SUNDAY 16th FEBRUARY 2014 06:50 GMT

NEW BOOK AVAILABLE NOW!! - ENLIGHTENMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK

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1. THIS DAY IN WORLD WAR 2 (16th February 1944)
On the Russian Front...
German Group Stemmerman begins a breakout of the Korsun pocket

In the Black Sea...
Soviet submarine L-6 is sunk by German sub chaser UJ-103

In Stockholm, Sweden...
A Finnish envoy receives armistice terms from a Soviet representative

In Italy...
German 14th Army attack US VI Corps in the Anzio beachhead 

In the Mediterranean...
Kriegsmarine 10th Torpedo Boat Flotilla conducts minelaying operations
RN LST-418 is sunk by U-230 

In the Pacific...
IJN submarine RO-40 is sunk by USN destroyer Phelps and minesweeper Sage 

In New Britain, the Cape Gloucester and Arawe beachheads break out and link up, giving the Americans control of Western New Britain.

In the Bismarck Sea, Japanese vessel Sanko Maru and IJN auxiliary sub chaser Cha-16 are sunk by USAAF aircraft, whilst IJN auxiliary sub chaser Cha-39 is damaged and run aground.

Japanese vessel Chojo Maru is sunk by USN submarine Tinosa off the Philippines.

In Burma...
British 16th LRP Brigade (The Chindits) reaches Hkalak Ga 
In the Arakan, Indian 4th Infantry Brigade attacks around Point 315 to relieve the Sinzweya Admin Box

Today's Air Raids...
Italy on transportation routes by US 15th Air Force
Mille Atoll, Wotje Atoll, and Maloelap Atoll by US 7th Air Force
Rabaul, New Britain by US 13th Air Force and US AirSols
Kavieng, New Ireland by US 5th Air Force
Off New Hanover on Japanese shipping by US 5th Air Force
Celebes Island by US 5th Air Force
Burma military targets by US 10th Air Force

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
The Milk Run
Ironing/housework
Lunch
Meditation/Me Time
Missus Time

Twitter Followers = 1,711 (no change)
Nonfollowed eliminated = 0
Unfollowers eliminated = 0
New followers = 0  

3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION
With finances nowhere near recovering from the ventures of 2013, soaring fuel bills, and a price hike by both FirstBus and Virgin Media, this was not a good time for a British Gas engineer to suggest the central heating needs £700 of maintenance work not covered by our contract.

Other dark and disturbing news about the machinations of management at the Weekend Job, and a bruising online altercation over politics contributed to the synchronicity. However, my training informs me that it is not one's circumstances but one's response that determines one's life experience. 

I shall therefore respond appropriately! The hot water and central heating is at least working again for now. The work, if it really needs doing, is not pressingly urgent and could be done at a more competitive price - it will therefore be moved down the priority list. 

Switiching energy suppliers is definitely priority for next week. The Weekend Job is relatively safe for now, as only the upwardly aspiring are guaranteed grief. My two-day and firmly shop-floor status there, plus by aggressive defence of my rights, plus my usefulness as an experienced operative, means that I can happily poodle along for the time being.

I am generally pleased with my responses to adversity these days! People who bring only negativity are now aggressively expelled from my personal life. Challenging circumstances are broken down into specific responses at certain times. At any given moment, when aware of negative emotion, I know that I need to reground my focus away from things I cannot change to that which I can.

I find myself congratulating myself over the progress made on previous incarnations! This character is still fallible and vulnerable, but responding better. Even more importantly, I can at times completely rest the character I play and raise my consciousness to that which we all are, and just contentedly be. 

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
Are you responding in the best way to the challenges you face?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Dry and sunny all day, and dry with clear periods overnight
A moderate westerly will blow until mid-afternoon. Thereafter, wind will steadily ease and swing gradually round to a light south-easterly by late evening.
Max Temp = 5 degC
Min Temp = 3 degC
Sunrise at 07:25
Sunset at 17:18

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
I told the doctor I was addicted to Twitter, but he didn't follow me : D

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!  
Mock The Week: Unlikely lines from a romantic novel - particularly good!

8. TRIVIA
On average, a domestic cat spends two thirds of its life asleep


9. ZEN WISDOM
Wisdom is invisible. It can only be gauged by a person’s actual conduct and behaviour.