SUMMER SOLSTICE, FRIDAY 21st JUNE 2013 08:11 BST

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1. THIS DAY IN WORLD WAR 2 (21st June 1943)
In France...
Jean Moulin, chief coordinator of the French Resistance, is arrested at a meeting with along with several fellow Resistance leaders in the home of Dr. Frédéric Dugoujon in Lyon.

In the Mediterranean..
British vessel Brinkburn sunk by U-73

In the Atlantic...
Swedish vessel Venezia sunk by U-513

In the Pacific...
US 4th Marine Raider Battalion lands unopposed at Segi Point on New Georgia Island

In New Guinea...
Japanese forces attack Australian 17th Infantry Brigade around Mubo, but are impeded by air support from the RAAF

Today's Air Raids...
Krefeld by RAF Bomber Command
Netherlands and Northern France RAF Fighter patrols
Italy military targets by USAAF
Buka Island by US 13th Air Force
Darwin, Australia by Japanese aircraft
Lae, New Guinea by US 5th Air Force
Koepang, Timor Island by US 5th Air Force
China military targets by US 14th Air Force

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
Shift 1 of the Weekend Job
Missus Time

Twitter Followers = 1,673 (up 1)
Nonfollowed eliminated = 1
Unfollowers eliminated = 0

3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION
I am currently experiencing an straight 50/50 mix of triumphs and disappointments. On the plus side, I feel a burden lifted after making the break with Daughter and I have had some fabulous positive feedback from the clients I saw in the Spring. I continue to be grateful for my blissful home life. On the other hand, my weight loss experiment has gone nowhere, as it is just not a central issue in my mind, and erectile dysfunction has, despite the usual management techniques, and successful past few liaisons, caused a "failure to launch" last night.

It's difficult to detatch from your ego when such occurrences happen - despite a very understanding missus, it's very humiliating for a guy. Anxiety over it worsens the problem. I'm fine - though occasionally slow - on my own! I have in recent months avoided the "chemical solution" on the grounds of cost and wellbeing, but the consequence is an increased risk of the odd failure. There must clearly be a psychological element or the solo sessions would also fail. Overthinking probably plays a role, which leads nicely on to a more general aim - to extend the stillness of mind I have on my own into social situations.

Today then, back to eliminating surplus thought by focus on intuition, and on the next "encounter", to do the same.

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
Are you approaching your problems in the best way?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Damp misty start
Overcast but dry in the morning
Cloud thins to allow sunny periods after lunchtime
Scattered showers, some heavy, overnight.
Wind will be negligible until mid-afternoon
Thereafter, a moderate westerly will pick up, veering gradually south-westerly.
Max Temp = 18 degC
Min Temp = 12 degC
Sunrise at 04:35
Sunset at 21:42

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
I know there's a baby in your tummy, mummy - have you got one growing in your bottom as well?

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!
Was David Mitchell's childhood friend a bucket? Particularly funny!

8. TRIVIA
There are no universally agreed dates for the start of the seasons. Some argue it should be March 1, June 1, Sep 1 and Dec 1 - so each month clearly belongs to a season - June, July and August are then the "Summer months" for example.

Biologically, Spring starts when the first flowers appear, which in the Northern Hemisphere are usually snowdrops in mid-February, and Summer when the last blossom falls from the trees. Autumn is when the first leaves start to turn brown and Winter begins when the last leaf has fallen. This however makes the start of the seasons highly variable, depending on that year's weather and your latitude.

The most popular start dates are the astronomical ones based on the tilt of the Earth's axis, so occur at the Vernal Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumnal Equinox and Winter Solstice. These dates fit best with the average annual climate. Confusingly, the Summer Solstice is still occasionally called "Midsummer Day" and the Winter Solstice "Midwinter", which derive from the biological dates. These astronomical dates are variable year-to-year by three days, between the 20th, 21st and 22nd in March, June, September and December.

9. THE WISDOM I'VE LEARNED FROM OTHERS
To the extent that we love others, we will be loved.