heavy armor. He advanced toward the taunting giant Goliath with only his shepherd's staff, a leather sling, and five smooth stones. David killed Goliath by striking him in the forehead with a stone from a sling. With Russia 28 times the size of Ukraine, but around 60% covered in uninhabitable permafrost and not remotely an economic superpower, we may be witnessing a modern remake of this biblical saga. Even more impressive is the fact that David has overcome so many obstacles to this point. Folk tales do some exaggeration, so there is no surety about the size of Goliath. The Hebrew Masoretic Text indicated 9 feet, 9 inches. The ancient Greek Septuagint and Dead Sea Scrolls showed a height of 6 feet, 9 inches. This latter figure seems reasonable. America...

                 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        ...