REVENGE OF THE NEANDERTHALS

Experts are slowly beginning to understand why some of us are more prone to become infected from COVID-19 with higher  mortality rates.  Pre-conditions and older age certainly hurt, and so does economic level.  Now, your genes are coming into play.

As only a beginning, if you have Neanderthal genes, that is now almost a pre-condition for COVID-19 mortality, or soon will be.  How do you know if you harbor this cluster of genes?  

You can test for your DNA.  Genetics Digest provides some guidelines:

• Don't necessarily buy a popular brand.
• Look for the details you want.
• Find a company with a professional in charge.
• Top three:

• #1 CRI Genetics:  two options, $99 and $199 (supposedly they had a 50% off offer that expired yesterday)
• #2 23andMe:  $99, $199 and $499 kits
• #3 AncestryDNA:  $99 and $119 

You need to confirm with them about that Neanderthal gene.

In general, what are your odds of harboring this gene (the darker the purple, the higher the chances)?

• 16%:  population of Europe.
• 63%:  people from Bangladesh
• close to zero:  east Asia and Africa

Note that not only is the mortality rate lower, but also the number of coronavirus cases is lower in Africa, China, Japan, etc.  Kind of like the revenge of the Neanderthals.

Interestingly enough, four years ago it was reported that 2% of those living today have these genes, but, more so:

• If you have Spring allergies from pollen or react to pets, blame your Neanderthal gene.
• However, if you do, this means that your immune system is more efficient, and you should live longer.

But here is the catch.  Like in cancer where your body overreacts, it is appearing that this same alert immunity response is the reason why those infected with COVID-19 have a higher incidence of hospitalizations and deaths.

Number 84 of my favorites focuses on the Kingston Trio, and two songs in particular:

• Tom Dooley
• Scotch and Soda

Two thirds of the Kingston Trio, Dave Guard (middle) and Bob Shane (left), came from Honolulu, with Nick Reynolds from San Diego.  Guard went on to Stanford University, with Shane matriculating at Menlo College.  They and their early cohorts played a mix of Calypso and Hawaiian music.  The Kingston, thus, came from Kingston, Jamaica.  In the Bay Area, the Purple Onion was their start, graduating to the hungry i.   They released their first album in 1958, the year I begun my studies at Stanford.  With all that, I had never heard of them before, but my freshman roomie, Jim, talked me into going with him to a concert by this group on campus.  This was my first such experience, and I fell in love with them, as did much of the nation.

Tom Dooley was their first big hit, reaching #1 in 1958.  They actually won a Grammy for Best Country & Western Performance in 1959, as there was no such thing as folk music, which was subsequently added.  For five consecutive weeks in 1959 four of their albums were ranked in Billboard's top ten album list, something never matched.  By 1961 there was a falling out, and Dave Guard left the group, replaced by John Stewart.  They ceased to be a trio in 1967.  Stewart went on to write Daydream Believer for The Monkees.

They kept making various comebacks.  In 1981 the original three and others had a reunion with Peter, Paul and Mary for PBS.  Guard died in 1991 at the age of 56.  Bob Shane retired from touring in 2004 with a heart problem.  It gets complicated here, but The Kingston Trio, with none of the originals, continues to tour today, and, they are:  Mike Marvin (adopted son of Nick Reynolds), Tim Gorelangton (long time friend of John Stewart) and Don Marovich (toured with the original trio).

The group was never accepted into the folk tribe, for many considered their efforts to be watered down for commercialization.  The trio's reaction was that they were not folksingers, as such.  In any case, their influence on American popular music was considerable.  While the Rolling Stones have been together as individuals since the early 60's, remember that the Kingston Trio's first hit was in 1958, and the group, too, remains active today.

Tom Dooley was based on the murder in 1866 of Laura Foster by Tom Dula.  The composer of the song is not known, although the trio was sued by those who made earlier recordings, and won.

Scotch and Soda similarly needs the original songwriters name.  How the trio began singing it is that Dave Guard was dating Tom Seaver's (the baseball pitcher) sister, and their parents remembered hearing the song as far back as 1932, and liked it so much that they got the lyrics.  Guard subsequently copyrighted the song in 1959.  I don't want to particularly identify with a murder, so Scotch and Soda is my pick for #84.  Plus, whenever I drink scotch, this song comes to mind, especially when I add some soda.

Hurricane Delta rolled over the Yucatan Peninsula, is now a Category 2, but could strengthen into a 3, or even 4, before making landfall over Louisiana on Friday:

In the West Pacific, Typhoon Chan-hom will approach Japan this weekend and affect Tokyo on Sunday:

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