FRIDAY 23rd MAY 2014 06:30 BST

NEW BOOK AVAILABLE NOW!! - ENLIGHTENMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK

FOR MORE BITE-SIZED 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 (23rd May 1944)
In Germany...
At an aircraft production conference, Hitler becomes enraged when he learns his orders have been disobeyed and the Me-262 is being produced as a fighter, not a bomber that can be used against Allied invasion fleet 

In the English Channel...
Kriegsmarine minesweeper M-4623 is sunk by RN MGBs 
Kriegsmarine 5th S-Boat Flotilla attempts minelaying off Brighton overnight but driven away by RN destroyers 

In Italy...
British 8th Army attacks toward the Aquino-Pontecorvo road and breaks through local defences 
Operation Buffalo: At the Anzio beachhead, VI Corps of US 5th Army begins an assault against German 14th Army's Cisterna Line 
USN light cruiser Brooklyn and two destroyers bombard German positions at Ardea north of Anzio 

In the Mediterranean...
Kriegsmarine escort vessel SG-15 (ex French), already beached, is sunk by RN submarine Universal 

In the Atlantic...
German vessel Baldur sunk by RN submarine Sceptre in the Bay of Biscay

In the Pacific...
IJN submarine RO-104 is sunk by USN destroyer escort England
Japanese vessel Taijun Maru is sunk by USN submarine Cero 
Three small Japanese vessels are sunk by US submarine Raton off the East Indies

In New Guinea...
US 158th Infantry Regiment begins pushing west toward Sarmi to expand the Arare-Toem beachhead

In China...
Operation Ko-Go (Peking-Hankow Operation): 
Japanese 12th Army completes preparations for a major assault against Loyang castle 
On the Salween Front:
Chinese Y Force gradually advances through the mountains towards Burma 

In Burma...
US and Chinese forces are engaged with Japanese defenders around Myitkyina 
Elements of Japanese 53rd Infantry Division attacking Chindit forces at Kyusanlai Pass 
Elements of Japanese 53rd Infantry Division attack the Chindit base at Blackpool, closing the air strip 

In India...
Japanese 33rd Infantry Division and Indian 17th Infantry Division are heavily engaged around Buri Bazar and Bishenpur south of Imphal 
The Japanese attack Indian 48th Infantry Brigade's block on Tiddim road in an effort to reopen supply line to Bishenpur 

Today's Air Raids...
Germany on rail yards and airfields by US 8th Air Force
Dortmund and Berlin, Germany by RAF Bomber Command
Hasselt, Belgium by US 8th Air Force
Northern France:
Fighter patrols by RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force
Coastal batteries, airfields and rolling stock by US 9th Air Force
Rail yards and airfields by US 8th Air Force
North Sea Minelaying by RAF Bomber Command
Northern Italy military targets by US 15th Air Force
Wake Island by USN aircraft from Task Force 58.3
Jaluit Atoll and Ponape Island by US 7th Air Force
Bougainville Island on military targets by US 13th Air Force
Biak Island by US 5th Air Force
New Guinea coastal military targets by US 5th Air Force
Rabaul and military targets on New Britain by US 13th Air Force 

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
Me Time
Online promotional work
Meditation
Shift 1 of the Weekend Job

Twitter Followers = 1,746 (no change)
Nonfollowed eliminated = 0
Unfollowers eliminated = 0
New followers = 0
 
3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION
The physical signs of ageing, such as loss of suppleness and 20/20 vision bother me much less than the loss of peripheral mental faculties, by which I mean the ability to do routine tasks subconsciously. I can no longer just do stuff whilst thinking about something else. This is particularly noticeable when eating - lose focus and food goes down the wrong hole!

From a Zen viewpoint, this is a good thing, as it forces you to be in the moment if you want to do a job right. It's not such a good thing regarding subconscious scheduling, the ability to return automatically to ongoing tasks, like bringing in washing - I've now got soggy laundry that's going to be out there Wednesday to Monday because of the weather and my forgetting to remember to bring it in Wednesday evening.

Fortunately my life is not so hectic that it's crucial, but I can see myself a decade from now requiring a heap of lists to get through a day. 

All this of course has to be accepted. Since the age of 30 I have been slowly dying, and now into my fifties the decline becomes obvious. I am at peace with all this because it is after all only a character that is dying. The universe and many other single points of consciousness continue - the only real thing is consciousness itself.

There is still plenty of difference for this character to make, so for as long as possible I will continue to make it.

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
Are you able to let go of what is passing?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Rain throughout, but there will be a window of dry weather overnight
A moderate north-easterly will blow throughout
Max Temp = 13 degC
Min Temp = 8 degC
Sunrise at 04:53
Sunset at 21:15 

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
Say what you want about deaf people...   :D

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY! 
Russell Howard on Free Irish Cheese

8. TRIVIA
Laughing relaxes and expands blood vessels, which helps protect the heart.  

9. ZEN WISDOM
There are many who dream about experiencing happiness without the patience. But that is a dream. And a dream is just that—a dream, a fairy tale. It is to wish for a childish, easy life. This illusion breaks up many marriages.