NEW YEAR'S DAY, WEDNESDAY 1st JANUARY 2014 08:22 GMT

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1. THIS DAY IN WORLD WAR 2 (1st January 1944)
On the Russian Front...
The Soviet 6th Tank Army is formed

In Germany...
Hitler addresses the nation and states:
During the course of this year, this momentous war will approach its climax

In the English Channel...
Intense reconnaissance of the Normandy beaches begins by midget submarines.

In London...
HQ US Strategic Air Forces Europe is formally opened to control US 8th Air Force and 15th Air Force

In the United States...
General Alexander Vandegrift becomes commandant of the US Marine Corps

In the Pacific...
Japanese aircraft transport Nagoya Maru is sunk by USN submarine Herring

HQ US 13th Air Force begins transferring to Guadalcanal

Japanese vessel Kanaiyama Maru is sunk by USN PBY aircraft in the Bismarck Archipelago

Aircraft from carriers Bunker Hill and Monterey of USN Task Group 37.2 attack Japanese convoy off Kavieng on New Ireland, damaging Japanese cruisers Oyodo and Noshiro

IJN gunboat Okoyo Maru is sunk by USN submarine Ray off the East Indies
Japanese vessel Ryujo Maru is sunk by USN submarine Puffer off the Philippines

In New Guinea...
Australian 20th Infantry Brigade enters Nanda on the coast
Australian 18th Infantry Brigade begins moving by air to Dumpu
USN destroyers Smith and Hutchins damaged in accidental collision offshore   

In Burma...
In the Arakan, Indian 161st Infantry Brigade begin infiltrating around Hathipauk west of the Mayu Range 

Today's Air Raids...
Berlin and military targets in Germany by RAF Bomber Command
Northern France on V-weapons sites by RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force
Mille Atoll by US 7th Air Force
Maloelap Atoll and Jaluit Atoll minelaying offshore by US 7th Air Force
Bougainville Island by US 13th Air Force
Saidor, Madang and Alexishafen, New Guinea by US 5th Air Force
Cape Gloucester and military targets, New Britain by US 5th Air Force
Rabaul, New Britain by US 13th Air Force
Mu River Bridge and Myitkyina, Burma by US 10th Air Force

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging and me time
Cooking Lunch
Missus Time/Me Time

Twitter Followers = 1,701 (down 1)
Nonfollowed eliminated = 1
Unfollowers eliminated = 0
New followers = 0 

3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION
Despite bringing up Son NOT to be lonely, providing him with many social opportunities, he has grown up to be a sociopath like his dad! On New Year's Eve, he stayed at home, quaffed significant quantities of alcohol then went to bed relatively early, not even seeing in the New Year with us!  

He does not seem lonely or unhappy about this - that was genuinely what he wanted to do! This suited his parents as we could see in the New Year in our traditional manner in front of Jools Holland and be relaxed about it.  

There is a slight disappointment in my mind in that I was hoping, given a much more social upbringing, that he would be a more social being - he isn't! However he does at least have better advice and life opportunities than I had, and a clear life objective, so he knows where he is going. Whereas I lost my way at his age, his own path is clear to him, though of course the overwhelming number of individual choices on the way is still confusing. I have taught him not to over-analyze his options and trust his intuition. 

For the next couple of days for me, it's "limbo in paradise" - simply loving, living and being.

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
Are you living your life your way?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
A dry and clear start
Cloud builds and rain arrives by mid-morning
Rain will then persist, heavy at times, into tomorrow
A moderate south-easterly wind will swing gradually westerly overnight
Max Temp = 9 degC
Min Temp = 4 degC
Sunrise at 08:25
Sunset at 15:56

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
Happy 1975 from the Alzheimer's Association  : D

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY! 
Mock the Week- Unlikely Things to Hear on a Consumer Programme

8. TRIVIA
Star Trek's The Borg were initially conceptualized as being insects but took on their ultimate form due to budget restraints. The hive motif, however, remained. 

9. ZEN WISDOM
A dispute where there is respect leads to negotiation. A dispute where there is contempt leads to conflict