I FINALLY FIGURED OUT WHY I HAVE DIFFICULTY SLEEPING

      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         571        703       85

Nov    25      2304    12025        620        518      118

Dec    30      3880    14748       1224       299      465

Jan     14       4142    15512         1151        189       712              

Feb      3       4005    14265       1209       107      398

          25       2414    10578        1582        119      144

Mar     2        1989      9490       1726       110      194

          31       1115      12301        3950       458       58

April   6         906     11787         4211        631       37

May    4         853     13667         3025     3786      59 

         26         607     12348         2399     3842     101

June    1         287     10637        2346      3205      95

          30        249      8505        2127        991      383

           7          251      8440         1595        817      411

Summary:

• Only a few U.S. states remain in jeopardy (orange color).
• The population of the U.S. is about four times that of Japan.  Yesterday:
• U.S.:     new cases  16,812  and new deaths  251
• Japan:   new cases    1,635  and new deaths    22
• Clearly, Japan is doing a whole lot better than the USA.
• Virtually every major city in the U.S. is well into all clear status.
• However, the government  of Japan just announced that this pandemic is too serious to allow any spectators for the Summer Olympic Games which begin in a week.
• Doesn't matter, for sporting events last year with no fans were still worthy of watch.  Should be the same for these Olympics.

On the grimy side of life, the death toll of the Florida building collapse was up to 54 yesterday, with 86 still classified as missing.  Certainly, the toll will get into triple digits.  Any building near the coastline anywhere in the world is now considered to be in danger of something similar happening.  A lot of money will be spent over the next decade to evaluate this potential and prevent this form of occurrence.

On the happy side:

• Jimmy and Rosalynn yesterday celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary.
• For Tampa residents, their Lightning won the Stanley Cup, and beating a Canadian team made it that much more satisfying.  They were also champs last year.
• If you live in the UK, England finally reached the Euro 2021 soccer tournament final edging Denmark in extra-time, and will play Italy on Sunday, 3PM EDT on ESPNU.  It was way back in 1966 that they previously found themselves in this position.  They have never won the championship.

• 
  Watch the Scripps Spelling Bee finals beginning at 8PM EDT (2PM in Hawaii) on ESPNU.  You can actually compare yourself with the students.  But don't even try.  Beginning in the second round will be a rule change.  Spellers will be asked a multiple-choice question.  The winner gets $50,000.  There is now a trophy.

But on to me.  I slept nine hours last night without waking up at all.  The last time I did this...I don't remember.  Growing up into adulthood I never had trouble sleeping.  My job was great, but stressful.  I needed to find funds to support at least 50 staff members, and combined with personnel, fiscal and research problems, life was not easy.  I retired in 1999, but still went to work in my Manoa Campus office.  I wrote three books and reported for The Huffington Post.  Published more than 100 articles.

Then, over the past few years, my life eased and nightly attempts at sleeping became adventures.  I think I finally figured out why.  On Sunday into Monday of last week I posted that my life will change.  Since then I've had no problems sleeping.  What happened?

The stress I had in my active days returned.  For example, I'll need to wear trousers and shoes today to meet with with an important person.  Much of this is confidential and I won't say how it went.  That is part of the tension.  Not being able to say what I do is something I haven't been faced with since I retired.

A good part of my amazing sleep last night had to do with walking on the Ala Wai Golf Course.  I got so exhausted that I quit after only nine holes.  But part of the reason was that I had to follow-up on matters dealing with the TEDx event for which I have part of the responsibility.

So I hope I can sleep well at least until this activity is over in December.  In January I begin my four month world cruise.  You would think that traveling would make sleeping difficult.  Not really because there is so much stress that sleep comes quite easily.  But this will be on one ship for 111 days with no particular reason to be under any mental strain.  However, we have paid for a beverage package, which allows only 15 drinks per day.  Not per week....per day.  That should help, I hope.  And, by the way, there was a 245-day cruise that started at only $92,000.  That was the Viking Sun two years ago.  Their next will depart in December, not go global, and only last for 136 days.

Am I thus advocating that if you have difficulty sleeping you should find ways to stress yourself mentally and physically?  Well, the physical part yes, but find another psychological solution than stress, which is terrible for your longevity.  The prevailing belief is that stress and anxiety hurts your ability to sleep.  We are all different.

To close, here are a couple of items sent me today:

Finally, recently took these photos of what looks like the Gold Tree.  The petals are similar:

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