FRIDAY 25th JULY 2014 07:40 BST

NEW BOOK AVAILABLE NOW!! - ENLIGHTENMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK

FOR MORE BITE-SIZED WISDOM, CHECK OUT MY TUMBLR PAGE

EVEN MORE WISDOM AND LOTS OF OTHER INTERESTING STUFF CAN BE FOUND ON MY PINTEREST PAGE

FOR PERSONAL ISSUES, OR TO FIND OUT WHAT I DO, WHY NOT CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE

1. THIS DAY IN WORLD WAR 2 (25th July 1944)
On the Russian Front...
Soviet 2nd Shock Army attacks around Narva, forcing German III SS Panzer Korps to evacuate the city
Soviet 2nd Baltic Front advances toward Daugavpils 
Field Marshal Schoerner takes command of German Army Group North from General Friessner, who takes command of Army Group South Ukraine
Soviet 1st Byelorussian Front attacks around Brest-Litovsk 
Soviet 1st Ukrainian Front fights its way into in Lvov 

In Poland...
Churchill's personal representative to the Home Army, Jozef Retinger (aka Salamander), is extracted by air along with a test-fired V-2 rocket recovered by Polish resistance from the River Bug

In Germany...
The Wehrmacht is ordered to use the Nazi salute from now on
Goebbels is named Reich Plenipotentiary for Total War 

In France...
German troops mopping up in the Vercors carry out reprisals, destroy villages, commit atrocities, and murder civilians

In Normandy, France...
British 2nd Army launches diversionary attacks around Caen
Operation Cobra:
US 1st Army launches an offensive around St.Lo. There is heavy air support but 102 US soldiers are killed on the ground including Lt General Leslie McNair, and another 380 wounded by mis-dropped bombs

In Italy...
13th Corps of British 8th Army advances toward Florence
US 5th Army regroups along the Arno River  

In the Atlantic...
US vessel Robin Goodfellow is sunk by U-862  

In the Pacific...
US V Amphibious Corps expands the beachhead on Tinian 
US III Amphibious Corps atntack on Guam to join north and south beachheads

RN battleships Queen Elizabeth, Valiant, and Renown and French battleship Richelieu along with cruisers and destroyers of RN Eastern Fleet bombard Sabang in combination with bombing by the Fleet Air Arm. A Japanese aerial counter-attack is repulsed

Japanese vessel Hoshin Maru is  sunk by USAAF aircraft off Hong Kong

In New Guinea...
US Task Force Persecution attacks along the Driniumor River at the eastern end of the Aitape beachhead 

In India...
Indian 23rd Infantry Division of British 14th Army is heavily engaged around Sibong and Shenam Pass southeast of Imphal 

Today's Air Raids...
Linz, Villach and military targets in Austria by US 15th Air Force
Stuttgart, Wanne-Eickel, Berlin and Mannheaim, Germany by RAF Bomber Command
St Cyr and V-Weapons sites, France by RAF Bomber Command
Po Valley, Italy by US 12th Air Force
Pagan Island and Truk Atoll by US 7th Air Force
Woleai Atoll by US FEAF
Palau Islands, Yap, Ulithi, Fais, Ngulu, and Sorol Atoll by Carrier-based aircraft from USN Task Force 58, sinking two guardboats, a minelayer and a destroyer
Yoyang, Chaling, Siangsiang, Changsha, Siangyin, Sinshih, and military targets in China by US 14th Air Force
Myitkyina, Kamaing, and Mogaung, Burma by US 10th Air Force

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

Twitter Followers = 1,773 (down 1)
Nonfollowed Eliminated = 0
Unfollowers Eliminated = 1
@NoahRickun
New Followers = 0 

3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION
A particularly enjoyable Thursday of self-indulgence followed by successful quality time with Missus has been marred only slightly by the prolonged absence of one of the cats. Of course when you have free-roaming external access there is always a risk that something can happen, so whilst I am concerned I have learned to accept things that are beyond my control. 

Missing Shadow notwithstanding, life is blissful and I will take full advantage to make a difference my way. However, I also know how important it is, in good times as well as bad to keep attention on a tight leash - there are plenty of bad places it can end up in and I intend to keep it on my Higher Self.

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

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Warm, dry and sunny throughout with a moderate north-easterly wind, and clear overnight 
Max Temp = 23 degC
Min Temp = 15 degC
Sunrise at 05:09
Sunset at 21:17

Jetstream: Over France
Weathertrack: High Pressure west of Norway and extending over Britain will drift slowly north. A depression between Greenland and Spitzbergen is expected to move rapidly south towards Scotland tomorrow.
Air Pressure: 1020 millibars and falling slightly

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
People say the early bird catches the worm. They never talk about the early worm though!  :D

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY! 
Dara O'Briain on Christmas Stories for kids

8. TRIVIA
North Korea has the world’s fourth largest military, boasting more than 10 million active personnel. With one in every 25 citizens enlisted as a soldier, North Korea has the highest percentage of military personnel per capita in the world. In 2001, North Korea spent over $5 billion on its military, more than 30% of its country’s GDP. The U.S. spends about 3.7%.   

9. ZEN WISDOM
There is always a competition between resignation and hope. Indifference and acquiescence in the face of the negative, destructive functions of life is, ultimately, to side with the forces of destruction.