SUNDAY 24th FEBRUARY 2013 08:11 GMT

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1. THIS DAY IN WORLD WAR 2 (24th February 1943)
On the Russian Front...
Soviet 13th Army and 48th Army attack the German 2nd Army around Orel
German II SS Panzer Korps captures Pavlograd, and Soviet resistance begins to collapse in that sector.
At his Vinnitsa headquarters, Hitler issues Special Order No. 7 giving commanders power to execute troops for indiscipline

In the Baltic...
U-649 sunk in accidental collision with U-232

In the North Sea...
Kriegsmarine patrol vessel V-1249 is sunk by a mine

In the Irish Sea...
RN submarine Vandal is sunk in an accident in Kilbrannan Sound

In Rome...
Mussolini confers with German foreign minister Ribbentrop

In the Mediterranean...
RN submarine HMS Rorqual lays mines in Axis shipping lanes to Tunisia.

In Tunisia...
Allied troops re-occupy areas vacated by the Axis after the Battle Of Kasserine Pass.

In Washington DC...
Eleanor Roosevelt and Madame Chiang Kai-shek conduct a joint press conference.

Today's Air Raids...
Wilhelmshaven, Germany by RAF Bomber Command
Netherlands on military targets by RAF Fighter Command
Kairouan, Tunisia by US 12th Air Force
Lae, New Guinea by US 5th Air Force
Rabaul, New Britain by US 5th Air Force
Liangshan, China by Japanese 25th and 16th Air Regiments
Pinbaw, Burma by US 10th Air Force

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging first thing, the milk run then missus time. Long meditation after lunch and some me time before missus time in the evening.

  Twitter Followers = 1,619 (up 3)
     Nonfollowed eliminated = 0
     Unfollowers eliminated = 0

3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION
With both shifts of the Weekend Job going smoothly, and letting go of things I cannot change, my mind is free to address two separate issues - firstly the dysfuntional fraternal relationship between Son & Daughter.

As even-handed as I wish to be, the problem lies squarely with Daughter, who whilst claiming to want a good relationship with her brother, behaves in highly inconsiderate ways that only infuriate him, makes no allowances for his teen moods and feelings, and at the same time refuses to confess or apologise for anything, and can only think how hurt she is by any form of criticism.

I find all this utterly exasperating, but my objective is to make a positive difference, so there has to be complete acceptance of how it is, and an intuitive response appropriate to the objective. My own parents were perfect examples of how not to manage fraternal disputes, so I have learned from their mistakes, and rather than simply let it happen or make it worse by trying to please everyone, I will make an intuitive measured intervention aimed at diffusing rather than exacerbating the situation.

My second issue to sharpen concentration so I can at will put it where I intend. This is the prime challenge of my life experience - if I can do this, then life will be joy indeed. To achieve this, I'm having to learn thoroughly how my mind functions. The obstacle is intense emotions easily triggered. To deactivate them, I'm learning to turn my thoughts off. I can already do this in some circumstances, so the next step is to expand the circumstances. This requires breaking down stimuli both internal and external into the energy it's made of, and perceiving the energy rather than the story my mind instinctively constructs from it. It's an absorbing and fascinating challenge.

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
If life is a vehicle, wouldn't it be easier to fix if you knew how it works?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Cold, dry and cloudy all day, evening and overnight.
Wind will be consistently moderate and north-easterly.
Max Temp = 2 degC
Min Temp = -2 degC
Sunrise at 07:08
Sunset at 17:34

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
I'm sorry I got angry and said a lot of things I meant but shouldn't have said. : D

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!
Jimmy Dore on gay and straight marriage, and fancying Jude Law

8. TRIVIA
A woman who feels good about her genitals is six more times more likely to be sexually satisfied than a woman who does not.

9. THE WISDOM I'VE LEARNED FROM OTHERS
"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. – James Baldwin