SPRING EQUINOX, WEDNESDAY 20th MARCH 2013 06:46 GMT

AVAILABLE FOR KINDLE DOWNLOAD, DOCUMENT DOWNLOAD AND AUDIOBOOK - EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK

FOR MORE WISDOM CHECK OUT MY TUMBLR PAGE

FOR PERSONAL ISSUES, OR TO FIND OUT WHAT I DO, WHY NOT CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE

1. THIS DAY IN WORLD WAR 2 (20th March 1943)
On the Russian Front...
German 9th Army continues withdrawing from Rzhev salient, evacuating Durovo.

In Germany...
Hitler departs the Wolfsschanze for a three-month rest away from his East Prussian headquarters.

In France...
Jean Moulin, chief coordinator of French Resistance, returns from London

At Mersin, Turkey...
Axis POWs and internees (mostly Italian sailors stranded in Saudi Arabia in 1941) are exchanged for British POWs held in Italy.

In the Mediterranean...
U-81 sinks Syrian vessel Mawahab Allar and Egyptian vessel Bourghieh.

In Tunisia...
The Second Battle of Mareth: New Zealand 2nd Infantry Division pushes forward to Tebaga Gap and the British 8th army begins an assault on Axis positions.
US II Corps captures Sened Station and begins pushing towards Maknassy overnight.

In the Atlantic...
Dutch vessel Mariso sunk by U-518, but U-384 is sunk by RAF aircraft.

In the Pacific...
Japanese vessel Shinsei Maru sunk by USN submarine Sawfish
Japanese vessel Bangkok Maru sunk by USN submarine Pollack

In the Indian Ocean...
British vessel Fort Mumford sunk by IJN submarine I-27
Panamanian vessel Nortun sunk by U-516

Today's Air Raids...
Louvain, Belgium by RAF Bomber Command
Northern France Fighter patrols by the RAF
Bay of Biscay minelaying by the RAF
Naples, Italy by US 9th Air Force
Djebel Tebaga, Tunisia by USAAF
Bougainville Island by US 13th Air Force

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging and me time in the morning. Extended Son time late morning and lunchtime. Having Hypnotic Gastric Band session early afternoon, then a meditation. More blogging then missus time in the evening.

 Twitter Followers = 1,640 (up 2)
   Nonfollowed eliminated = 0
   Unfollowers eliminated = 0

3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION
Yesterday was chiefly marked by a bruising online encounter with Daughter, the spark of which was my refusal to let her be involved in the choosing of a new cat, which would have been resented by Son. Her response to being told that an apology to him was required was a flood of name-calling. 

The main problem I have with Daughter is her refusal to acknowledge mistakes and to neither give nor accept forgiveness. Missus, bless her, will simply soak up the torrent of negativity that emanates from Daughter's mouth. Myself and Son will not.

These days I am emotionally geared up for negative encounters, so while this is all rather sad, it no longer gets to me like previous years. My response is to keep channels of communication passively open and to just move on with activities and relationships that are working and bring joy.

The reality is that no matter who you are and what you do, there are those who will disapprove of you. What I have learned is that not meeting someone else's criteria just means you're in the wrong place, and you need to move on to where the joy and fulfilment is. My sense of self-worth no longer comes from the approval of others but rather in the difference I can make.

This change has been most liberating indeed! I have lost all fear of pissing people off and confrontations, and as a result, my personal world is a much more pleasant place.

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
How strong is your belief in yourself?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Frequent and often heavy snow showers in the morning, finally clearing by mid-afternoon. Dry and cloudy thereafter, with cloud gradually thinning out.
Wind will be easterly and moderate, gradually easing.
Max Temp = 2 degC
Min Temp = -1 degC
Sunrise at 06:10
Sunset at 18:20

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
After hours discussing the force of rotation, the time for torque was over. : D

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!
Billy Bonnell on discussing dinner

8. TRIVIA
The wedding tradition of the bride wearing “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” symbolizes continuity, optimism for the future, shared happiness, and fidelity, respectively.

9. THE WISDOM I'VE LEARNED FROM OTHERS
"We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals to us that what is deep inside us is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit." - e.e. Cummings