MONDAY 16th JUNE 2014 05:29 BST

NEW BOOK AVAILABLE NOW!! - ENLIGHTENMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK

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1. THIS DAY IN WORLD WAR 2 (16th June 1944)
On the Russian Front...
Finnish units in the Karelian isthmus withdraw to final defence positions, the VKT Line 

In Bergen, Norway...
U-998 is heavily damaged by Allied aircraft and written off 

In Normandy, France...
King George VI visits the beachhead 
Sword beach is still being hit by German artillery fire 
Vehicles and personnel begin debarking at Mulberry, though still under construction, at Omaha Beach
US 1st Army engaged around St Lo
VII Corps of US 1st Army attacking across the Cotentin peninsula and toward Cherbourg
Ground forces continue to receive heavy air support

In the English Channel...
British vessel Alert sunk by mine off Normandy
S-Boat attacks are driven off by Allied aircraft and warships
RCN 65th MTB Flotilla attacks German convoy off Brittany, damaging minesweeper M-133 which is subsequently scuttled

In England...
AA units and barrage balloons for air defense of UK begin redeploying to defend against V-1 flying bombs

In Yugoslavia...
Prime Minister-in-exile Subasic meets with Tito on Vis Island and they agree on the organization of the Yugoslavian government-in-exile and support for the partisans

In the Mediterranean...
Italian vessel Giuliana is sunk in the Adriatic by Free French destroyers Le Fantasque and Le Terrible overnight 
RN submarine Sickle vanishes in the Aegean, probably sunk by a mine 

In Italy...
British 8th Army captures Bevagna and Foligno
US 5th Army advances northward

In the Pacific...
IJN submarine RO-44 is sunk by USN destroyer Burden R. Hastings east of Eniwetok Atoll 

US 2nd Marine Division and 4th Marine Division expand their beachhead on Saipan. Five Japanese cargo ships are sunk offshore 

IJN submarine RO-114 is sunk by USN destroyers Melvin and Wadleigh west of Tinian 

USN warships bombard Guam - US landings on Guam are postponed due to the threat posed by IJN fleet movements 

US 41st Infantry Division continues attacking enemy positions around Mokmer airfield on Biak Island

Japanese vessel Nanshin Maru is sunk by USN submarine Bluefish off the East Indies
Japanese vessel Yuki Maru is sunk by USN submarine Bream off the East Indies 

In China...
Operation To-Go (Hunan-Kwangsi Operation): 
58th Infantry Division of Japanese 11th Army opens an attack against Chinese 4th Army at Changsha
34th Infantry Division and other elements of Japanese 11th Army attack Mount Yuehlushan 
40th Infantry Division of Japanese 11th Army captures Ninghsiang
70th Infantry Division of Japanese 13th Army advance toward Chuhsien 

On the Salween Front:
Japanese counterattacks drive 71st Army of Chinese Y Force away from Lungling

In Burma...
US-Chinese units besiege Japanese troops at Myitkyina with air support
Chinese 149th Infantry Regiment enters Kamaing following withdrawal of isolated Japanese 18th Infantry Division

In India...
British 2nd Infantry Division attacks the rearguard of Japanese 31st Infantry Division around Mao Songsang south of Kohima 
Indian 7th Infantry Division cuts the Japanese Tuphema Khorasom supply track southeast of Kohima and threatens rear of Mao Songsang position

In the Indian Ocean...
South African vessel Columbine is sunk by U-198  

Today's Air Raids...
Denmark Fighter patrols by RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force
Vienna, Austria by US 15th Air Force
Sterkrade and Berlin, Germany by RAF Bomber Command, using the Mandrel radar-jamming system for the first time
V-Weapons sites, Northern France by RAF Bomber Command
Bratislava, Czechoslovakia by US 15th Air Force
Ponape Island by US 7th Air Force
Truk Atoll and Yap Island by US FEAF
New Guinea on military targets by US FEAF
Rabaul and military targets on New Britain by US FEAF
Iwo Jima by Carrier-based aircraft from USN Task Group 58.1 and Task Group 58.4 

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
Housework 
Meditation
Missus Time

Twitter Followers = 1,750 (up 1)
Nonfollowed eliminated = 0
Unfollowers eliminated = 0
New followers = 1
@SunIslandMusic

3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION
With Missus' birthday weekend passing off successfully, something like a normal routine has returned. I have tweaked my focus mantra slightly from "Listening Gratefully" to SUBMITTING GRATEFULLY - I think this more effectively allows my ego to "step aside" and allow my Higher Self to guide my actions. My intention is to be perpetually in this state of focus.

There has been plentiful sleep and meditation over the weekend, and this has led to some odd vivid dreams. They all seemed to have the theme of being distracted from a path onto an adventure. I am reluctant to attach any great meaning to these dreams but perhaps in waking life there's a lesson about responding appropriately to whatever situation you find yourself in.

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
Is your response to your situation the right one to lead to a fulfilling life?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Dry and sunny throughout with a moderate north-easterly wind
Max Temp = 16 degC
Min Temp = 10 degC
Sunrise at 04:35
Sunset at 21:40

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
Be a Minimalist. It’s the least you can do. :D  

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!  
The Graham Norton Show - Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt share an anecdote 

8. TRIVIA
The English word “Friday” is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Frigedaeg, meaning “Venus day” (Friga = Venus + dae = day), and many other languages also trace their names for Friday from root words meaning “Venus day.”     

9. ZEN WISDOM
Dialogue starts from the courageous willingness to know and be known by others. It is the painstaking and persistent effort to remove all obstacles that obscure our common humanity.