Last of the Key Comparisons

I think that this might be my last post on this issue for a while ... as it seems things may be settling down.

It is difficult to compare the various country, and now state coronavirus statistics ... since they are so far apart in the big tables. So, once again,  I have taken some time to put together some of the critical measures (Tests per million, Cases per million and Deaths per million) for some key countries (USA, Sweden, Norway, Italy, South Korea, Germany) .... and states (California, Massachusetts, New York and Florida) one week after my first comparison. Here are the numbers as of May 22, 2020 ... see: Latest Data for verification. (If you check after 5/22/2020, the numbers will change.)

                   Tests  per million
USA                        59,154
Sweden                   29,291
Norway                  46,553
Italy                        66,970
South Korea           19,330
Germany                51,917

California               55,240
Massachusetts        97,161
New York             117,908
Florida                    51,586

                   Cases per million
USA                         5,817
Sweden                    4,149
Norway                    1,570
Italy                          3,870
South Korea                230
Germany                  2,208

California                  3,111
Massachusetts        14,808
New York                19,704
Florida                      2,802

                 Deaths  per million
USA                           383
Sweden                      452
Norway                        44
Italy                           567
South Korea                  5
Germany                    104

California                   113
Massachusetts         1,045
New York                 1,557
Florida                        122

Do you believe the numbers for South Korea? Actually, the more I inspect numbers, the more I am certain the politics and nationalism are infecting most results. This, of course, makes dealing with this pandemic very problematic ... unfortunately.

Newest Key Comparisons

I guess I’ll be doing this post every week for a while.

It is difficult to compare the various country, and now state coronavirus statistics ... since they are so far apart in the big tables. So, once again,  I have taken some time to put together some of the critical measures (Tests per million, Cases per million and Deaths per million) for some key countries (USA, Sweden, Norway, Italy, South Korea, Germany) .... and states (California, Massachusetts, New York and Florida) one week after my first comparison. Here are the numbers as of May 22, 2020 ... see: Latest Data for verification. (If you check after 5/22/2020, the numbers will change.)

                   Tests  per million
USA                        40,768
Sweden                   20,798
Norway                  41,178
Italy                        53,635
South Korea           15,653
Germany                 42,923

California               36,742
Massachusetts       72,758
New York               80,066
Florida                    37,973

                   Cases per million
USA                         4,904
Sweden                    3,251
Norway                    1,534
Italy                          3,770
South Korea                217
Germany                  2,139

California                  2,239
Massachusetts         13,070
New York                18,832
Florida                      2,266

                 Deaths  per million
USA                           291
Sweden                      389
Norway                       43
Italy                           537
South Korea                 5
Germany                     89

California                     92
Massachusetts            892
New York                 1,485
Florida                        100

Do you believe the numbers for South Korea? Actually, the more I inspect numbers, the more I am certain the politics and nationalism are infecting most results. This, of course, makes dealing with this pandemic very problematic ... unfortunately.

As another metric here is an interesting comparison. (I forgot where I found it.) I think it is a little dated and does not reconciled it with the above numbers ... but looks close:

Latest Key Comparisons

I guess I’ll be doing this post every week for a while.

It is difficult to compare the various country, and now state coronavirus statistics ... since they are so far apart in the big tables. So, once again,  I have taken some time to put together some of the critical measures (Tests per million, Cases per million and Deaths per million) for some key countries (USA, Sweden, Norway, Italy, South Korea, Germany) .... and states (California, Massachusetts, New York and Florida) one week after my first comparison. Here are the numbers as of May 15, 2020 ... see: Latest Data for verification. (If you check after 5/15/2020, the numbers will change.)

                   Tests  per million
USA                        32,166
Sweden                   17,590
Norway                  39,266
Italy                        46,426
South Korea           14,177
Germany                 37,585

California               27,957
Massachusetts       61,568
New York               67,035
Florida                    28,382

                   Cases per million
USA                         4,407
Sweden                    2,832
Norway                    1,513
Italy                          3,689
South Korea                215
Germany                  2,089

California                  1,897
Massachusetts        11,923
New York                18,155
Florida                      2,012

                 Deaths  per million
USA                           263
Sweden                      350
Norway                       43
Italy                           519
South Korea                 5
Germany                     95

California                     77
Massachusetts           795
New York                 1,410
Florida                          87

Do you believe the numbers for South Korea? Actually, the more I inspect numbers, the more I am certain the politics and nationalism are infecting most results. This, of course, makes dealing with this pandemic very problematic ... unfortunately.

Updated Key Comparisons

It is difficult to compare the various country, and now state coronavirus statistics ... since they are so far apart in the big tables. So, once again,  I have taken some time to put together some of the critical measures (Tests per million, Cases per million and Deaths per million) for some key countries (USA, Sweden, Norway, Italy, South Korea, Germany) .... and states (California, Massachusetts, New York and Florida) one week after my first comparison. Here are the numbers as of May 8, 2020 ... see: Latest Data for verification. (If you check after 5/8/2020, the numbers will change.)

                   Tests  per million
USA                        25, 119
Sweden                   14,704
Norway                  34,406t
Italy                        33,385
South Korea           12,773
Germany                 32,891

California               21,530
Massachusetts       51,482
New York               55,556
Florida                    24,035

                   Cases per million
USA                         3,906
Sweden                    2,438
Norway                    1,482
Italy                          3,570
South Korea                211
Germany                  2,022

California                  1,596
Massachusetts        10,793
New York                17,199
Florida                      1,885

                 Deaths  per million
USA                           232
Sweden                      301
Norway                       40
Italy                           495
South Korea                 5
Germany                     88

California                     65
Massachusetts           665
New York                 1,344
Florida                          78    

Do you believe the numbers for South Korea? Actually, the more I inspect numbers, the more I am certain the politics and nationalism are infecting most results. This, of course, makes dealing with this pandemic very problematic ... unfortunately.

reddit Pic

The Borgund Slav church built by the Vikings in Norway around 1100 AD

The Phone Call

Here is a hypothetical secured phone call sometime in the future from the head of Norway’s intelligence agency (NIS) to President Trump:

Trump: Hello ...

NIS: President Trump?

Trump: Yes ...

NIS: Sir, I am the head of the Norway Intelligence Service and I have some very important news for you  ...

Trump: Yes?

NIS: Sir, we have recently recovered a body off of our northern coast who had a letter in his pocket to Putin marked “for your eyes only” which requests a wire transfer of $50 million to a bank account in Cyprus which we have traced to the head of your FBI. We have verified that this man was a Ukrainian operative with close ties to Russian intelligence and he had recently visited Washington, DC with a trip to the DNC. We believe that the head of your FBI and at least three of her lieutenants also visited the DNC shortly thereafter ... and that they have been compromised. We think that this is a serious threat to your national security.

Trump: How sure are you of what you just told me?

NIS: 100%

Trump: I can’t say how important this information is to the United States. We will not forget your help in this matter. Goodbye and thank you ...

NIS: Goodbye ...


Now, according to George Stephanopoulos and much of the US media, Trump should immediately notify the head of his FBI of this phone call. I know that this is only a hypothetical, but so was Stephanopoulos’.

Should he?

Headlines

Trump’s U.N. pick showered key GOP senators with donations

Trump’s tax cuts will boost the U.S. economy for two more years at most, says Nobel Prize winner

Iranian official claims: Netanyahu family phones hacked ...

BBC: Use of term ‘Mainstream Media’ is  an ‘assault on freedom’

Trump surprises his own aides by reversing North Korean sanctions

A trade agreement could come in weeks but it won’t erase ‘contentious’ issues, says former diplomat

Mayday? Pressure to step down to save Brexit ...

Donald Trump golfs with Kid Rock after Mueller Report conclusion

Top SDNY prosecutor in Michael Cohen case departing

Almost 400 people airlifted of stricken cruise ship off Norway

End of flu season has not been this bad in last 2 decades ...

Adam Schiff threatens to subpoena Mueller after Russian probe

Headlines

Right mounts campaign to make Jim Jordan the GOPLeader

Trump tariffs targeted in new campaign by business group

Belongings of missing WIKILEAKS associate found in sea off Norway

[Pelosi:] 'I will be Speeaker of the House'

Trump vs. Trudeau: They could save NAFTA if they stop sniping

Former Trump campaign chief Manafort reportedly in talks for plea seal

World Trade Center struggles to fill office space ...

Support for [London] Mayor Kahn crashes after summer of violence ...

Bernie Samder's son trounced in New Hampshire primary

[Interest] Rates are about to hit key level that could cause problems for stocks

Small business optimism highest ever; tops Reagan ...

50 Toty MPs 'openly plot' Theresa May's downfall ...

Donald, Duck!

After a DACA meeting in the Oval Office, Democrat Senator Dick Durbin ran over staffers and guards to find a microphone and tattle that President Trump used the word "shitholes" to refer to Haiti, El Salvatore and four African countries ... saying that we should also be encouraging immigration from Norway rather than from these failed countries. The libs then took these comments and morphed his scatology into referring to the PEOPLE in these outhouses ... expanding the country list into ALL of Africa. "For shame, for shame! Our president hates black and brown people and wants only white immigrants!" ... as always, counting on the gullibility of the American people. This, kind readers, is known as "racial politics" ... as played for the last fifty years almost exclusively by Democrats.

Trouble is ... Trump is not shameable. Since most liberals can know what Trump is thinking, I guess I can too. He is here arguing for merit-based immigration ... and taking immigrants from certain failed third-world countries BECAUSE THEY ARE FAILED makes no sense whatsoever. Such immigrants are very likely to become wards of our government ... as opposed to those from the developed world who are much more likely to contribute to our well-being. And I strongly suspect Trump would rather have a black math teacher  from Haiti than a white street thug from Norway as a new immigrant.

Such comments, particularly if they are scatological can be easily demagogued into a racial slur ... which is exactly what many libs did ... CNN repeated the word "shitholes" 36 times in that evening's broadcasts. Does Trump care? Probably not .... as these media attacks are constant ... and seem to rum off Donald's back like water off a duck's. Perhaps, we might start calling Trump "Duck Donald" or even  "Donald Duck" because of this ability easily to shed such rabid criticism? (Or, perhaps the above-titled warning?)  And the Democrat media might even like it because they could take it as a slur ... when it is just the opposite.

Headlines

These headlines are real ... they have all been discovered on Internet news sites. 

Guess which ones came from Politico?

Former Bush AG: Trump right, there was surveillance ...

Rob Reiner: Trump is 'mentally unstable'

Liberals to Senate Democrats: Step up the Gorsuch fight

Comey turns on Trump

[NYT's] Kristol urges IRS agents to leak Trump's tax returns

Chicago goes 6 days without homicide for first time since 2012 ...

NYC Mayor DeBlasio hiding 500,000 illegals, vows to resist immigration laws

NYC dumps Kellogg's cereals because of health concerns

White House wants it both ways on revised travel ban

Norway: Immigration Minister slammed for wearing crucifix in 'vile attack'

Canadian border patrol struggling with wave fleeing USA

FL judge orders Trump immigration order unconstitutional

Headlines

These headlines are real ... they have all been discovered on Internet news sites.

MLK's niece: I voted for Donald ...

MLK weekend sees 32 people shot in Chicago

Obama quietly transfers 10 Gitmo prisoners to Oman ...

Trump wants more press in Press Room ... bloggers may be included

Davos elites struggle for answers ...

Clinton Foundation shuts down Global Iniative ...

Mystery flashing lights speed past International Space Station ...

Germany fires back at Trump's threatened border tax: 'Build better cars'

At least 30 killed in Turkish Airlines crash in Kyrgyzstan ...

STEELERS coach caught calling the Patriots 'assholes' ...

FBI arrests wife of Orlando nightclub terrorist ...

Hundreds of U.S. Marines land in Norway ... irking Russia ...

Trump Around the World

France

England

Germany

USA

Norway

Iceland

Mexico

Canada

Good Fences

"Good fences make good neighbors" -- Robert Frost

A few years ago I tutored a Mexican immigrant who believed that the borders of the United States should be wide open to all. No matter what I said I could not convince him of the dire consequences of such foolishness. And at least one of my liberal friends is also in the camp for open borders. I hope this is only because he has not thought this thing through.

I just read some accounts of interviews with the throngs of immigrants who are passing through Austria on their way to "open arms" Germany and the countries further north (Sweden, Norway, etc.) These mostly young men are seeking a better life from what they just fled ... and you can't blame them. And I don't believe a "better life" is just strudel and sauerbraten. It is a chance for a job augmented by the generosity of these welfare states. When these sinecures are accomplished then, I expect, these men will call for their families and relatives ... and relatives of their relatives ... until such abuse hardens the hearts of their benefactors ... at which point these immigrants will grow resentful and, possibly even violent (witness many of the North Africans in France.)

And there are billions of people around the world who want a better life.

So, are open borders a good idea? The best analogy I can conger up is an open houses. Imagine that your home was open to all strangers who wished to live there. Yes, these interlopers might perform some chores, but mainly would depend on your family for shelter, food and clothing. The bigger house you might have, the more of these squatters you would have to accommodate ... until overcrowding and other unpleasant disruptions occurred. Lots of social tensions would arise out of pressures of this situation ... petty thievery, arguments over responsibilities, slovenliness, too much noise, etc. The quality of life for your family under these circumstances would go down hill fast ... until you questioned your rationale for such generosity.

Is it hard-hearted not to open your home to anyone who wants to live there? I don't think so ... and I also don't believe that there are many who do. So why are open borders any different? I strongly believe that the degree of one's generosity should be left up to individuals and not determined by some third party or government who might have some other agenda in mind.

Prediction: President Obama will, without consulting Congress, soon announce that the United States will accept tens of thousands of these Middle Eastern immigrants.

Afterward: For some further disturbing insights, see: Infowars Posting.

D - Fence

Pictured above are the Defense Ministers of Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Germany. Yes, I am a bit of a sexist, but then again that female British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, didn't back down in the early 1980's from Argentina's militancy.  Still, Russian President Vladimir Putin's macho foreign policy coupled with the fact that Russia is a lot bigger and a lot closer than Argentina does not give me a lot of solace as to how these ladies might respond to a similar belligerency ... particularly since the United States has its own equivocating wuss in the White House.

Witness: how much push-back has the West given Russia over what is currently happening in the Ukraine?

reddit Gallery XIV -- Waterfalls

Another excursion into the world of reddit pictures.  See reddit Pics for sources.  Click on pictures to enlarge them.  Enjoy!

Colorado

Grand Canyon

Norway

Great Smokey Mountains

Zion National Park

reddit Gallery XIII - Sunsets

Another excursion into the world of reddit pictures.  See reddit Pics for sources.  Click on pictures to enlarge them.  Enjoy!

Yellowstone Park

Shanghai

Rio

Norway

Sweden