VALENTINE'S DAY, FRIDAY 14th FEBRUARY 2014 GMT

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1. THIS DAY IN WORLD WAR 2 (14th February 1944)
On the Russian Front...
Soviet 2nd Tank Army attacking German III Panzer Korps as it attempts to relieve the Korsun pocket. Within the pocket, German Group Stemmerman is under heavy attack

In the North Sea...
German vessels conduct minelaying operations along the British coast overnight. British MTBs engage retiring Kriegsmarine S-boats with vessels on both sides damaged.

In London...
Eisenhower formally establishes Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force for the invasion of Normandy.

In the Pacific...
Japanese vessel Nittoku Maru is sunk by USN submarine Snook
Japanese vessel Satsuma Maru sunk by US 14th Air Force aircraft
Japanese vessels Minryu Maru and Hokuan Maru are sunk by USN submarine Flasher off Luzon
Japanese vessel Mitsu Maru damaged by USN aircraft off New Guinea, run aground, and subsequently destroyed

In Burma...
Sinzweya Admin Box continues to hold out against Japanese attack in the Arakan

In the Indian Ocean...
Kriegsmarine U-boat UIT-23 (ex Italian Reginaldo Giuliani) is sunk by RN submarine Tally Ho 
British vessel Salviking is sunk by U-168 

Today's Air Raids...
Hammerfest, Norway by Soviet bombers, sinking two Norwegian vessels
Gilze-Rijen, Netherlands by US 8th Air Force
V-Weapons sites and other military targets in Northern France by RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force 
Italy on transportation routes and airfields by US 15th Air Force
Ponape Island by US 7th Air Force
Bougainville Island by US 13th Air Force
Kavieng, New Ireland by US 5th Air Force
Rabaul, New Britain by US 13th Air Force and US AirSols, whilst USN aircraft lay mines offshore
Momote, Los Negros Island by US 5th Air Force
Burma military targets by US 10th Air Force


2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
Me Time
Shift 1 of the Weekend Job
Missus Time


Twitter Followers = 1,712 (no change)
Nonfollowed eliminated = 0
Unfollowers eliminated = 1
@FirthSarah
New followers = 1
@_familymedicine

3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION
It was an odd day yesterday. Missus was off sick due to a bad headache which continues until today, as was Son with a virus, and the boiler sprung a small leak. All of these are wait-and-see issues! None of them caused be any great hassle yesterday - in fact I gained more time. 

I am slightly concerned about Missus head in that she has never been off work with a headache before and she slept right through to 6pm - then was back asleep by 9pm. On the other hand she just might be healing. Son looks like he will bounce back quicker, and the boiler leak is small and slow enough to leave until next week.

Meanwhile the short term benefits have been quite good! I had lots of me time and also marketed myself as best I could. Friday-Sunday, where little goes on business-wise, I can go into knowing I've done my best. 

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
Are you making the most of the opportunities available to you?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Dry start.
Heavy rain arriving by noon will persist thereafter
A moderate south-easterly, peaking in strength mid-afternoon, will blow throughout
Max Temp = 7 degC
Min Temp = 2 degC
Sunrise at 07:29
Sunset at 17:14


6. TODAY'S ONELINER
I am a children's playground caretaker - my career's on the slide


7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!
QI on rubbish


8. TRIVIA
Traffic police in Bangkok wear facemasks because of dangerous levels of air pollution. Additionally, police stations are equipped with oxygen tanks in case exhaust fumes overwhelm the officers. More than 20% of Bangkok’s police have some form of lung disease. One Thai bank estimated that Bangkok’s pollution woes cost the nation $2.3 billion annually in lost production, wasted energy, and health costs.

9. ZEN WISDOM
Prayers made with such strong resolve invite clear results just as magnets attract iron, such is the power of belief.