FRIDAY 21st DECEMBER 2012 09:08 GMT

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1. THIS DAY IN WORLD WAR 2 (21st December 1942)
On the Russian Front... Soviet Voronezh Front makes significant advances north of Stalingrad.
Luftwaffe aircraft transport approximately 215 tons of supplies to German 6th Army in Stalingrad pocket

In the Mediterranean... British vessel Strathallan is torpedoed by U-562 with over 5000 troops, nurses, and crew on board. Still afloat, the ship is towed towards port.
Italian vessel Rosina S. sunk by RN submarine HMS Safari

In the Atlantic... British vessel Montreal City sunk by U-591
British vessel Queen City sunk by Italian submarine Fecia di Cossato

In the Pacific... IJN submarine I-4 sunk by USN submarine Seadragon off New Britain
Japanese vessel Hakuyo Maru sunk by Allied aircraft off Rabaul on New Britain

In Burma... Indian troops capture Alethangyaw in the Arakan.

Today's Air Raids...
Munich, Germany by RAF Bomber Command
Off Finschhafen, New Guinea on Japanese shipping by US 5th Air Force
Akyab, Burma by RAF aircraft.

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Abundant me time before shift 1 of the Weekend Job.
Comedy night on TV in the later evening.

Twitter Followers = 1,602 (up 2)
Nonfollowed eliminated = 0
Unfollowers eliminated = 0

3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION
The wind-down to Christmas has begun, with Son finishing yesterday, Missus today and myself tomorrow. Aside from blogging I will be putting my business interests aside for five days and devoting myself to a combination of me time and family time.

Where I "part company" with positive/spiritually-orientated people is that I simply don't buy into pacifism and appeasement. I don't look for trouble, but neither will I run. I fully embrace both the light and dark within myself, which means I am fully capable of both kindness and vindictive ruthlessness. To those open or neutral I am positive. Anyone showing hostility and aggression in any form, verbal or physical, are responded to in kind and their behaviour is not forgotten. Only an unequivocal apology and/or clear signs of changed behaviour will blunt my hatred once earned.

However this dark side only emerges when the "marked ones" are around or when people tread on my raw nerves. My default state of mind is in fact gratitude. This hasn't always been the case - my natural default emotion is anger, and it has taken a few years of training and discipline to settle my consciousness into a positive resting place. Because it is not my natural state, continual mental energy is required to keep it there. I have got used to putting in that necessary effort and now do it automatically.

The rewards of a gratitude-orientated attitude have been great - a happiness previously undreamed of. I am happy to continue showing to some kindness, others a path, and others a psychopath.

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
On what does your mind dwell when you are alone?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Damp and foggy in the morning. Dry and cloudy thereafter.
Wind will be light to moderate and north-westerly, veering slowly to south-easterly overnight.
Max Temp = 6 degC
Min Temp = 4 degC
Sunrise at 08:23
Sunset at 15:48
Jetstream: South of England and north-westerly

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
I don't use predictive text because you end up posting thongs you didn't Nintendo : D

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!
The Two Ronnies: Dr Death

8. TRIVIA
Queen Victoria insisted on being buried with the bathrobe of her long-dead husband, Prince Albert, and a plaster cast of his hand.

9. THE WISDOM I'VE LEARNED FROM OTHERS
"Things don't have to change the world to be important."- Steve Jobs