MONDAY 19th MAY 2014 07:00 BST

NEW BOOK AVAILABLE NOW!! - ENLIGHTENMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK

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1. THIS DAY IN WORLD WAR 2 (19th May 1944)
In the Baltic...
U-1015 sunk in accidental collision with U-1014
Kriegsmarine minesweeper M-3121 is sunk by patrolling Soviet aircraft 

In Italy...
British 8th Army attacks around Pontecorvo and Aquino 
As German units withdraw, US 5th Army advances around Gaeta, Itri, and Campodimele  
Kriegsmarine minelayer Kehrwieder (ex Italian Cotrone) destroyed by Allied aircraft at La Spezia
USN cruiser Brooklyn bombards German facilities at Terracina

In the Mediterranean...
U-960 is sunk by RAF aircraft and USN destroyers 
US vessel Fort Missanabie sunk by U-453, the last ever U-boat success in the Mediterranean 

In the Pacific...
Three Japanese cargo ships are sunk by patrolling US 11th Air Force aircraft off the Kamchatka Pennensula
IJN submarine I-16 is sunk by USN destroyer escort England
Japanese vessel Meisho Maru is sunk by USN submarine Skate 

In New Guinea...
Elements of US 163rd Infantry Regiment push the remnants of the Japanese defenders into a small pocket at northeast tip of Insoemoar Island in the Wakde Islands while detachments clear the outlying islets 

In China...
Operation Ko-Go (Peking-Hankow Operation): 
63rd Infantry Division, directly subordinate to Japanese North China Area Army, opens attack against Loyang against strong opposition by Chinese 15th Army
Japanese 1st Army advances toward Taying  

In Burma...
US 5307th Provisional Unit attacks into Myitkyina  

In India...
Japanese forces attack Indian 23rd Infantry Division at Shenam Pass southeast of Imphal 
Japanese forces make unsuccessful attacks against Indian 48th Infantry Brigade's block on Tiddim road south of Bishenpur 

Today's Air Raids...
Berlin, Brunswick and Kiel, Germany by US 8th Air Force. The Luftwaffe loses an unsustainable 68 fighters shot down.
Cologne, Germany by RAF Bomber Command
Northern France military targets including V-Weapons sites and transportation routes by US 9th Air Force, and fighter patrols by RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force
Boulogne, Orleans, Amiens, Tours, Le Mans, Le Clipon, Merville and Mont Couple, France by RAF Bomber Command
English Channel minelaying by RAF Bomber Command
Italy multiple military targets by US 12th and 15th Air Forces
Marcus Island by USN aircraft from USN Task Force 58.6
Nauru and Ponape Island by US 7th Air Force
Biak Island and Noemfoor Island  by US 5th Air Force
Wewak, New Guinea by US 5th Air Force

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
Me Time/Meditation
Housework
Lawnmowing/trimming/strimming
Online promotonal work
Missus Time

Twitter Followers = 1,743 (up 1)
Nonfollowed eliminated = 0
Unfollowers eliminated = 0
New followers = 1 
@Ross_Quintana     

3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION
I have concluded that in my case at least, the absolute no.1 essential discipline is meditation. I do not have the neuroscientific knowledge to fully understand or explain why this is the case, but I certainly have the experiential knowledge. 

It's principal benefits are calm and concentration - essential to practice the discipline of Mindfulness. When you've live much of your life with an interminable din of unhelpful thought going on inside your head, the bliss of a calm mind is relief beyond description. But it doesn't STAY that way - you have to persist with meditation in the same way as you need to keep washing in order to stay clean.

I have learned the hard way that the short term gain in time by skipping discipline is a false economy - you can't make good use of that time because your mind is not running efficiently. Sometimes circumstances do mean you cannot pursue every discipline, but meditation needs to have equal priority with washing and cleaning teeth. 

Once you have all your disciplines established, life looks after itself - you just do the optimum thing and you can "enjoy the movie" - the consciousness simply sits back and observes it all happening.

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
Are you maintaining your mind and body or just running them into the ground?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Mainly warm, dry and sunny throughout
Chance of a heavy shower or thunderstorm in the later afternoon and early evening
Dry and clear after dusk
A moderate easterly wind throughout
Max Temp = 20 degC
Min Temp = 11 degC
Sunrise at 04:49
Sunset at 21:08 

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
Men find it hard to make eye contact, because boobs don't have eyes :D

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!
Mock The Week - John Wilkinson on smoking

8. TRIVIA
People with red hair have twice the average risk of developing Parkinson’s Disease. 

9. ZEN WISDOM
The greatest resource that humankind has is to be found within human life itself. This treasure can be endlessly mined and developed. To believe in and encourage youth, bringing out their wisdom and strength; this is the challenge and purpose of education.