Tuesday 30 December 2014

NEW YEAR'S EVE, WEDNESDAY 31st DECEMBER 2014 07:10 GMT

Read my book - ENLIGHTENMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK

Also available - EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK

WISDOM, HUMOUR, AND LOTS OF OTHER INTERESTING STUFF CAN BE FOUND ON MY PINTEREST PAGE and FACEBOOK PAGE

TO FIND OUT WHAT I DO, CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE and FAN PAGE

1. THIS DAY IN WORLD WAR 2 (31st December 1944)
On the Russian Front...
Soviet 2nd Ukrainian Front continues to assault Budapest, but is slowed down by German counterattacks



Poland...
The Soviet-backed Polish Committee of National Liberation, (the "Lublin Committee"), declares itself Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland

London...
The London-based Polish government-in-exile protests at the new provisional government in Poland

Germany...
U-547 is decomissioned at Stettin 
German fighter losses have reached daily unsustainable levels - today alone the Luftwaffe loses 52 fighters  

On the Western Front...
The Battle Of The Bulge:
US 3rd Army attacks around Houffalize and Wiltz on the southern flank of the Bulge
In further intense dogfighting, US fighters claim 64 Luftwaffe aircraft shot down

North Sea...
U-1020 vanishes without trace

Hungary...
The Hungarian provisional government in Debrecen declares war on Germany

Greece...
Archbishop Damaskinos is sworn in as regent, Prime Minister Papandreou resigns

Italy...
US 5th Army recovers territory lost to German attacks in the Serchio valley 

In the Pacific...
Australian II Corps captures Pearl Ridge on Bougainville Island
US 8th Army continues clearing Leyte Island
US vessel Juan de Fuca, already damaged, is hit again by Japanese aircraft and run aground

Burma...
British 14th Army captures Kabo
British 15th Corps captures Rathedaung in the Arakan unopposed

Indian Ocean...
Japanese vessel Unryu Maru is sunk by RN submarine Shakespeare 

Today's Air Raids...
Oslo, Norway on the Gestapo headquarters and Oslo Fjord ny RAF Bomber Command
Wenzendorf, Misburg, Hamburg, and military targets in Germany by US 8th Air Force - at Hamburg, a minesweeper, three cargo ships and two U-Boats are sunk, with a further three U-Boats damaged
Vohwinkel, Osterfeld, Ludwigshafen and Berlin, Germany by RAF Bomber Command
North Sea minelaying by RAF Bomber Command
Bodrez Bridge, Yugoslavia by US 12th Air Force
Po Valley, Italy by US 12th Air Force
Celebes Island, Timor Island, Halmahera Island and military targets in the Philippines by US FEAF
Iwo Jima by US 7th Air Force
Transportation lines and other targets around Hankow, Saiping, Siangtan, Hengyang, Lingling, and Kweilin, China by US 14th Air Force 
Airfields at Laihka, Namsang, Aungban, Kunlon, and Heho, and targets around Namhkai, Mongmit, Nawngka, Kawngtawng, Pangnim, Mong Tat, Kutkai, and Man Namman, Burma by US 10th Air Force
Thedaw airfield and Meiktila airfield, Burma by RAF aircraft  

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
All-day slob-out both alone and with the family 

Twitter Followers = 1,851 (no change)  
Non-followed Tweeps unfollowing = 1

Untraced
Unfollowers Eliminated = 1

@SanFranciscoVC
New Followers followed back = 1

@jenni_the_cat
Spammers not followed back = 1

@HappyPillRocks
 
3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION
An unplanned and certainly unprecedented three days offline! After a very upsetting fallout with Son was resolved, the internet connection went down, then I was distracted by shopping activities with Missus and having fun with Tivo. Finally, three days on, I have the time and space to reconnect.


The main lessons learned in the last three days are unfortunately repeat lessons from not truly learning from experience. My spiritual consciousness is tenuous and relies on my character to pursue daily disciplines to sustain it. Without these disciplines, my character becomes increasingly fragile.

I have in every sense "let myself go" over the holiday period - my mistake was that a "rest" from discipline is no rest at all! I now have a greater appreciation of the necessity of discipline and routine to maintain health and strength, and sincerely intend not to require this lesson again!

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
Are you neglecting anything essential to your wellbeing?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Dry and cloudy throughout with a moderate south-westerly wind
Max Temp = 7 degC
Min Temp = 3 degC
Sunrise at 08:25
Sunset at 15:55

Weathertrack: High Pressure over Northern France will weaken, allowing depressions in the Atlantic to move in
Air Pressure: 1029 millibars and falling

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
I jokingly posted piles of snow to my friends, but they didn't get my drift :D     
7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!
Mock The Week - Unlikely Lines From a Horror Film

8. TRIVIA
Edvard Munch’s famous painting The Scream is thought to show a volcanic sunset caused by the massive eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia in 1883. The blood-red sunset could be seen as far away as Norway, where Munch lived.

9. ZEN WISDOM
A truly beautiful person is one who is good at discovering beauty.