BANGKOK, SAN FRANCISCO and IMAGINE

According to the Bangkok Post today, two luxury nightclubs in town, Krystal and Emerald, are the epicenters of new COVID-19 outbreaks:

Thailand went for months without a confirmed case of local transmission, but the epidemic has now radiated from luxury nightclubs that cater to powerful and wealthy men to the warrens of slums that hug Bangkok’s highways and railroad tracks. In these cramped quarters, social distancing is impossible. Infections have also spread to prisons, construction camps and factories.

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  Among the newly infected from those nightclubs, an ambassador, government minister, police in the area and, of course, the women who worked there.
• When I traveled to Thailand in February of 2020, they were #2 to China in number of cases.  Over the next few months they fell to #120.  
• Yesterday, with 2817 new cases and 36 deaths, they rose to #80 in total cases.
• However, their deaths/million is 170, while that of the USA is 1840.
• Hawaii at 355 deaths/million is lowest of all the states.
• Thus, Thailand is half the rate of Hawaii in terms of deaths/million.

According to the New York Times this morning:

Nearly eliminated in qualifying, Megha Ganne, a Stanford-bound high-school junior from New Jersey, rose to the top of the leaderboard after two rounds. One of her most famous competitors, Michelle Wie West, wouldn’t be in the tournament if crude comments from Rudy Giuliani hadn’t inspired her comeback.  (31-year old Michelle, who graduated from Stanford, missed the cut, but 17-year old Megha begins the final round today at #3.)  Those so-called crude remarks had to do with Michelle bending over so much while putting that you could see her underwear.  The tournament is being held in San Francisco, up the 101 from Stanford. On the men's side, Jon Rahm, who won the Memorial last year, on Saturday had a hole in one.  At the end of the day he was ahead by 6 strokes.  Then he learned he tested positive for COVID-19.  While more than 50% of PGA players have been vaccinated, it is not known if Rahm, or the two players in his threesome, have.  He is asymptomatic but had to withdraw.

I was sent this list by someone who at least sometimes goes to church:

Think about this. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.
1. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way....
2. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
3. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

4. You mean the world to someone.
5. If not for you, someone may not be living.
6. You are special and unique.
7. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you trust God to do what's best, and wait on His time, sooner or later, you will get it or something better.

8. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good can still come from it.
9. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most likely turned your back on the world.
10. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you. 

11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

12. Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know and you'll both be happy .
13. If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great.

I'm not that superstitious, but I would have tried to squeeze those thoughts to end at #12.  Also, I don't necessarily agree that each item is 100% viable for everyone.  For example, there are some who would would question #7.  However, for believers, there are definite psychological benefits.

Finally, Imagine if there is no Heaven:

It is unclear what John Lennon really believed in, but perhaps existential vacuum might be an appropriate term.

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